For example...

For example, with regard to Prophet Ayyūb (as) we say the following[^2] in one of the supplications of the Holy month of Ramadān: يَا مُلَيِّنَ الْحَدِيدِ لِدَاوُوْدَ عَلَيْهِ السَّلاَمِ! يَا كَاشِفَ الْكُرَبِ الْعِظَامِ عَنْ أَيُّوْبَ عَلَيْهِ السَّلاَم! “O Softner of Iron for Dāwūd, upon whom be peace. O Reliever of great sorrows from Ayyūb, upon whom be peace.” This indicates that Prophet Ayyūb had suffered major calamities during his lifetime.

Perhaps the following tradition explains this better: ‘Alī ibn Ibrāhīm, in a long tradition, narrates on the authority of Abū Basīr that Imām al-Sādiq (as) said: “...Then his [Prophet Ayyūb (as)’s] whole body, except his intellect and his eyes, was subjected to the disease. Then Iblis blew upon it and it became a single wound extending from his head to feet. He (Job) remained for a period in that condition, praising and thanking God, until his body became infested with worms.

Whenever a worm fell off his body, he would put it back, saying to it, “Return to your place, from where God created you.” And it began to stench until his townsfolk expelled him from his town and his food came from the garbage thrown outside the town.”[^3] With regard to Prophet Nūh (as) also, ‘intense grief’ has been mentioned.

Look at the following verse:  وَنُوحًا إِذْ نــَادَى مِنْ قَبْلُ فَاسْتَجَبْنَا لَهُ فَنَجَّيْنَاهُ وَأَهْلَهُ مِنَ الْكَرْبِ الْعَظِيمِ  “And Nūh, when he cried aforetime, so We answered him, and delivered him and his followers from the great anguish.” [Holy Qur’ān, 21:76] Exegetes of the Qur’ān have different interpretations for the source of this grief.

Some like Tabarsī in his Majma‘ al-Bayān surmise that it refers to the disturbance of his people, whereas Mawlā Kāshānī says that it may refer to both that and to the great flood. Some sources of grief, however, spring from weakness of faith and a deep attachment to the world: because a person does not have the luxuries of life that others seem to enjoy, you may find him suffering grief.

Those who commit suicide due to intense grief and sorrow do so due to lack of patience or even an ‘aim’ in life. Hence, every makrūb is not the same. The supplicant therefore should bear in mind the different causes of sorrow and anguish and sincerely pray to Allāh to eliminate them accordingly. For example, with regard to one who is distressed due to lack of the additional pleasures of the world, one must pray that he is emancipated from the love of the world.

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