#ayyub

Dua of Prophet Ayyub (AS)

أَنِّي مَسَّنِيَ ٱلضُّرُّ وَأَنتَ أَرۡحَمُ ٱلرَّٰحِمِينَ

Eugène Flandin (1803–1876)

1. The repentance of Sayyiduna Adam (Alayhis Salam) was accepted on the 10th of Muharram.

2. Sayyiduna Adam (Alayhis Salam) was created on this day and

3. He (Alayhis Salam) entered Heaven on this day.

4. On this day the 'Arsh,

5. Kursi,

6. Sky,

7. Earth,

8. Sun,

9. Moon,

10. Stars and

11. Heaven were created.

12. Sayyiduna Ibrahim (Alayhis Salam) was born.

13. He (Alayhis Salam) was saved from the fire on this day.

14. Sayyiduna Moosa (Alayhis Salam) and his Ummah were saved and pharaoh was drowned along with his people on this day.

15. Sayyiduna Eisa (Alayhis Salam) was born on this day.

16. He (Alayhis Salam) was raised up to the skies on this day.

17. Sayyiduna Nuh’s (Alayhis Salam) ark settled at Koh-e-Joodi (a hill).

18. A great kingdom was bestowed upon Sayyiduna Sulayman (Alayhis Salam) on this day.

19. Sayyiduna Younus (Alayhis Salam) was brought out of the whale’s stomach on this day.

20. Sayyiduna Ya'qoob (Alayhis Salam) gained his eye-sight back on this day.

21. Sayyiduna Yusuf (Alayhis Salam) was taken out from the deep well on this day.

22. Sayyiduna Ayyub's (Alayhis Salam) pain disappeared on this day.

23. Rain descended from the sky for the first time on this day.

24. The fast on this day was famous even among previous Ummahs. It is even said that the fast on this day was Fard before the blessed month of Ramadan; then it was cancelled.

25. On this day of Aashoora, Sayyiduna Imam Hussain his family and companions (Radi Allahu Anhum Ajma'een) were all brutally martyred on the plains of Karbala having faced thirst and starvation for three consecutive days.

I recently finished Gujurat Files: Anatomy Of A Cover Up by Rana Ayyub.  It is an extremely interesting description of her undercover investigation into the Gujarat state government's involvement in the 2002 riots, where many Muslims in the state were the victims of horrific violence.

The book relies on a certain familiarity with Indian culture and government systems, as it uses many acronym and references.  At this point, many who know anything about the Gujarat riots will probably already know some of the evidence linking the government, in particular Narendra Modi, to the riots; thus, some revelations no longer have the impact they used to.  Still, the details are shocking in the sense of the shear inhumane manipulation for political benefit, resulting in hundreds of lives lost and many more wounded and traumatized.  Not to mention the continued fallout from hardened communalism.

The book details the means by which the Gujarat government encouraged the riots and then purposefully mismanaged the police response.  The sophistication of the Modi government's corruption, avoiding all possible avenues of culpability yet still skillfully manipulating the situation, is particularly depressing.  And as said above, the shear disregard for human life throughout the region, both by the conspirators and by society at large, is shown in raw, horrific detail.

One interesting aspect the book covers is the life of an undercover journalist.  At parts the book is written much like a journal/diary.  The courage Ms. Ayyub shows in the face of truly terrifying danger is unbelievable.  Humanity is lucky to have journalists like her.  The book is worth reading just based on the insight it gives the reader of undercover investigations: what is required, how obstacles are overcome, how interviews are obtained, how the journalist deals with the emotional toll and what dangers are faced along the way.  

Another interesting revelation relates to how multiple layers of oppression in India are used to gain/maintain power.  The government officials' manipulation of the riots was often done indirectly through the police.  Specifically, Dalit officers were pushed into the more disdainful tasks, using caste privilege and the false impression that the Dalit officers would gain fair treatment in exchange for their cooperation.  Then these same officers were used as scapegoats and fall guys by the caste officers and politicians as soon as investigations into the riots began.

As a side note, the book could use an English 'translation'.  It is written in English but many of the testimonies/quotes drop into Hindi on a regular basis, so its a bit difficult for non-Indian readers to follow.

I would highly recommend this book if you are interested in Indian politics/current events, investigative journalism, communalism or government corruption.  If you do read it, I would recommend doing a little background research on the riots and related events first for some context.  The book assumes a familiarity with these events, Hindu-Muslim relations in India, and caste oppression.

Key Details:

Biblical Clues: Job is called the "greatest of all the people of the East" (Job 1:3). Sabeans (from Arabia) and Chaldeans (Mesopotamia) raided Uz, suggesting it was situated between these areas.

Possible Locations:

Edom/Arabia: A strong theory links Uz to Edom (east of the Rift Valley) or northern Arabia, aligning with references in Lamentations 4:21 ("daughter of Edom, you who dwell in the Land of Uz!") and historical/cultural findings.

Aram: Some biblical genealogies (Genesis 10:23, 1 Chronicles 1:42) connect Uz to Aram, son of Shem, placing it in the Syrian region, notes Wikipedia.

Near Euphrates: A Dead Sea Scroll mentions Uz beyond the Euphrates, though this conflicts with other biblical details.

Scholarly Consensus: While no definitive spot exists, many scholars lean towards Edom/southern Jordan due to geographical coherence with Job's world and other biblical mentions.

In an era where public figures shape narratives and influence millions, the role of artistes in political and social discourse has become increasingly vital. Actor Mohammed Zeeshan Ayyub, in an interview with Hindustan Times Digital, opened up about his beliefs that artists cannot detach themselves from society and that their silence often reflects a larger ethical decline within the…