Abu Ayyub al-Ansari

Abu Ayyub al-Ansari (d. c. 52 AH / 674 CE), born Khalid ibn Zayd ibn Kulayb al-Najjari al-Khazraji, was an Ansari companion who holds the unique and cherished distinction of having hosted the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ in his home when the Prophet first arrived in Medina after the Hijrah in 1 AH (622 CE). He was from the Banu al-Najjar clan of the Khazraj tribe, one of the most honorable clans of Medina, and had pledged allegiance at the Second Pledge of Aqabah.

When the Prophet's camel entered Medina and stopped at a spot in front of Abu Ayyub's house, the Prophet alighted and stayed there for seven months while the construction of the Prophet's Mosque and his adjacent quarters was completed. The families of Medina competed earnestly for the honor of hosting the Prophet, but he let the camel choose the stopping place as a divine indication. Abu Ayyub's house became the first home of the Prophet in Medina and the center of the early Medinan Muslim community. Abu Ayyub and his wife served the Prophet with great love and devotion during this entire period.

Abu Ayyub was among the first to pledge allegiance at Aqabah and participated in all the major battles alongside the Prophet, including Badr, Uhud, al-Khandaq, and the conquest of Mecca. After the Prophet's death, he continued to serve Islam through military participation, fighting in North Africa, Anatolia, and other regions. His devotion to jihad increased with age rather than diminishing.

Most remarkably, Abu Ayyub participated in the Muslim siege of Constantinople in approximately 52 AH (672-674 CE), during the caliphate of Muawiyah, at a very advanced age. He became ill during the campaign and died near the walls of the city, having expressed his wish to be buried as close to the enemy as possible. His tomb was venerated for centuries, and when Sultan Mehmed II conquered Constantinople in 857 AH (1453 CE), he found the tomb and built around it the Eyüp Sultan Mosque and complex, which remains one of the most sacred sites in Istanbul and a destination for Muslim pilgrims to this day.