Prophet Ayyūb ﷺ was tried with long and severe hardship. This is how he spoke to Allah about it.
أَنِّى مَسَّنِىَ ٱلضُّرُّ وَأَنتَ أَرْحَمُ ٱلرَّٰحِمِينَ
Annī massaniya aḍ-ḍurru wa Anta arḥam ar-rāḥimīn.
Meaning: Adversity has touched me, and You are the Most Merciful of the merciful.
It is in Sūrah al-Anbiyāʾ, āyah 83. The wording above is the Qur’an’s own; when supplicating, many add the address Rabbi — my Lord — before it.
What happened to him?
The Qur’an describes his condition with ḍurr — harm, adversity — and in Sūrah Ṣād with nuṣb wa ʿadhāb: exhaustion and suffering. He remained patient throughout, and kept turning to Allah.
What the Qur’an does not say is often what retellings supply most confidently. It does not name:
- The illness he suffered.
- How many years it lasted.
- How his wealth was lost.
- How many of his family he lost.
- The vivid physical details common in popular versions.
None of that is established, so none of it is stated here. What is certain is what Allah tells us in Sūrah al-Anbiyāʾ and Sūrah Ṣād.
How he asked
The duʿāʾ is remarkable for its gentleness. He did not demand that the trial end, and did not object to the decree. He described his condition — adversity has touched me — and then praised the One he was speaking to: You are the Most Merciful of the merciful.
Honesty about the pain, and complete trust, in the same sentence. Patience does not require pretending it does not hurt.
How Allah answered
فَٱسْتَجَبْنَا لَهُۥ فَكَشَفْنَا مَا بِهِۦ مِن ضُرٍّ ۖ وَءَاتَيْنَـٰهُ أَهْلَهُۥ وَمِثْلَهُم مَّعَهُمْ رَحْمَةً مِّنْ عِندِنَا وَذِكْرَىٰ لِلْعَـٰبِدِينَ
Meaning: So We answered him and removed what afflicted him of adversity, and We gave him his family and the like of them with them — as mercy from Us, and a reminder for the worshippers.
In Sūrah Ṣād the instruction is given:
ٱرْكُضْ بِرِجْلِكَ ۖ هَـٰذَا مُغْتَسَلٌۢ بَارِدٌ وَشَرَابٌ
Meaning: Strike with your foot. This is a cool bath and a drink.
Allah gave him water, and through it his recovery. The passage also records an oath Ayyūb had made, and the merciful way he was given to fulfil it — taking a bundle in his hand — rather than breaking it or acting harshly. His story closes with one of the finest things said of any servant:
إِنَّا وَجَدْنَـٰهُ صَابِرًا ۚ نِّعْمَ ٱلْعَبْدُ ۖ إِنَّهُۥٓ أَوَّابٌ
Meaning: Indeed We found him patient. What an excellent servant — he was one who constantly turned back.
An authentic narration
Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī 3391 records that while Ayyūb was bathing, golden locusts fell upon him and he began gathering them into his garment. His Lord called to him: had He not made him free of need? He replied that indeed He had, but that he could never be free of need of Allah’s blessing.
What this duʿāʾ teaches
- Speak honestly to Allah. Ayyūb said plainly that harm had touched him; there is no need to hide pain from your Creator.
- Praise while you ask. The duʿāʾ dwells on Allah’s mercy more than on the hardship.
- Patience and asking are not opposites. He endured, and still asked for relief.
- Take the means. Allah told him to use the water. Reliance on Allah sits alongside seeking treatment — make duʿāʾ, and see a doctor.
When might you say it?
- In illness or pain.
- Through a long hardship.
- In family difficulty or loss.
- When you are exhausted.
- In financial adversity.
A long trial does not mean Allah has left His servant. Allah described Ayyūb not by his illness but by his patience, his worship, and his constant returning. See also the Qur’an on anxiety, sadness and hardship.