Life-of-Muhammad

Life of Muhammad sa 43Many would show greater zeal, go forward and held thereins of the camel and insist on the Prophet's sadismounting in front of their doors and entering theirhouses. Politely the Prophet sa would refuse saying,"Leave my camel alone. She is under the command ofGod; she will stop where God wants her to stop."Ultimately it stopped on a site which belonged toorphans of the Banu Najjar tribe. The Prophet sadismounted and said, "It seems that this is where Godwants us to stop." He made enquiries. A trustee of theorphans came forward and offered the site for the use ofthe Prophet sa . The Prophet sa replied that he would notaccept the offer unless he were allowed to pay. A pricewas settled and the Prophet sa decided to build a mosqueand some houses on it. This settled, the Prophet sa askedwho lived nearest to the site. Abu Ayyub Ansari ra cameforward and said that his house was the nearest andthat his services were at the Prophet's sa disposal. TheProphet sa asked him to prepare a room in his house forhim. Abu Ayyub's ra house was double-storeyed. Heoffered to let the Prophet sa have the upper storey. Butthe Prophet sa preferred to have the lower storey for theconvenience of his visitors.The devotion which the people of Medina had for theProphet sa showed itself again. Abu Ayyub ra agreed to letthe Prophet sa have the lower storey, but refused to go tosleep on a floor under which lived the Prophet sa . He andhis wife thought it discourteous to do so. A pitcher ofwater was accidentally broken and water flowed on thefloor. Abu Ayyub ra , fearing lest some water should dripthrough to the room occupied by the Prophet sa , took hisquilt and with it dried up the water before any coulddrip through. In the morning he called on the Prophet saand narrated the events of the night before, uponhearing which the Prophet sa agreed to occupy the upperstorey. Abu Ayyub ra prepared meals and sent them up.The Prophet sa ate whatever he wanted and Abu Ayyub rawhatever remained. After a few days, others demanded ashare in entertaining the Prophet sa . Until the Prophet sa