"hardship has touched me"
۞ وَأَيُّوبَ إِذْ نَادَىٰ رَبَّهُۥٓ أَنِّى مَسَّنِىَ ٱلضُّرُّ وَأَنتَ أَرْحَمُ ٱلرَّٰحِمِينَ
And ˹remember˺ when Ayyub cried out to his Lord, “I have been touched with adversity, and You are the Most Merciful of the merciful.” (21:83)
i often look at this ayah and think that when ayyub (alayhissalaam) says that "harm has touched me", it is referring to the fact that the harm that has afflicted him (the illness, the disappearance of all of his wealth, children, and material happiness) is very little compared to the years and years of happiness that Allah blessed him with earlier.
but thinking about it from the perspective that i have now, i also think that it may not just be that ayyub (alayhissalaam) was contented due to his gratefulness, but also that he knew that Allah had not prevented him from the most important form of blessing, and the most important thing that one can have: his imaan was intact, and therefore every other hardship was a mere touch.
when a person loses their material wealth, as long as they have imaan, they are able to get through their material hardships— because these things are liquid, anyway. the believer knows everything material has no true value, as they know that the only thing they are guaranteed in this life is death.
but when a person loses their imaan... the tumultuous events of life catch up to them so much quicker. to lose one's imaan is to lose practically everything, because one's deen is their source of peace and guidance throughout their life, so for one to lose their imaan is.. so much larger than losing any sort of material wealth. losing your job, money, kids, luxury food, etc.. is a mere touch compared to losing your imaan.