The story in short
- Arabic name
- أيوب
- English name
- Job
- Named in the Quran
- 4 times
- Sent to
- His people in the land of Hawran (Syria), according to historians
- In the list of 25
- 12 of 25
In short: Ayyub was a prophet tested with severe illness and the loss of his wealth and children. He stayed patient for years, then called out: "Indeed, adversity has touched me, and You are the most merciful of the merciful" (21:83). Allah told him to strike the ground with his foot, and a spring came out for him to wash and drink. He was healed, and his family and more like them were given back to him.
The story of Ayyub
The test
The Quran does not describe Ayyub's illness. It says only that harm and hardship touched him, and that Satan had afflicted him with distress and suffering (38:41). The Prophet ﷺ said: "The people most severely tested are the prophets, then the next best, then the next best".1 Ayyub's patience became the standard example.
The dua and the cure
"And Ayyub, when he called to his Lord, 'Indeed, adversity has touched me, and You are the most merciful of the merciful.' So We responded to him and removed what afflicted him of adversity. And We gave him back his family and the like thereof with them, as mercy from Us and a reminder for the worshippers" (21:83-84). Notice that he did not demand. He described his state and praised Allah's mercy.
In Surah Sad, Allah told him: "Strike the ground with your foot. This is a cool bath and drink" (38:42). He was also told: "Take in your hand a bunch of grass and strike with it and do not break your oath." Then Allah says: "Indeed, We found him patient, an excellent servant. Indeed, he was one repeatedly turning back to Allah" (38:44).
The golden locusts
The Prophet ﷺ said that while Ayyub was bathing, golden locusts fell on him and he began gathering them in his garment. His Lord called him: "O Ayyub, have I not made you rich enough not to need what you see?" He said: "Yes, by Your might, but I can never do without Your blessing".2 After all his patience, he was also grateful and still in need of Allah.
Key verses
۞ وَأَيُّوبَ إِذْ نَادَىٰ رَبَّهُۥٓ أَنِّى مَسَّنِىَ ٱلضُّرُّ وَأَنتَ أَرْحَمُ ٱلرَّٰحِمِينَ ﴿٨٣﴾ فَٱسْتَجَبْنَا لَهُۥ فَكَشَفْنَا مَا بِهِۦ مِن ضُرٍّۢ ۖ وَءَاتَيْنَٰهُ أَهْلَهُۥ وَمِثْلَهُم مَّعَهُمْ رَحْمَةًۭ مِّنْ عِندِنَا وَذِكْرَىٰ لِلْعَٰبِدِينَ ﴿٨٤﴾
Wa Ayyooba iz naadaa Rabbahooo annee massaniyad durru wa Anta arhamur raahimeen Fastajabnaa lahoo fakashaf naa maa bihee min durrinw wa aatainaahu ahlahoo wa mislahum ma'ahum rahmatam min 'indinaa wa zikraa lil'aabideen
(83) And [mention] Job, when he called to his Lord, "Indeed, adversity has touched me, and you are the Most Merciful of the merciful." (84) So We responded to him and removed what afflicted him of adversity. And We gave him [back] his family and the like thereof with them as mercy from Us and a reminder for the worshippers [of Allah].
Quran 21:83-84 · Sahih International · Read in Surah Al-Anbiya
وَٱذْكُرْ عَبْدَنَآ أَيُّوبَ إِذْ نَادَىٰ رَبَّهُۥٓ أَنِّى مَسَّنِىَ ٱلشَّيْطَٰنُ بِنُصْبٍۢ وَعَذَابٍ ﴿٤١﴾ ٱرْكُضْ بِرِجْلِكَ ۖ هَٰذَا مُغْتَسَلٌۢ بَارِدٌۭ وَشَرَابٌۭ ﴿٤٢﴾ وَوَهَبْنَا لَهُۥٓ أَهْلَهُۥ وَمِثْلَهُم مَّعَهُمْ رَحْمَةًۭ مِّنَّا وَذِكْرَىٰ لِأُو۟لِى ٱلْأَلْبَٰبِ ﴿٤٣﴾ وَخُذْ بِيَدِكَ ضِغْثًۭا فَٱضْرِب بِّهِۦ وَلَا تَحْنَثْ ۗ إِنَّا وَجَدْنَٰهُ صَابِرًۭا ۚ نِّعْمَ ٱلْعَبْدُ ۖ إِنَّهُۥٓ أَوَّابٌۭ ﴿٤٤﴾
Wazkur 'abdanaaa Ayyoob; iz naada Rabbahooo annee massaniyash Shaitaanu binus binw wa 'azaab Urkud birijlika haaza mughtasalum baaridunw wa sharaab Wa wahabnaa lahoo ahlahoo wa mislahum ma'ahum rahmatam minna wa zikraa li ulil albaab Wa khuz biyadika dighsan fadrib bihee wa laa tahnas, innaa wajadnaahu saabiraa; ni'mal 'abd; innahooo awwaab
(41) And remember Our servant Job, when he called to his Lord, "Indeed, Satan has touched me with hardship and torment." (42) [So he was told], "Strike [the ground] with your foot; this is a [spring for] a cool bath and drink." (43) And We granted him his family and a like [number] with them as mercy from Us and a reminder for those of understanding. (44) [We said], "And take in your hand a bunch [of grass] and strike with it and do not break your oath." Indeed, We found him patient, an excellent servant. Indeed, he was one repeatedly turning back [to Allah].
Quran 38:41-44 · Sahih International · Read in Surah Sad
Lessons from the story
- Patience does not mean silence. Ayyub told Allah his pain, with good manners.
- Praising Allah's mercy is part of asking for it.
- Hardship is not a sign of Allah's anger. The best of people were tested most.
- After relief, gratitude and continued need of Allah, as in the golden locusts.
Where it is in the Quran
The main passages about Ayyub, with links to read and listen to each surah:
- Surah Al-Anbiya 21:83-84
- Surah Sad 38:41-44
- Surah An-Nisa 4:163
- Surah Al-Anam 6:84
What is authentic, and what is not
Popular stories describe worms eating his body and his people throwing him out of the town. These come from Isra'iliyyat and have no basis in the Quran or sahih hadith, and many scholars warned that they are not fitting for a prophet. The length of his illness is given as three, seven or eighteen years in different reports. The eighteen-year narration is reported by Ibn Hibban and al-Hakim, and scholars differ on its strength. The reason for his oath in 38:44 is explained in tafsir reports, often linked to his wife, but the Quran does not state it.
We follow Ibn Kathir's Qasas al-Anbiya only where it rests on the Quran and sound hadith. Isra'iliyyat are reports taken from earlier scriptures and storytellers. Scholars allow mentioning them only when they do not contradict the Quran and Sunnah, and they are never treated as certain.
Questions
What is the dua of Prophet Ayyub?
"Anni massaniyad-durru wa anta arhamur-rahimin": "Indeed, adversity has touched me, and You are the most merciful of the merciful" (21:83).
What illness did Ayyub have?
The Quran does not say. Graphic details in some books come from Isra'iliyyat and are not reliable.
How long was Ayyub ill?
No certain figure is given in the Quran. A report of eighteen years is in Ibn Hibban, and scholars differ on whether it is authentic.
What is Ayyub known for?
Patience. Allah says "We found him patient, an excellent servant" (38:44).
Sources
- Jami at-Tirmidhi 2398, graded hasan sahih.
- Sahih al-Bukhari 279.
- Ibn Kathir, Qasas al-Anbiya, chapter on Ayyub, and his tafsir of 21:83-84 and 38:41-44.
- Quran: Arabic from the Tanzil Uthmani text, English by Sahih International. In quotations within the text, the prophets' names are given in their Arabic form (Musa for Moses, Ibrahim for Abraham).
The rulings on this page are pending review by the scholars on our team.