The Life & Character of the Seal of Prophets (sa) - Volume II — Page 11
I - Early Establishment of Madīnah and Foundation of the Islāmic Government 11 Prophet sa said, “Alright, then go and prepare a place for me to stay. ” 1 Residence at the Home of Abū Ayyūb Abu Ayyūb Anṣārī ra immediately prepared his home and returned. The Holy Prophet sa proceeded inside along with him. This was a two-storey home. Abū Ayyūb ra desired that the Holy Prophet sa stay on the top floor. However, taking into consideration the ease of those people who would come to visit, the Holy Prophet sa preferred the ground-floor and resided there. At nightfall, Abū Ayyūb ra and his wife could not sleep all night in the thought that the Holy Prophet sa was beneath them, and they were above him. In addition to this, it so happened that during the night a pail of water broke on the roof. In his fear, Abū Ayyūb ra quickly placed his quilt over the water to dry it, in order to prevent even a single droplet of water from seeping through to the ground floor. In the morning, he presented himself before the Holy Prophet sa , and implored the Holy Prophet sa to stay on the top floor. At first, the Holy Prophet sa hesitated, but upon witnessing the insistence of Abū Ayyūb ra , he agreed. The Holy Prophet sa stayed in this home for seven months, or according to Ibni Isḥāq, he remained here until the month of Ṣafar 2 2 A. H. In other words, the Holy Prophet sa remained here until the construction of Masjid-e-Nabawī , and the adjacent living-quarters of the Holy Prophet sa. Abū Ayyūb ra would present food to the Holy Prophet sa , and then, whatever would remain of it, he would eat himself. Due to his love and sincerity, he would eat from where the Holy Prophet sa had taken his food. 3 Other Companions would also present food to the Holy Prophet sa. As such, among these people the name of Sa‘d bin ‘Ubādah ra , chieftain of the Khazraj tribe, has been mentioned particularly in history. Anas bin Mālik ra was a ten year old orphan of Madīnah. His mother, Ummi Salamah, who was very sincere, brought him to the Holy Prophet sa , and said, “O Messenger of Allāh! I present Anas in your service. Kindly pray for him 1 * Ṣaḥīḥu Muslim * As-Sīratun-Nabawiyyah, By Abū Muḥammad ‘Abdul-Mālik bin Hishām, Dārul-Kutubil-‘Ilmiyyah, Beirut, Lebanon, First Edition (2001) * Al-Bidāyatu Wan-Nihāyath, By Abul-Fidā’ Ḥāfiẓ Ibnu Kathīr Ad-Dimashqī, Volume 3, p. 210, Sanatu 1 Hijri, Faṣlun Fī Dukhūlihī ‘Alaihis-Salāmul-Madīnata Wa Ainastaqarra…. . , Dārul-Kutubil- ‘Ilmiyyah, Beirut, Lebanon, First Edition (2001) [Publishers] 2 The second month of the Islamic Calendar [Publishers] 3 * Ṣaḥīḥu Muslim, Kitābul-Ashribah, Bābu Ibāḥati Aklith-Thaum…. . , Ḥadīth No. 5358 * As-Sīratun-Nabawiyyah, By Abū Muḥammad ‘Abdul-Mālik bin Hishām, p. 352, Hijratur-Rasūli sa Manziluhū Min Baiti Abī Ayyūb, Dārul-Kutubil-‘Ilmiyyah, Beirut, Lebanon, First Edition (2001)