Download PDF: [S] Abu Ayub Ansari and his Home (Islamic Story)

Who has not heard the name? The name of Hadrat Sayyiduna Abu Ayub Ansari – may Allah be pleased with him. His full name is Khalid bin Zaid bin Kaleen Najaari Khazraji – may Allah be pleased with him. He accepted Islam in between the first two pacts which the people of Madina Shareef had with the Holy Prophet – may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him. When the pact of brotherhood was established between the Muhaajireen and the Ansaar, he became the brother of Hadrat Sayyiduna Ma’sab bin Umair – may Allah be pleased with him. He was also one of those blessed companions who took part in every battle in Islam.

 

During the Farewell Hajj, Hadrat Sayyiduna Abu Ayub Ansari – may Allah be pleased with him -also accompanied the Holy Prophet – may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him. In 46 A.H. he took part in the first sea battle and travelled to Egypt. In 49 A.H., when Hadrat Sayyiduna Ameer Mu’awiyah – may Allah be pleased with him – prepared a special army to fight the Romans, he also took part in this battle. Hadrat Sayyiduna Abu Ayub Ansari – may Allah be pleased with him – remained with this army for nearly four years and was finally martyred after remaining ill for a short while.

 

Hadrat Sayyiduna Abu Ayub Ansari – may Allah be pleased with him – also gave instruction on where he was to be buried. He said to the commander, “When I pass away, my body should be taken as far into the area of the non-Muslim as possible and if it is not possible to go any further, that is the place where I should be buried.”

 

This happened in 52 A.H. and his last and final wishes were carried out.

 

At that time, it was Constantinople and today it is Turkey. But it was quiet clear that these blessed people knew exactly where the vast majority will eventually settle.

 

When the Holy Prophet – may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him – arrived in Madina Shareef, everyone stood on both sides of the road to welcome him and it was the wish of everyone that he stay with them. However, the Holy Prophet – may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him – mentioned that his camel was also given instruction where to stop.

 

Finally, the camel stopped at an area in which today is the Masjidun Nabawi. Hadrat Sayyiduna Abu Ayub Ansari – may Allah be pleased with him – was the first person to remove the belongings of the Holy Prophet – may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him – from his camel and he took these to his house. The Holy Prophet – may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him – had alighted from the camel and people were asking him to stay at their residence. He said that he would stay at the residence of that person who had removed his belonging from his camel as this was the manner of being a guest.

 

The Holy Prophet – may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him – then retired to the house of Hadrat Sayyiduna Abu Ayub Ansari – may Allah be pleased with him. This house had two floors and the husband and wife requested that the Holy Prophet – may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him – take the upper floor. The Holy Prophet – may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him – said that he wanted to be close to the Masjid, hence he would use the lower floor. He also requested that he be near the people hence he choose the lower floor.

 

However, such was the immense respect displayed by the eminent companion that he could not sleep merely thinking that the Holy Prophet – may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him – was sleeping in the lower floor. Some ‘Ulama also state that he placed his body right next to the wall so that his body could not be above the blessed body of the Holy Prophet – may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him – and it continued to do this for the many nights that the Holy Prophet slept in his house.

 

One of the habits of the couple was that they never touched any food prepared in the house as long as the Holy Prophet – may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him – did not first eat.

 

Finally, Hadrat Sayyiduna Abu Ayub Ansari – may Allah be pleased with him – approached the Holy Prophet – may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him – and begged him to sleep in the upper floor. This was finally agreed to.

 

In fact, it is mentioned that one night while they were still in the upper level, some water fell on the floor and during the night, the couple wiped the entire floor quickly so that this could not disturb the Holy Prophet – may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him.

 

It is impossible to find examples in history of this nature. There is no doubt that the blessed Ashaab were people who considered themselves as the true servants of the Holy Prophet – may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him. The famous story is mentioned that they never allowed his Wudu water to fall on the ground. They never allowed themselves to look directly at his blessed face and when people saw them, they used to sit so still and with such respect in front of the Holy Prophet – may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him – that it is said that even a bird could build a nest on their heads.

 

This is example which they gave to Muslims. Yet, sadly, we find that when Muslims take his blessed name, they even forget to read the Durood Shareef. With what face will we be able to face the Holy Prophet – may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him? It is important that we style our entire life in his advice. When we look at the lives of the eminent Awliyah, we will see that they displayed immense respect with everything associated with the Holy Prophet – may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him.

 

When they came to know that a certain object belonged to him, they displayed immense reverence for that object. When we look at the blessed life of Sayyidi A’la Hadrat Imam Ahmed Raza – may Allah be pleased with him, he displayed immense respect even for someone who was considered a Sayed. It is mentioned that once, he was walking on a certain road and there was a person on one side of the road who was a little intoxicated. His Mureed mentioned to him that this person was a Sayed and that as the most eminent Islamic scholar in the world, he should give this person some advice. When the great Mujaddid heard this, he mentioned that how could give advice to someone from that blessed family where he himself had received guidance and advice from. Sufficient to say that merely these words had such a great impact on the Sayed that he immediately made Taubah and reformed his ways. At the same time, we also come to understand the immense wisdom of the great Awliyah.