Prophet Ayoub’s (a.s.) story is one of the most fascinating stories as patience and adversity are concerned.  It is famous to an extent that it became an example of patience and endurance. Prophet Ayoub lived in Huran, a land in Syria near Damascus where there was a mosque in his name distant about three miles from the town Nawa where Prophet Ayoub (a.s.) used to resort with his wife in adversity.  He lived about ninety years as a preacher who gave warning, obeying and worshipping God who granted him wealth and posterity, so he used to offer food to the hungry and the deprived and water to the thirsty.  He also use to offer dwelling to the orphan and helped the oppressed and the weak.
 People saw him thanking and worshipping God who gave him wealth, along with many other gifts.  The more he became rich, the more his fear of God increased, and the more he got favors, the more he gave to others in need and his worship to God increased.  Neither money nor son could tempt him.  His primary concern was God’s worship seeking that God will be gracious to him.
 

The contemporary people were not satisfied to see a man worship God while he is rich, without being influenced by wealth or a son.  He was always mentioning the name of God, urging people to obey him and warning them against God’s disobedience.  Moreover, he was benevolent towards his parents, tender with his workers.  He would clothe the nude, release the imprisoned, and help who was in need.
 

Prophet Ayoub’s (a.s.) contemporaries were not satisfied from and found that the only way to offend him was to spread intentional rumors about him.  In their talks, they said that Prophet Ayoub (a.s.) worships God, not for the purpose of worship, but in order that God gives him wealth and sons, and consequently he was obliged to thank and worship God in order to safeguard such wealth and favors.  Moreover, they added that if Prophet Ayoub (a.s.) was deprived of his wealth, he will abstain from worshipping and obeying God.
 Prophet Ayoub (a.s.) knew about these rumors but he did not give them any importance.
 God wanted to make Prophet Ayoub (a.s.) and ideal for mankind, a bright brand of faith and an outstanding example of endurance and patience, so He struck him with a big adversity.  All of Prophet Ayoub’s (a.s.) money disappeared, his parents and friends went away from him, and his health became bad to the extent that he could not stand up, move, and walk.

 People witnessed what Prophet Ayoub (a.s.) was suffering, and so many different opinions spread about him, according to passions and caprices.  One group of  people pretended that his prophecy was doubtful and that his worship to God was false.
 Another group said, "If God was able to ward off adversity or grant favor, his Prophet Ayoub (a.s.) would deserve more than any one to be saved from such an adversity."
 As far as the hypocrites were concerned, they said, "If God does such a thing to Job(Ayoub ‘a.s.), it is in order to distress his Ayoub’s friends and rejoice his enemies, and in both cases, Ayoub deserves such adversity."
 

The few people who believed in him, used to ask forgiveness from God and good health to Prophet Ayoub (a.s.), admiring his patience in his adversity and saying, "Ayoub must be glad because man was born to suffer adversity.  This world is a place of ordeal and its inhabitants are exposed to calamities and the Most High God said, ‘That he might try you, which of you is best in conduct."
 

Satan who whispered such ideas to those groups of people, thought that the adversities of Prophet Ayoub (a.s.) would destroy his faith.  However, this righteous worshipper became stronger in faith.  Seven years passed by and Prophet Ayoub (a.s.) was still suffering from bad health: emaciation of the body and a pale color.  Sickness destroyed him to an extent that his flesh was about to decay until his friends, parents, and sons left him, except his tender wife who remained loyal to him, serving and taking care of him.  Prophet Ayoub’s (a.s.) wife kept her word, thankful, patient, giving no importance to what people said, with a strong determination, that didn’t weaken her neither by criticism of a parent nor by that of a stranger, to take care of her husband.
 

But the people of evil did not abstain and they preserved in planting evil in the good earth, and generated discord in the most pure souls, while they were able to do such work.  One day, they came to see Prophet Ayoub’s (a.s.) wife, urging her to leave her husband and they tried to make her feel annoyed of Prophet Ayoub’s (a.s) state.  This righteous woman was about to leave her husband when she came to him saying, "Really, why does your God inflict on you such adversities?  Where is your health?  Where are your parent and the friends?  Where is the youth?  Where is the power and determination?"  Prophet Ayoub (a.s) replied with patience, "Satan whispered to you something.  Shall you weep for a glory that disappeared and a son who died?"
 The wife replied, "The adversity we suffered is enough.  Will you call your God to dispel distress and calamity away from you?"
Prophet Ayoub (a.s.) looked at her, surprised, and said, "How long did you lead a luxurious life?"
She said, "Forty years."
Again he said, "How long did  you suffer adversity?"
She said, "Seven years."
Here Prophet Ayoub (a.s) said to her, "So be shameful to demand from me to ask God to dispel my adversity."    He added, "I am astonished to hear from you such things.  I am disappointed from your behavior, and I notice that your faith has weakened and your mind can no more bear the will of  God.  O woman!  Go away.  I will recover my health and I shall strike you with the whip one hundred times.  I do not need you, go away from me until God will achieve His will."

The conspirators succeeded in generating separation between the miserable and the satisfied wife, so Prophet Ayoub (a.s.) became alone with his pains and sickness.
In the climax of adversity, he complained to God calling Him, "Adversity afflicted me and You are the Most Merciful of all who show mercy."
What a beautiful call!
Prophet Ayoub (a.s.) confined his call to describe himself as ‘adversita