“…the water, for in it is your cure; offer a sacrifice on behalf of your companions and seek forgiveness for them, for they disobeyed Me in your regard.” This was reported by Ibn Abī Ḥātim (1).

Ibn Abī Ḥātim also related (2): Abū Zurʿah narrated to us; ʿAmr ibn Marzūq narrated to us; Hammām narrated to us, from Qatādah, from al-Naḍr ibn Anas, from Bashīr ibn Nahīk, from Abū Hurayrah, that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said:

“When Allah granted Job healing, He rained upon him a shower of golden locusts. Job began gathering them with his hand and placing them in his garment.

He was asked, ‘O Job, are you not yet satisfied?’

He replied, ‘My Lord, who could ever be satisfied with Your mercy?’”

Imām Aḥmad recorded it in the same manner (3) through Abū Dāwūd al-Ṭayālisī and ʿAbd al-Ṣamad, from Hammām, from Qatādah; and Ibn Ḥibbān included it in his Ṣaḥīḥ (4) through Muḥammad ibn ʿAbd Allāh al-Azdī, from Isḥāq ibn Rāhwayh, from ʿAbd al-Ṣamad, with this chain. None of the compilers of the Six Books produced it, yet it meets the criteria of authenticity; Allah knows best.

Imām Aḥmad further said (5): Sufyān narrated to us, from Abū al-Zinād, from al-Aʿraj, from Abū Hurayrah: “A swarm (rijl) of golden locusts was sent down upon Job, and he began collecting them into his garment. He was told, ‘O Job! Has what We have already given you not sufficed?’ He answered, ‘My Lord! How can anyone do without Your bounty?’” This report is mawqūf; it is also transmitted from Abū Hurayrah with a raised chain.

Imām Aḥmad likewise said (7): ʿAbd al-Razzāq narrated to us, from Maʿmar, from Hammām ibn Munabbih, who said: “This is what Abū Hurayrah narrated to us: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said:

‘While Job was bathing naked, a shower of golden locusts fell upon him. He began scooping them into his garment, whereupon his Lord—majestic and exalted—called out, “O Job! Did I not enrich you so that you had no need of what you see?” He answered, “Indeed, my Lord, but I can never dispense with Your blessing.”’”

Al-Bukhārī recorded it from the narration of ʿAbd al-Razzāq (8).

Concerning the divine command, “Strike [the ground] with your foot” (Ṣād 38:42), it means: stamp the earth with your heel. Job obeyed, and Allah caused a cool spring to gush forth. He was instructed to bathe in it and drink from it, whereupon Allah removed from him every ache, harm, and illness—both outward and inward—that had afflicted his body. In their place He granted him perfect outward and inward health and complete beauty,