Fastajabna lahu fakashafna ma bihi min durrin waataynahu ahlahu wamithlahum maAAahum rahmatan (surah Anbiya: 84)

Tafseer Tafheem-ul-Quran by Syed Abu-al-A'la Maududi

(21:84) We heard his prayer and relieved him of his affliction *78 and gave him back not only those of his family but also as many more with them as a favour from Us so that it may serve as a reminder to Our worshippers. *79

Fastajabnaa lahoo fakashaf naa maa bihee min durrinw wa aatainaahu ahlahoo wa mislahum ma`ahum rahmatam min `indinaa wa zikraa lil`aabideen

*78) How his disease was cured has been explained in XXXVIII: 42: "Stamp the ground with your foot: here is cool water for you to wash with and to drink." From this it appears that no sooner did he stamp the ground than a spring gushed forth. He took bath and drank the water and was cured of his disease. The nature of the treatment hints that he was suffering from a skin disease. This is confirmed by the Bible as well. "Satan smote Job with sore boils from the sole of his foot unto his crown. "- (Job, 2:7).
*79) It will be worth-while to compare the high character of Prophet Job as given in the Qur'an with that in the Book of Job in the Bible. The Qur'an presents him as a veritable picture of patience and fortitude and an-excellent model for the worshippers of AIIah, but his general picture presented in the Book of Job is that of a man who is full of grievance against God: "Let the day perish wherein I was born, and the night in which it was said, There is a man child conceived .... Let them curse (the night) that curse the day, .....Because it shut not the doors of my mother's womb, nor did sorrow from mine eyes. Why died I not from the womb?^ (Chapter 3)..... "Oh that my grief were thoroughly weighed, and my calamity laid in the balance together.....the arrows of the Almighty are within me, the poison whereof drinketh up my spirit: the terrors of God do set themselves in array against me." (Chapter 6).... "I have sinned; what shall I do unto thee, O thou preserver of men? Why hast thou set me as a mark against thee, so that I am a burden to myself? And why dost thou not pardon my transgressions, and take away my iniquity? (Chapter 7: 20-21).
His three friends try to console him and counsel patience, but in vain. He says, "My soul is weary of my life....l will speak in the bitterness of my soul" (10:1).... "I have heard many such things: miserable comforters are ye all." (16: .... "So these three men ceased to answer Job ..... Then was kindled the wrath of Elihu.... against Job.... because he justified himself rather than God." (32:1-3), but he also failed to console him....Then the Lord himself came down and condemned the three friends and Elihu and rebuked Job and then forgave him, accepted him and blessed him." (Chapters 41, 42). It should be noted that in the first two chapters of this Book, Prophet Job is presented as a perfect and upright man who feared God, but in the following chapters he becomes an embodiment of grievance against God, as though the estimate of Satan about him was correct and that of God incorrect. Thus this Book itself is a clear evidence that it is neither the Word of God nor of Prophet lob but had been written afterwards by some literary man and incorporated in the Bible as a scripture.