In the Name of Allāh.
Great joy filled the hearts of the Muslims of Madīnah (i.e., the Ansar) on the glorious day when our beloved Prophet (ﷺ) made Hijrah to their city. They all welcomed him with great vehemence and wished to honor him (ﷺ) by having him in their respective home. However, it was an honor for Abu Ayyub Khalīd Ibn Zayd Ibn Kulayb from Banu Najjar (Raḍiyallāhu ‘Anhu), to have been chosen by the divine will to host the Prophet (ﷺ) in his humble abode.
Abu Ayyub Al-Ansāri was filled with ecstasy, greeting, and welcoming the Prophet (ﷺ). The Prophet (ﷺ) stayed in Abu Ayyub’s place for a while till his Masjid (ﷺ) was built (on the open place where his camel stopped). He thus became his neighbor. What a noble neighbor he had! Abu Ayyub was blessed with the opportunity to demonstrate his love and devotion to the Prophet (ﷺ), and the Prophet (ﷺ) greatly reciprocated.
As the story unfolds, we see a heartwarming display of love and respect between the Prophet (ﷺ) and his noble neighbor. What a lesson we learn from this story. We learn the importance of kindness, sharing, hospitality, and putting others before ourselves. We also learn the value of being a good neighbor, of caring for those around us, even in the simplest of ways. The Prophet (ﷺ) showed us that even a simple act of sharing a meal can be an act of immense virtue and blessing.
Dear brethren, let’s take these lessons to heart and strive to be like the Ṣaḥābah (Raḍiyallāhu ‘Anhum), seeking to please Allāh through our actions, kindness, and generosity towards others. Remember, Allāh’s Messenger (ﷺ) said: “The most beloved of people to Allāh are those who are most beneficial to mankind, and the most beloved deeds to Allāh are to make a Muslim happy or to avert distress from him or to settle his debt or to stave hunger off him..” [Mukhtaṣar Ṣaḥīḥ al-Jāmi’ as-Ṣaghir, 176]
I beseech Allāh to make us benefit from this short story of Abu Ayyub’s piety and love for the Prophet (ﷺ) and also make us a source of goodness and blessing to those around us. Aameen
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