Abu Ayyub al-Ansari: Difference between revisions

'''Khālid b. Zayd b. Kulayb b. al-Najjār''' (Arabic:خالد بن زید بن کُلَیب بن النجّار)known as '''Abū Ayyūb al-Anṣāri''' (Arabic: ابو أیوب الأنصاری) (d. [[52]]/672) was among the companions of the Prophet (s) and Imam Ali (a). He participated in the allegiance of the Second ‘Aqaba and the Prophet (s) lived in his house after he (s) immigrated to Medina. Abu Ayyub participated in the battles of the time of the Prophet (s) and Imam Ali (a). After death of ‘Uthman, Abu Ayyub was among the first people who gave allegiance to Imam Ali (a). Sunni scholars regard him as authentic, but Shia scholars have sufficed to praising him.

The lineage of Khalid b. Zayd b. Kulayb b. Najjar whose kunya was Abu Ayyub reaches Najjar who was from Khazraj tribe. His mother was daughter of Sa’d b. Qays b. ‘Amr b. Amru al-Qays and his wife was daughter of Zayd b. Thabit. According to Ibn Sa’d, Abu Ayyub had a son called ‘Abd al-Rahman who had no children.

Participation in the Allegiance of the Second ‘Aqaba

Abu Ayyub was among the 70 people who gave allegiance to the Prophet (s) that they would not abandon his support. Nasr b. Muzahim considered Abu Ayyub among the elders of Ansar (Helpers) and the Shia of Imam Ali (a).

150 hadiths have been attributed to Abu Ayyub, but Bukhari and Muslim have only approved of 7 hadiths from him.

What made Abu Ayyub grand in the eyes of Muslims, was going of the Prophet (s) to his house upon his arrival to Medina, regardless of others’ insistence. Thus, historians have mentioned his name as the host of the Prophet (s). According to Biladhuri, the Prophet (s) resided in his house for 7 months, until the mosque and the Prophet’s (s) own house were built up. Mas’udi has reported this period one month.

After the demise of the noble Prophet (s), Abu Ayyub and 11 other companions, defended the succession of Ali b. Abi Talib (a). Therefore, Ibn Athir regarded him among the special companions of Imam Ali (a). After the death of ‘Uthman, he was among the first people who gave allegiance to Imam Ali (a) and encouraged Ansar to do so. Also in 35 AH, he, together with a group of others, testified in Kufa that they heard hadith of Ghadir from the Prophet (s).

=== In the Group of the Compilers of the Qur’an ===

Bukhari considered him among the five from Ansar who tried to compile the Qur’an at the time of the noble Prophet (s).

Abu Ayyub participated in all the battles of the Prophet (s) and historians have considered him among the participants of Badr, Uhud and Khandaq battles. Only once because the commander of Muslims’ army was a young man, he refrained to participate in the battle and was always regretful about it.

Through historical texts, his obedience, loyalty and his great reverence for the Prophet (s) is manifested. According to Ibn Hisham, he was pioneer in expelling the hypocrites who mocked Muslims in the mosque of Medina and some of them were his own relatives. According to some haidths, a verse of the Qur’an in the event of Ifk praises Abu Ayyub and his wife.

=== Participating in the Siege of the house of ‘Uthman ===

Upon the siege of the house of ‘Uthman by the dissidents, Muslims performed the prayer in the mosque of Medina led by Abu Ayyub and he was among the witnesses in front of whom ‘Uthman promised that he would thereafter act according to the Book of God and the conduct of the Prophet (s).

Abu Ayyub participated in all battles Imam Ali (a) engaged in, but Ibn Sa’d mentioned only Nahrawan, Waqidi and Siffin. Everyone has mentioned extraordinary braveries of Abu Ayyub. In the battle of Nahrawan, Ali (a) assigned him as the commander of the horsemen and before beginning of the war, sent him to negotiate with and advise Khawarij.

After Nahrawan, he was assigned by Imam Ali (a) as the governor of Medina, but after Mu’awiya sent Busr b. Abi Artah with 3000 soldiers to Hijaz in 40 AH, Abu Ayyub left Medina and joined Ali (a) in Iraq. After invading Medina and taking the city, Busr burned Abu Ayyub’s house.

After the martyrdom of Ali (a), Abu Ayyub once again went to the borders for war. Tabari has reported that in 49 Ah, Yazid b. Mu’awiya moved to war with Romans and took the old Abu Ayyub with himself.

Ibn Sa’d reported that his grave was so much respected by the Romans that some of them visited his grave especially at the time of drought and asked for rain. According to Ibn ‘Abd Rabbih, later a mausoleum was built upon his grave which still existed at his time.

Since then until 857 AH/ 1453 CE when Ottoman Turks took Constantinople, his grave was unknown. At that time, his grave was identified mysteriously by Aq Shams al-Din Shaykh al-Islam. In 863 AH/1458 CE, the Ottoman Sultan Muhammad II built the Ayyub Sultan mosque and a shrine upon his grave. Afterwards, many Ottoman elders were buried beside him and as a formal tradition, Ottoman kings visited his grave upon sitting on the throne and in a special ceremony tied their forefather’s sword on their waist which was known as the Ottoman Sword.

Among those who have narrated from him, people including Ibn Ababs, Bura’ b. ‘Azib, Jabir b. Samura, Miqdam b. Mu’addi Karb, Abu Imama Bahili, Zayd b. Khalid Juhani and some other Companions have been mentioned.

Some of the Followers such as Sa’id b. Musayyib and ‘Urwa b. Zubayr and ‘Abd Allah b. Hunayn have heard hadiths from him and quoted them. Ibn Sa’d and Mazzi have also mentioned a list of those who have narrated from him.

Shia scholars of Rijal have different opinions regarding justification of his participation in the battle with polytheists under the command of Mu’awiya and Yazid regardless of his firm advocacy of the right of Imam Ali’s (a) caliphate. Fadl b. Shadhan considered this act of him negligence and mistake in judgment and added that even though he was not happy with his contemporary caliph but he participated in the wars having the intention of advancing and supporting Islam and the proof for this claim is that there were disputes between him and Mu’awiya; however, Ayatullah Khu’i, rejecting this opinion deemed it possible that he acted so with respect to a permission from Imam al-Hasan (a).

Abu Ayyub was also considered a powerful poet. It is possible that calling him poet was because of the poems he composed in the battle of Siffin and also later in replying to the letter of Mu’awiya.