in him and affirmed his truth: one was a man from Yemen called al-Yaqin, and the other two were from a town; one of them was called Yaldud and the other Safir. They were middle-aged men.

Iblis had not been barred from any part of the heavens, and he could stand in them wherever he wished. Then, when Allah raised Jesus, he was barred from four heavens; and when Muhammad, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, was sent, he was barred from the remaining three. Iblis heard the angels exchanging blessings for Job when Allah mentioned him and praised him. Malice and envy overcame him, so he ascended swiftly until he stood at a place in heaven where he used to stand. He said, “My God, I have considered the matter of Your servant Job and found him to be a servant upon whom You have bestowed blessings, so he thanked You; and You granted him well-being, so he praised You. But if You were to test him by taking away what You have given him, he would abandon the gratitude and worship in which he is engaged, and he would leave obedience to You.”

Allah, exalted is He, said, “Go forth, for I have given you power over his wealth.” Thereupon Allah’s enemy, Iblis, swooped down until he reached the earth. He then gathered the powerful jinn and the rebellious devils and said to them, “What power do you possess? I have been given power over Job’s wealth, and this is a devastating calamity and a trial which men cannot endure.”

One powerful demon among the devils said, “I have been given such power that, whenever I wish, I can become a whirlwind of fire and burn everything I come upon.” Iblis said to him, “Go to the camels and their herdsmen.” So he came upon the camels when they had lowered their heads and settled in their grazing grounds. Before the people realized it, a whirlwind of fire arose from beneath the earth; no one came near it without being burned. It burned the camels and their herdsmen, consuming every last one of them.

Then Allah’s enemy, Iblis, came to Job in an ugly form, riding upon a young camel, and found him standing in prayer. He said, “O Job, a fire came and swept over your camels, burning them and all who were with them, except for me.”

Job replied, “Praise be to Allah, who gave them and who has taken them away. I had long prepared both my wealth and myself for passing away.”

Iblis said, “Your Lord sent down a fire from heaven upon them, and they were burned, leaving the people dumbfounded and marvelling at it. Some of them say, ‘Job worshipped nothing; he was only deluded.’ Others say, ‘Had Job’s God been able to do anything, He would have protected [His devoted servant] (1).’ And others say, ‘Rather, it was He who did this, so that He might make His enemy gloat over him and afflict His friend with grief through him.’”

Job said, “Praise be to Allah when He gave me, and when He took from me. Naked I came forth from my mother’s womb, naked I shall return to the earth, and naked I shall be raised before Allah. You have no right to rejoice when He lends something to you, then despair when He takes back His loan from you. Allah has a greater right to you and to what He has given you. Had Allah known any good in you, O servant, He would have taken your soul along with those souls, and you would have become a martyr. But He knew evil in you, and so He deferred you.”

Iblis returned to his companions [frustrated] (2), disgraced and humiliated, and said to them, “What power do you possess? I have not so much as wounded Job’s heart.”

A powerful demon said, “I possess such power that, whenever I wish, I can let out a cry which no living being hears without the very life-force of his soul departing.” Iblis said, “Go to the sheep and their shepherds.” So he set off until he came into their midst.