Surah Al-Anbya 21:85

The Prophet Ayyub Allah tells us about Ayyub (Job), and the trials that struck him, affecting his wealth, children and physical health.

He had plenty of livestock, cattle and crops, many children and beautiful houses, and he was tested in these things, losing every thing he had. Then he was tested with regard to his body, and he was left alone on the edge of the city and there was no one who treated him with compassion apart from his wife, who took care of him. It was said that it reached the stage where she was in need, so she started to serve people (to earn money) for his sake. The Prophet said:

(The people who are tested the most severely are the Prophets, then the righteous, then the next best and the next best). According to another Hadith:

(A man will be tested according to his level of religious commitment; the stronger his religious commitment, the more severe will be his test.) The Prophet of Allah, Ayyub, upon him be peace, had the utmost patience, and he is the best example of that. Yazid bin Maysarah said: "When Allah tested Ayyub, upon him be peace, with the loss of his family, wealth and children, and he had nothing left, he started to focus upon the remembrance of Allah, and he said: `I praise You, the Lord of lords, Who bestowed His kindness upon me and gave me wealth and children, and there was no corner of my heart that was not filled with attachment to these worldly things, then You took all of that away from me and You emptied my heart, and there is nothing to stand between me and You. If my enemy Iblis knew of this, he would be jealous of me. ' When Iblis heard of this, he became upset. And Ayyub, upon him be peace, said: `O Lord, You gave me wealth and children, and there was no one standing at my door complaining of some wrong I had done to him. You know that. I used to have a bed prepared for me, but I forsook it and said to myself: You were not created to lie on a comfortable bed. I only forsook that for Your sake."' This was recorded by Ibn Abi Hatim. Ibn Abi Hatim recorded from Abu Hurayrah that the Prophet said:

(When Allah healed Ayyub, He sent upon him a shower of golden locusts, and he started to pick them up and gather them in his garment. It was said to him, "O Ayyub, have you not had enough" He said, "O Lord, who can ever have enough of Your mercy) The basis of this Hadith is recorded in the Two Sahihs, as we shall see below.

(and We restored his family to him (that he had lost) and the like thereof along with them) It was reported that Ibn `Abbas said: "They themselves were restored to him." This was also narrated by Al-`Awfi from Ibn `Abbas. Something similar was also narrated from Ibn Mas`ud and Mujahid, and this was the view of Al-Hasan and Qatadah. Mujahid said: "It was said to him, `O Ayyub, your family will be with you in Paradise; if you want, We will bring them back to you, or if you want, We will leave them for you in Paradise and will compensate you with others like them.' He said, `No, leave them for me in Paradise.' So they were left for him in Paradise, and he was compensated with others like them in this world."

(as a mercy from Ourselves) means, `We did that to him as a mercy from Allah towards him.'

(and a Reminder for all those who worship Us.) means, `We made him an example lest those who are beset by trials think that We do that to them because We do not care for them, so that they may take him as an example of patience in accepting the decrees of Allah and bearing the trials with which He tests His servants as He wills.' And Allah has the utmost wisdom with regard to that.

Allah memperingatkan Rasulullah dan kaum Muslimin kepada kisah Nabi Ismail, Idris dan Zulkifli, yang kesemuanya adalah orang-orang yang sabar pula dalam menghadapi musibah yang menimpa diri mereka masing-masing. Berkat kesabaran dan kesalehan mereka maka Allah melimpahkan rahmat dan karunia-Nya kepada mereka.

Nabi Ismail as, putra Nabi Ibrahim dari istrinya Siti Hajar, telah terbukti kesabarannya ketika ia hendak disembelih ayahnya sebagai korban atas perintah Allah. Ia juga sabar dan ulet untuk hidup di daerah tandus dan gersang, setelah ayahnya menempatkan dia bersama ibunya di Mekah, di tengah-tengah jazirah Arab yang gersang. Kemudian ia dengan sabar pula menunaikan tugasnya yang berat membangun Ka'bah dan Baitullah bersama ayahnya. Maka Allah memberikan penghormatan dan kemulian yang tinggi kepada Nabi Ismail, yaitu dengan diangkatnya salah seorang keturunannya menjadi Nabi dan Rasul Allah terakhir, yaitu Muhammad saw.

Adapun Nabi Idris, adalah juga seorang yang saleh dan sabar. Ia diutus menjadi Rasul sesudah Nabi Syis dan Nabi Adam as. Banyak orang mengatakan bahwa Nabi Idris ini yang mula-mula pandai menjahit pakaian, dan mula-mula memakai pakaian yang dijahit, sedang orang-orang yang sebelumnya hanya memakai pakaian dari kulit binatang dan tidak dijahit. Selain itu dia pulalah orang yang mula-mula membuat dan memakai senjata api sebagai alat perlengkapan. Kisah Nabi Idris ini terdapat dalam Surah Maryam. (Maryam/19: 56-57)

Mengenai Zulkifli, menurut pendapat kebanyakan ahli tafsir, dia adalah seorang Nabi pula, dan putra dari Nabi Ayyub a.s. Allah mengutusnya menjadi Nabi sesudah ayahnya. Ia menjalankan dakwahnya mengesakan Allah baik dalam akidah maupun dalam ibadah. Selama hidupnya ia berdiam di negeri Syam, dan merupakan Nabi yang saleh dan sabar. Dan dia adalah dari kalangan Bani Israil.

Pada akhir ayat ini, Allah menegaskan bahwa Nabi Ismail, Idris dan Zulkifli telah dimasukkan-Nya dalam lingkungan rahmat-Nya, dan ditempatkan-Nya dalam surga Jannatuna'im, sebagai balasan atas kesabaran dan kesalehan mereka.