Abu Ayyub al-Ansari

Host of the Prophet ﷺ

Abu Ayyub al-Ansari — Khalid ibn Zayd, of Banu Najjar — has his name forever bound to the Hijra. When the Prophet ﷺ entered Madinah and the clans vied to host him, each seizing his camel’s halter, he said to let her go, for she was guided by Allah, and he would stay where she knelt. She knelt by the house of Abu Ayyub, who rushed out rejoicing and carried in the Prophet’s ﷺ belongings; the Prophet ﷺ lodged with him about six months, until his own apartments and the mosque were built. 1 History of Islam · Vol 1 · pp. 148–149 — Najeebabadi — the Prophet's camel chooses Abu Ayyub's house; Abu Ayyub hosts him about six months. His devotion showed even in small things: one hungry afternoon the Prophet ﷺ, Abu Bakr and Umar came to his door, and Abu Ayyub ran from his orchard, cut down ripe dates and slaughtered a kid to feed them. 2 Hayatus Sahaba · Vol 1 · pp. 319–320 — Kandhlawi — Abu Ayyub feeds the Prophet, Abu Bakr and Umar from his orchard.

A Lifetime of Jihad

Abu Ayyub fought at Badr and the battles after it, and never ceased striving in the way of Allah. As a very old man he joined the great expedition against Constantinople, where he died and was buried at the city’s walls — far from Madinah, in the cause he had served all his life. 3 History of Islam · Vol 1 · pp. 149 — Najeebabadi — Abu Ayyub's death at the siege of Constantinople and his burial there.