has found refuge, so grant me authority over him, for I cannot overcome him except by Your authority." He said: "I have granted you authority over his body, but I have not granted you authority over his heart." He descended and blew under his foot, causing sores that spread from between his feet to his crown until he became one entire sore. He was thrown upon the ash heap until the veil of his heart was exposed. His wife would hasten to him until she said to him: "Do you not see, O Ayyub? By Allah, such distress and poverty have befallen me that if I sold my braids for a loaf of bread to feed you, I would. So invoke Allah to heal you and relieve you." He said: "Woe to you! We lived in luxury for seventy years, so be patient until we live in hardship for seventy years." He remained in this affliction for seven years, and he prayed.

Then Jibril, peace be upon him, came one day and took his hand, then said: "Rise." So he rose, and he moved him from his place and said: "Strike with your foot; this is a cooling bath and a drink." He struck with his foot, and a spring gushed forth, and he said: "Bathe in it." Then he came again and said: "Strike with your foot," and another spring gushed forth, and he said to him: "Drink from it." This is His saying: "Strike with your foot; this is a cooling bath and a drink." Allah, the Exalted, clothed him in a garment from Paradise. Ayyub moved aside and sat in a corner, and his wife came but did not recognize him. She said: "O servant of Allah, where is the afflicted one who was here? Perhaps the dogs or wolves have taken him away." She continued talking to him for a while, and he said: "Woe to you! I am Ayyub; Allah has restored my body to me." Allah restored his wealth and children to him openly, and [gave him] the like of them along with them, and showered them with locusts of gold. He began taking the locusts with his hand and putting them into his garment, and spread out his cloak and filled it. Allah revealed to him: "O Ayyub, have you not had your fill?" He said: "O Lord, who is it that could have their fill of Your bounty and mercy?"

18361 - From Ibn Abbas, may Allah be pleased with them both, who said: Iblis sat on the road and took a chest with which he treated people. Ayyub’s wife said: "O servant of Allah, there is an afflicted man here whose condition is such and such... would you be willing to treat him?" He said: "Yes, on the condition that if I heal him, he must say: 'You have healed me.' I do not want any reward from him other than that." She came to Ayyub, peace be upon him, and mentioned that to him. He said: "Woe to you! That is the devil. I have sworn to Allah that if Allah, the Exalted, heals me, I will lash you one hundred lashes." When Allah, the Exalted, healed him, He commanded him to take a bundle [of switches]. So he took a stalk containing one hundred twigs and struck with it once.

18362 - The devil who touched Ayyub is said to be called Musawwat. Ayyub’s wife said: "Invoke Allah to heal you," but he would not invoke Him until a group from the Children of Israel passed by him. Some of them said to others: "He has not been afflicted except because of a great sin he committed." At that moment, he said: "My Lord, indeed distress has touched me, and You are the Most Merciful of the merciful."