Story of Prophet Ayoub/Job (pbuh)

Ibn Ishaaq stated that he was a man of Rum. His name was Job, Ibn Mose, Ibn Razeh, Ibn Esau, Ibn Isaac (pbuh), Ibn Abraham (pbuh). Someone else said he was Job, Ibn Mose, Ibn Rimil, Ibn Esau, Ibn Isaac, Ibn Jacob. There have also been other statements on his lineage. Ibn Asaker narrated that his mother was a daughter of Lot (pbuh). It was said, also that his father was one who believed in Abraham (pbuh) when he was cast into the fire.
The first opinion is the most plausible, because he was a descendant of Abraham's offspring as Allah Almighty declared: "That was Our proof which We gave Abraham against his people. We raise whom We will in degrees. Certainly your Lord is All-Wise, All Knowing. And We bestowed upon him Isaac and Jacob, each of them We guided and before him, We guided Noah, and among his progeny David, Solomon, Job, Joseph, Moses, and Aaron. Thus do We reward the good doers. (Ch 6:83-84)
Allah the Almighty praised His worshipper Job in His Glorious Quran: Truly! We found him patient. How excellent a slave! Verily, he was ever oft returning in repentance to Us! (Ch 38:44)
Job (pbuh) was repentant, remembering Allah with thankfulness, patience, and steadfastness. This was the cause of his rescue and the secret of Allah's praising him.
A group of angels were discussing Allah's other human creatures, how those who were humble earned Allah's pleasure, while those who were arrogant incurred His displeasure. One of the angels remarked: "The best creature on earth today is Job, a man of noble character who displays great patience and always remembers his Generous Lord. He is an excellent model for the worshippers of Allah. In return, his Lord has blessed him with a long life and plenty of servants, as well as the needy and the poor share in his good fortune; he feeds and clothes the poor and buys slaves to set them free. He makes those who receive his charity feel as if they are favoring him so kind and gentle is he."
Iblis overhearing all of this, became annoyed. He planned to tempt Job to corruption and disbelief, so he hastened to him. He tried to distract Job from his prayers by whispering him about the good things in life but Job was a true believer and would not let evil thoughts tempt him. This disturbed Iblis even more; thus he began to hate Job even more.
Iblis complained to Allah about Job. He said that although he was continuously glorifying Allah he was not doing so out of his sincerity but to satisfy Allah so that his wealth should not be taken away. It was all a show, all out of greed. "If You remove his wealth then You will find that his tongue will no longer mention Your name and his praying will stop."
Allah told Iblis that Job was one of His most sincere devotees. He did not worship Him because of the favors; his worship stemmed from his heart and had nothing to do with material things. But to prove to Iblis the depth of Job's sincerity and patience, Allah allowed him to do whatever he and his helpers wished with Job's wealth.
Iblis was very happy. he gathered his helpers and set about destroying Job's cattle, servants and farms until he was left with no possessions. Rubbing his hands in glee, Iblis appeared before Job in the guise of a wise old man and said to him: "All your wealth is lost, some people say that it is because you gave too much charity and that you are wasting your time with your continuous prayers to Allah. Others say that Allah has brought this upon you in order to please your enemies. If Allah had the capacity to prevent harm, then He would have protected your wealth."
True to his belief, Job replied: "What Allah has taken away from me belongs to Him. I was only its trustee for awhile. He gives to whom He wills and withholds from whom He wills." With these words, Job again prostrated to his Lord.
When Iblis saw this, he felt frustrated, so he again addressed Allah: "I have stripped Job of all his possessions, but he still remains grateful to You. However he is only hiding his disappointment, for he places great store by his many children. The real test of a parent is through his children. You will see how Job will reject You."
Allah granted Iblis authority but warned him that it would not reduce Job' faith in His Lord nor his patience.
Iblis again gathered his helpers and set about his evil deeds. He shook the fountain of the house in which Job's children were living and sent the building crashing, killing all of them. Then he went to Job disguised as a man who had come to sympathize with him. In a comforting tone he said to Job: "The circumstances under which your children died were sad. Surely, your Lord is not rewarding you properly for all your prayers." Having said this, Iblis waited anxiously hoping Job was now ready to reject Allah.
But again Job disappointed him by replying: "Allah sometimes gives and sometimes takes. He is sometimes pleased and sometimes displeased with our deeds. Whether a thing is beneficial or harmful to me, I will remain firm in my belief and remain thankful to my Creator." then Job prostrated to his Lord. At this Iblis was extremely vexed.
Iblis called on Allah. "O my Lord, Job's wealth is gone, his children are dead, and he is still healthy in body, and as long as he enjoys good health he will continue to worship You in the hope of regaining his wealth and producing more children. Grant me authority over his body so that I may weaken it. He will surely neglect worshipping You an will thus become disobedient. "
Allah wanted to teach Iblis a lesson that Jo was a devoted servant of his Lord so He granted Iblis his 3rd request but placed a condition: "I give you authority over his body but not over his soul, intellect or heart, for in these places reside the knowledge of Me and My religion."
Armed with this new authority, Iblis began to take revenge on Job's body and filled it with disease until it was reduced to mere skin and bone and he suffered severe pain. But through all the suffering Job remained strong in his faith, patiently bearing all the hardships without complaining. Allah's righteous servant did not despair or turn to others for help but remained hopeful of Allah's mercy. Even close relatives and friends deserted him. Only his kind, loving wife stayed with him. In his hour of need, she showered her kindness on him and cared for him. She remained his sole companion and comforter through the many years of suffering.
Ibn Asaker narrated: "Job was a man having much wealth of all kinds; beats, slaves, sheep, vast lands of Haran and many children. All those favors were taken from him and he was physically afflicted as well. Never a single organ was sound except his heart and tongue, with both of which he glorified Allah, the Almighty all the time day and night. His disease lasted for a long time until his visitors felt disgusted with him. His friends kept away from him and people abstained from visiting him. No one felt sympathy for him except his wife. She took good care of him, knowing his former charity and pity for her."
Therefore Iblis became desperate. He consulted his helpers, but they could not advise him. They asked : "How is it that your cleverness cannot work against Job, yet you succeeded in misleading Adam the father of man, out of Paradise?"
Iblis went to Job's wife in the form of a man. "Where is your husband?" he asked her.
She pointed to an almost lifeless form crumbled on the bed and said: "There he is, suspended between life and death."
Iblis reminded her of the days, when Job had good health, wealth and children. Suddenly, the painful memory of years of hardship overcame her, and she burst into tears. She said to Job: "How long are you going to bear this torture from our Lord? Are we to remain without wealth, children or friends forever? Why don't you call upon Allah to remove this suffering?"
Job sighed, and in a soft voice replied : "Iblis must have whispered to you and made you dissatisfied. Tell me how long did I enjoy good health and riches?"
She replied: "80 years."
Then Job replied: "How long am I suffering like this?"
She said: "7 years."
Job then told her: "In that case I am ashamed to call on my Lord to remove the hardship, for I have not suffered longer than the years of good health and plenty. It seems your faith has weakened and you are dissatisfied with the fate of Allah. If I ever regain health, I swear I will punish you with a hundred strokes! From this day onward, I forbid myself to eat or drink anything by your hand. Leave me alone and let my Lord do with me as He pleases."
Crying bitterly and with a heavy heart, she had no choice but to leave him and seek shelter elsewhere. In this helpless sate, Job turned to Allah, not to complain but to seek His mercy: "Verily! distress has seized me and You are the Most Merciful of all those who show mercy." so We answered his call, and we removed the distress that was on him, and We restored his family to him (that he had lost), and the like thereof along with them as a mercy from Ourselves and a Reminder for all who worship Us." (Ch 21:83-84)
Almighty Allah also instructed: "Remember Our slave Job, when he invoked His Lord saying: "Verily! Satan has touched me with distress (by losing my health) and torment (by losing my wealth)!" Allah said to him: "Strike the ground with your foot: This is a spring of water to wash in and cool and a refreshing drink." And We gave him back his family, and along with them the like thereof as a Mercy from Us, and a reminder for those who understand. (Ch 38:41-43)
Job obeyed and almost immediately his good health was restored. Meanwhile, his faithful wife could not longer bear to be parted from her husband and returned to him to beg his forgiveness, desiring to serve him. On entering her house, she was amazed at the sudden change: Job was again healthy! She embraced him and thanked Allah for His mercy.
Job was not worried, for he had taken an oath to punish her with a hundred strokes if he had regained health but he had no desire to hurt her. He knew if he did not fulfill the oath, he would be guilty of breaking a promise to Allah. Therefore in His wisdom and mercy, Allah came to the assistance of His faithful servant and advised him: "take in your hand a bundle of thin grass and strike therewith your wife, and break not your oath." Truly! We found him patient. How excellent a slave! Verily, he was ever oft returning in repentance to Us!" (Ch 38:44)
Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) said: "While Job was naked, taking a bath, a swarm of gold locusts fell on him, and he started collecting them in his garment. His Lord called him: "O Job! Have I not made you too rich to need what you see?" He said: "Yes, My Lord! But I cannot shun Your Blessings." (Al Bukhari)

Islamic Home Decoration

The Islamic values of faith, love, compassion, cleanliness and beauty all need to be nurtured in the home.

Briefly, the ideal Muslim home would need to be:

Simple and not Ostentatious, for the Prophet (salAllahu alayhi wasalam) said:
"Eat, drink, give Sadaqah and wear good clothes as long as these things do not involve excess and arrogance"

Spacious, to allow privacy for parents and separate beds for children from the age of ten, for the noble Prophet (salAllahu alayhi wasalam) has advised:
"Separate (your children's) beds when they are ten years of age." This is obviously to prevent such disgusting crimes and sinful behaviour as incest.

Clean, for the noble Prophet (salAllahu alayhi wasalam) has said that "Cleanliness is part of faith" and also "Purity is half of faith."

Beautiful and free from such things as statues or revolting pieces of art for the noble Prophet (salAllahu alayhi wasalam) has said
"God is beautiful and loves beauty."



The ideal Muslim home is:

A place where there are the basic necessities of food and clothing (2: 233; 2:235-6), where meals are eaten together and where there is hospitality and generosity;

A place where the greeting of Peace (Salam) is heard at dawn and at night and at times of going and coming.

A place where love, tenderness and mercy is the norm, for the Qur'an says
"And we have made between you love and tenderness"

A cheerful place, for "Smiling is charity", as the noble Prophet (salAllahu alayhi wasalam) has said

A place where the recitation of the Qur'an is heard daily and where knowledge is imparted and pursued.

A place where Salat is performed and everyone, young and old, has a sense of time and place - time, in particular, related to the times of Salat, and place - determined by the direction of the Qiblah.

This is the basic minimum.

Is Your Home an Islamic Home?

"And Allah has made for you in your homes a place of rest..."

[An-Nahl:80]

This may seem like an unusual question and your automatic response may be, "Why, of course my home is an Islamic Home!! My family is Muslim and that makes our home a Muslim one!!"
Go through this short checklist to determine if your response should really be in the affirmative.

I Have Chosen a Good Spouse
There are several ahadeeth that highlight the importance of choosing a righteous and pious spouse. The wisdom of this is obvious: a pious spouse is more likely to bring happiness and contentment to the other spouse and the couple together will be more able to build a righteous family and home life. This is the foundation of the home.

I Help Guide My Spouse
This begins with each spouse fulfilling the duties and responsibilities of their roles and treating each other with kindness and compassion. It then goes beyond this to include guidance in other spiritual matters such as striving to strengthen imaan; paying attention to worship and correcting it when needed; encouraging the reading of Qur'an, praying at night, giving charity, and reading books on Islam; helping to choose pious friends; enjoining goodness and forbidding evil. Iman is something that may increase or decrease so it is necessary to continually focus on increasing our own and that of our spouse.

Our Home is a Place for Remembrance of Allah
Remembrance can be in many forms: with the heart, with the tongue, through prayer, recitation of Qur'an, memorizing adhkaar and using them, discussing Islamic issues, or reading Islamic material. These are things that should occur on a consistent basis so that the angels will come to the home and bring Allah's blessings. The Prophet, sallallahu alayhe wasallam, said:

"The example of a home in which Allah is remembered and the example of a home in which Allah is not remembered, is like comparing the living and the dead."

[Muslim].

Our Home is a Place of Worship
This means that salah is established within the home at its required time and that members of the family pray in congregation when several are present. The family may also designate a specific area for prayer and maintain its uniqueness and cleanliness. For women, it is better to pray each prayer within the home. For men, it is recommended to pray voluntary prayers at home after having prayed obligatory prayers in the masjid.

The Prophet, sallallahu alayhe wasallam, said:

"The voluntary prayer in the home is better than the voluntary prayer with the people. It is like the obligatory prayer of the man in congregation being better than praying the obligatory by himself."

[Sahih al-Jaami].

This is to ensure that homes are made places of worship just as the masajids.

We Regularly read Surat Al-Baqarah and Ayatul Kursi to Keep Satan Away
The Messenger of Allah, sallallahu alayhe wasallam, said:

"Recite Surah Al-Baqarah in your houses, for the Satan does not enter a house in which Sura Al-Baqarah is recited."

[Sahih al-Jaami].

He also said:

"When you go to your bed, recite Ayatul Kursi: 'Allah! There is no god but Him, the Ever-Living, the One Who Sustains and Protects all that exists', to the end, for then there will remain over you a guardian from Allah, and Satan will not come near you until morning."

[sahih al-Bukhari].

Teaching and Learning are Ongoing Activities in Our Home
This is primarily the responsibility of the head of die household who must ensure that he is guiding his family to the correct path, enjoining them to do good, and forbidding them from evil. Attaining knowledge is incumbent upon all members of the family and is the basis upon which Emaan will flourish, A study circle should be established in the home that covers the various areas in Islam and from which all family members will benefit.
Children should especially be encouraged to participate since this will establish a pattern for them that will be carried throughout their lifetimes.

We Have an Islamic Library in Our Home
This may include such things as books, cassette tapes, and CDs. It is important to choose accurate and reliable material that will benefit the members of the family. There should be a variety of materials to cover all age levels and language needs of those in the home. Arabic material is definitely a must since everyone in the family should either know or be learning to read the language of the Qur'an. Books should cover a variety of topics, be properly organized, and be easily accessible. Audiotapes and CDs may include Qur'an recitation, lectures, khutbahs, tapes for children containing supplications, reminders of Islamic manners, and nasheeds
(religious songs with no musical instruments) . Family members should encourage one another to use these materials on a regular basis, and should be shared with other Muslim families who may be in need of them.

We Try to Have Morals and Manners Like Prophet Muhammad (salAllahu alayhi wasalam)
The Prophet, sallallahu alayhe wa sallam, said;

"When Allah wills some good towards the people of a household. He introduces kindness among them."

[Ahmad, Sahih al-Jami].

He also said:

"Allah loves kindness and rewards it in such a way the He docs not reward for harshness or for anything else."

[Muslim].



There are many examples of the Prophet's kindness and good treatment toward his family that we should try to emulate. He was affectionate and playful with his wives and children and would help with household chores to case the burden for his wives. Following his example will bring tranquility to the home and help to truly make it an abode of rest.

We Know the Islamic Rulings That Pertain to Houses
Such as guarding the secrets of the home, seeking permission to enter, not looking into other people's homes, not allowing children to enter the parent's bedroom during certain times of the day, and not staying alone
overnight. This last one is interesting to consider since some husbands travel for their business or work. The Prophet, sallallahu alayhi wasallam, actually discouraged this. Ibn Umar reported that the Prophet (salallahu alayhi wasalam) forbade being alone and said that a man should not stay overnight alone or travel alone [Ahmad].
Not only will he be alone, but his wife and children are likely to be left alone in the home without any protection or companionship.

We Invite Righteous and Knowledgeable People to Our Home

"My Lord! Forgive me, and my parents, and him who enters my home as a believer, and all the believing men and women."
[71:28].

Righteous people who enter your home will bring many benefits due to their presence and conversations with them. They are more likely to discuss useful topics and may be excellent sources of information and knowledge. We should always make du'a that Allah will bless us with righteous friends since they can have such positive effects on us.

The Prophet, (sallallahu alayhe wasallam) said:

"Keep company with a believer only, and let your food be eaten only by the righteous."

[abu Dawud, at-Tirmidhi] .

There are No Evils Within Our Home
Television (except possibly for educational programs) and unlawful music are not allowed in the house; pictures on the wall do not contain animate beings; there are no statues or anything that resembles statues; dogs are not present in the house; smoking is not allowed; decorations are kept simple to avoid excessiveness; the telephone is used for beneficial purposes and not harmful ones (such as gossiping or backbiting); when people come to visit, the men and women sit separately.

The effects of these evils on the sanctity of the home should be obvious. For example, the Prophet, sallallahu alayhe wa sallam, said:

"Angels do not enter a house which has either a dog or a picture in it."

[sahih al-Bukhari].

The Physical Aspects of the Home are Conducive to Fulfilling Religious Obligations
It is best for the home to be close to a mosque so that it will be easier for men to attend the prayers in congregation and for all family members to visit the mosque for lectures, study groups, and social gatherings. It is also advisable to find an area where other Muslims live to obtain the benefits of community. One should definitely be careful about close neighbors and avoid those who are obviously immoral. When choosing a house, consideration should be made regarding the availability of separate sitting areas for men and women. The house should be spacious and fulfill safety and health requirements.