Anecdotes from Prophet's stay at Abu Ayyub Al-Ansari's House - Our Prophet 6 - Foundations Of Islamic State

Let us now continue with the events that happened in Madinah when the Prophet, salla Allahu 'alayhi wa alihi, was settling, and then in our future course, possibly next week, we will examine the marriage of Imam 'Ali 'alayhi as-salam and Lady Fatimah 'alayha as-salam.

So, the Prophet, salla Allahu 'alayhi wa alihi, when he arrived in Madinah, in whose house did he stay in? Anyone remembers? We mentioned how his camel stopped at his house. Abu 'Ayyub Al-Ansari.

Abu 'Ayyub Al-Ansari had the honour of hosting the Prophet, salla Allahu 'alayhi wa alihi, for about seven months. The Prophet, when he arrived Madinah, he commanded his companions to establish the mosque. At the same time, the Prophet was constructing rooms next to the mosque, which would be his house. But in the meantime, he had no house until the mosque and those rooms would be established, which historians say took about seven months. So, all this time, all these seven months, where did he spend them? In the house of Abu 'Ayyub Al-Ansari.

Ibn Is-haq narrates, he says he is quoting Abu 'Ayyub Al-Ansari. He says, when the Prophet, salla Allahu 'alayhi wa alihi, came to my house; his house was two floors. He says, the Prophet was in the first floor, and Abu 'Ayyub and his wife were in the second floor. He says, Abu 'Ayyub says, 'I felt, you know, awkward. I felt bad that I am above the Prophet, salla Allahu 'alayhi wa alihi. The Prophet is under me, and I am in a level on top of him. So, I wanted to show respect to the Prophet.

I told him, Rasul Allah, let us switch floors. You go to the second floor, so you are above me, and I will stay in the first floor. The Prophet, salla Allahu 'alayhi wa alihi, said, no, Abu 'Ayyub, this is more convenient, because I receive guests, and having them go up the stairs and go to the second floor may be an inconvenience. So do not worry about it. It is okay. You are showing respect. You can stay in the second floor.

But, Abu 'Ayyub was very meticulous and careful not to disturb the Prophet. He says, once at night, right before he slept, him and Umm 'Ayyub, he says, there was a container of water. We spilled it. Now, remember, back then, their houses were not waterproof. If you spill water, it is going to drip to the first floor.

So, he is like, we started panicking. We spilled the water, and the only thing we had to dry the water to quickly capture the water, absorb the water before it starts dripping on the Prophet salla Allahu 'alayhi wa alihi. He says, was our blanket. So, he says that night, we sacrificed our blanket. We quickly took out our blanket to absorb the water, so we do not disturb the Prophet, salla Allahu 'alayhi wa alihi.

The prophet was not by himself. Remember Lady Fatima 'alayha as-salam was also with him at this time. Maybe, initially one of his aunts was also with him before she moved out. So, for about seven months, the Prophet, salla Allahu 'alayhi wa alihi, was in the house of Abu 'Ayyub.

Abu 'Ayyub further narrates he says, we used to prepare food for the Prophet, like maybe a late dinner, 'asha for the Prophet. He says when the Prophet would send back the food, he would never finish the food. He would never finish the plate. He would leave some food for us. He was not an eater. He says this was our best moment because the Prophet would eat with his blessed hands. So, when he would touch the food, we waited by the minute to eat the leftover of the food of the Prophet.

And he says we would start with that area of the food that the Prophet had touched to seek his barakah [blessings]. This is Abu 'Ayyub saying yes to seek the barakah. Now say this to a Wahhabi, Kafir, Mushrik. How are you seeking the Tabarruk and Tawassul? What is going on here? No! The companions of the Prophet realized that the Prophet was a source of blessing. Anything he would touch would become blessed. The companions really believed in that. So, the food that the Prophet, salla Allahu 'alayhi wa alihi, would touch, Abu 'Ayyub and his wife, they were ecstatic about it. They would eat it for their blessing.

Abu 'Ayyub says, one day we made food for the Prophet. He sent back the plate untouched. So we are like the Prophet did not like our food. Does he have a problem with it? So, Abu 'Ayyub why you goes to the Prophet? He tells him, Ya Rasul Allah, just a question, we offered you dinner, food, but you know it seems like you did not like the food. You did not touch the food. The food that night was basically onions and garlic. That is what they had given the Prophet, salla Allahu 'alayhi wa alihi.

The Prophet said, no, I do not have a problem with your food, but I am a person who frequently meets people from my companions, and if I would eat garlic or onions, this could disturb them. Look at how sensitive the Prophet, salla Allahu 'alayhi wa alihi, was. To that point, that he does not want anyone coming to him to have an unpleasant experience, even if it is just the smell of you know onions and garlic in the house of the Prophet. So, the Prophet says, Abu 'Ayyub, feel free to eat it. You and your wife eat it, but please excuse me from these types of foods.

The Imams of Ahl ul-Bayt also would observe this. We have hadith that Imam as-Sadiq, 'alayhi as-salam, if he wanted to eat garlic; which you should, because the Imam says it has so many benefits. In fact, I think one Hadith says garlic has 1000 benefits and types of protection for the immune system.

The Imam, whenever he wanted to eat that Imam as-Sadiq, 'alayhi as-salam, he had a garden outside of Madinah. Sometimes he would go to that garden for three days, he would eat, then he would come back to the city of Madinah. And the Imams were teaching us, you know, if you are constantly dealing with people, talking to people, be very careful, do not do anything that is unpleasant for the people. That is how those leaders are. They are really sensitive.

So, Abu 'Ayyub, he mentions these interesting anecdotes and exchanges that he had with the Prophet, salla Allahu 'alayhi wa alihi. Now, the Prophet is also not a freeloader, right? Seven months in the house of Abu 'Ayyub. It is costing him. All that food that he is preparing, even though it is not much. But Abu 'Ayyub was not a rich man. So, how did the Prophet compensate him?

Ahadith [narrations] indicate any gift the Prophet would get from his companions, those who would bring the gifts to him, either he would give all of the gifts to Abu 'Ayyub and his wife, or he would split the gifts, take some for his needs and give the rest to them. So, the Prophet was compensating him maybe on a daily basis.

When the Prophet came to Madinah, the companions honoured him, especially the Ansar. He got a lot of gifts. So, those gifts were given to Abu 'Ayyub Al-Ansari. And that was the Prophet's way of compensating him and not burdening him with financial difficulties.

Look at how sensitive the Prophet, he did not want to take advantage of anyone or, you know, get a free place to stay at or get free food. This is the Messenger of Allah Subhana wa Ta'ala. He was really a role model in his Akhlaq [ettiquette] and in his manners.

Now the Prophet, salla Allahu 'alayhi wa alihi, as Umm 'Ayyub narrates, she says he was never picky with the food. Never. Not one day did the Prophet say, I do not like this food. This is too salty. This is not salty enough. I prefer something else. Never, not one day did he tell them what he prefers and what he likes. Not one day did he put them in a position to make them feel bad about the food.

And this is a really lesson for us, especially a lot of who? Husbands, right? Who are picky with their food. Yes, believe me, this is in our culture. Many times, the husband comes back home and he is picky with the food. If the food is not as he desires, it is not flavoured like he wishes, he will make a point. He will offend his wife. The Prophet would never do that. Never! Any type of food that is given to him, he is okay. He does not make an issue out of it.

And that is a lesson for us not to make an issue in our families with the food. Historically, this is a problem in many cultures and in many families.