أَيُّوب
Ayyub (Job)
Adversity touched him, and he was found patient, an excellent servant
Ayyub's story in the Quran is short and spare — it does not narrate the length or detail of his suffering, only his private call to God, God's response, and God's own verdict on him afterward: patient, an excellent servant, one who repeatedly turned back to Him. Nothing is said of what specifically afflicted him, and the story does not linger on it. What the Quran preserves is the shape of the appeal itself, and what came after it.
Adversity has touched me
The Quran calls to mind Ayyub, when he called to his Lord: adversity has touched me, and You are the most merciful of the merciful. Elsewhere the same call is given in slightly different words — Satan has touched me with hardship and torment. Both accounts keep to the same register: not a description of the affliction, but a plea addressed to God's mercy alone.
۞ وَأَيُّوبَ إِذْ نَادَىٰ رَبَّهُۥٓ أَنِّى مَسَّنِىَ ٱلضُّرُّ وَأَنتَ أَرْحَمُ ٱلرَّٰحِمِينَ
And [mention] Job, when he called to his Lord, "Indeed, adversity has touched me, and you are the Most Merciful of the merciful."
وَٱذْكُرْ عَبْدَنَآ أَيُّوبَ إِذْ نَادَىٰ رَبَّهُۥٓ أَنِّى مَسَّنِىَ ٱلشَّيْطَٰنُ بِنُصْبٍۢ وَعَذَابٍ
And remember Our servant Job, when he called to his Lord, "Indeed, Satan has touched me with hardship and torment."
Strike the ground with your foot
In answer, Ayyub was told: strike the ground with your foot — here is a spring for a cool bath and a drink. The relief comes without elaboration, as directly as the call that preceded it.
ٱرْكُضْ بِرِجْلِكَ ۖ هَٰذَا مُغْتَسَلٌۢ بَارِدٌۭ وَشَرَابٌۭ
[So he was told], "Strike [the ground] with your foot; this is a [spring for] a cool bath and drink."
Mercy from Us and a reminder
God responded to him and removed the adversity that afflicted him, giving him back his family and the like of them alongside — as mercy from God and a reminder for the worshippers, and, in the second account, for those of understanding.
فَٱسْتَجَبْنَا لَهُۥ فَكَشَفْنَا مَا بِهِۦ مِن ضُرٍّۢ ۖ وَءَاتَيْنَٰهُ أَهْلَهُۥ وَمِثْلَهُم مَّعَهُمْ رَحْمَةًۭ مِّنْ عِندِنَا وَذِكْرَىٰ لِلْعَٰبِدِينَ
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].
وَوَهَبْنَا لَهُۥٓ أَهْلَهُۥ وَمِثْلَهُم مَّعَهُمْ رَحْمَةًۭ مِّنَّا وَذِكْرَىٰ لِأُو۟لِى ٱلْأَلْبَٰبِ
And We granted him his family and a like [number] with them as mercy from Us and a reminder for those of understanding.
Do not break your oath
A final instruction is given: take in your hand a bunch of grass and strike with it, and do not break your oath — a way of honoring a vow Ayyub had made without it costing him what breaking it would have. The Quran closes with its own verdict: indeed We found him patient, an excellent servant, one who repeatedly turned back to God.
وَخُذْ بِيَدِكَ ضِغْثًۭا فَٱضْرِب بِّهِۦ وَلَا تَحْنَثْ ۗ إِنَّا وَجَدْنَٰهُ صَابِرًۭا ۚ نِّعْمَ ٱلْعَبْدُ ۖ إِنَّهُۥٓ أَوَّابٌۭ
[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].