Silsilat al-Ahadith al-Sahihah

Sayyiduna Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “The Prophet of Allah, Ayyub (peace be upon him), remained ill for eighteen years. All his relatives, both near and far, turned away from him, except for his two brothers who used to visit him morning and evening. One day, one of them said to the other: ‘Do you know, by Allah! (I think) Ayyub must have committed a sin that no one among the worlds has committed?’ His companion asked: ‘What is that?’ He replied: ‘(Look) it has been eighteen years, and Allah has not shown mercy to him to remove his illness.’ When they came to Ayyub in the evening, one of them, out of impatience, mentioned this. Ayyub (peace be upon him), upon hearing their accusation, said: ‘Of what you are saying, I know nothing of the sort. However, Allah knows that two men would pass by me, arguing with each other, and they would make me a witness by Allah’s name. I would return home and offer expiation on their behalf, fearing that perhaps they had made me a witness by Allah’s name unjustly.’ Ayyub (peace be upon him) used to go out to relieve himself, and when he finished, his wife would take him by the hand and support him until he reached his place. One day, he was delayed (and his wife waited for him), and Allah revealed to him: ‘Strike your foot; here is cool water to wash and to drink.’ (Surah Sad: 42) Meanwhile, his wife was thinking that he was taking long. When he returned, Allah had removed all his illnesses and he looked very handsome. When his wife saw him, (she did not recognize him and) asked: ‘May Allah bless you, have you seen the Prophet of Allah who is ill? By Allah, when he was healthy, he resembled you the most.’ He said: ‘I am (that same Ayyub), (now Allah has granted me healing).’ Ayyub (peace be upon him) had two threshing floors, one for wheat and one for barley. Allah sent two clouds; one cloud came over the wheat threshing floor and began to rain gold, and the other came over the barley threshing floor and began to rain silver. (Thus Allah granted him both health and abundant wealth).”