ALI-127: Human Being vs. the Devil: Lessons from the Story of Ayyub, the Prophet (a)

Using the beautiful and inspiring story of the Prophet Ayyub (a) as derived from Qur’an and traditions as a basis, this course will cover some of the strategies used by the Shaytan to deviate a seeker of Allah (swt) from attaining his/her goal as well as techniques to repel the Shaytan and remain steadfast on the right path

  • Eligibility: Muslim ages 15 and over
  • Instructor: Br. Salim Yusufali
  • Dates: Saturday September 8 & Sunday September 9 ( two day course)
  • Timings
    • 12.00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m. PDT (Vancouver, Seattle, Los Angeles)
    • 3:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. EDT (Toronto, New York, Orlando)
    • 8:00 p.m. -10:00p.m. GMT(London)
  • Fees: There will be no fees for these sessions
  • Resources
    • Recording – Session 1
    • Recording – Session 2
    • Slides

Report and Survey results

ALI1-27, a course on Human being vs. the Devil: Lessons from the story of Ayyub, the Prophet (a), was held on September 8 and 9, 2007. This was one of the very successful ALI online courses, with more than 35 participants from Toronto, Vancouver, Texas, Florida, England, Belgium, and Congo.

Based on the story of Nabi Ayyub (a), the course discussed the strategies Shaytan uses to dissuade believers from their goals. The depiction of a match between Shaytan and Nabi Ayyub (a), with each slide showing a round between the two, added to the interest and appeal of the course. It was a novel and thought provoking perspective on the story. The course included references to many verses of the Qur’an and students were encouraged to open their Qur’ans and listen to the recitation of the particular verses being discussed. The course was also interactive and there were lively discussions on some of the questions the course raised.

Survey results show that more than 80% of the participants found the course to be vibrant and stimulating and 67% thought the lecture encouraged active participation. Students particularly liked the break for questions, the referencing to the Qur’an, the various hadith mentioned, and the practical application to daily life. Below are some comments on the course:

  • “We got a further insight of the Story of Prophet Ayyub with Quranic backing, as well as enjoyed the analogy of the story and our way of life. This story made it easier to see how we can apply some of the strategies to repel shaytaan. Also enjoyed the many different hadiths shared and Quranic verses read. Excellent material, time flew didn’t even know we were in class for 2 hours.”
  • “The lesson went into a more in-depth meaning of what the Quran is communicating, and I was able to correlate many of the lessons with my own experiences”
  • “I better understood the viewpoint of this lesson. Not knowing the Story of Nabi Ayyub (a.s) clearly, It is now engraved in my mind, because surely stories are the best way to capture the minds of people.”