It is narrated from Sayyiduna Munkadir (may Allah be pleased with him) that one night the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) came out, having delayed the Isha prayer until part of the night had passed, while the people were waiting in the mosque. He (peace and blessings be upon him) asked: "What are you waiting for?" They said: We are waiting for the prayer! He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Know that as long as you keep waiting for the prayer, you are counted as being in prayer." Then he (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Remember! This is a prayer that no nation before you has performed." Then he (peace and blessings be upon him) raised his blessed head towards the sky and said: "The stars are a source of security for the sky; when the stars are effaced, that dread which the sky has been promised will come upon it. And I am a source of security for my Companions; when I depart from this world, those trials which they have been promised will come upon my Companions. And the people of my household are a source of security for my Ummah; when the people of my household are gone, those tribulations which it has been promised will come upon my Ummah."

It is narrated from Urwah bin al-Zubayr, concerning the names of the Companions who took part in the Pledge of al-Aqabah, that from Banu Ghanm bin Malik bin al-Najjar was Sayyiduna Abu Ayyub (may Allah be pleased with him), whose name is Khalid bin Zayd bin Kulayb. Likewise, among the names of the Companions from Banu al-Najjar who took part in the Battle of Badr with the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), Sayyiduna Abu Ayyub (may Allah be pleased with him) is also mentioned, whose full name is Khalid bin Zayd bin Kulayb bin Tha'labah.

It is narrated from Abu Imran al-Tujibi: We made an expedition against Constantinople in the company of Sayyiduna Abu Ayyub al-Ansari (may Allah be pleased with him). We formed rows there so long that I had never seen the like before. Sayyiduna Abu Ayyub al-Ansari (may Allah be pleased with him) passed away during this very campaign. He had made a bequest that he be buried at the foot of the wall of Constantinople and that his debt be paid off, and so it was done.

It is narrated from Muhammad bin Umar (al-Waqidi) that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) established brotherhood between Sayyiduna Abu Ayyub al-Ansari and Sayyiduna Mus'ab bin Umayr (may Allah be pleased with them both). Sayyiduna Abu Ayyub (may Allah be pleased with him) took part in the Battles of Badr, Uhud and al-Khandaq, and in all the campaigns alongside the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him). He passed away during the caliphate of Sayyiduna Mu'awiyah (may Allah be pleased with him), in the year 52 AH, at the time when Yazid bin Mu'awiyah campaigned against Constantinople. His grave is at the foot of the fortress of Constantinople in the land of the Romans. It is mentioned regarding it that people visit it frequently, repair it, and when drought strikes, they pray for rain (from Allah) through it.

It is narrated from Muhammad bin Sirin that Sayyiduna Abu Ayyub al-Ansari (may Allah be pleased with him) took part in the Battle of Badr with the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him). After that there was no campaign of the Muslims in which he did not take part, except for one year: when a young man was appointed commander over the army, he stayed behind that year. Later he used to regret it and say: "What concern is it of mine who is appointed over me? What concern is it of mine who is appointed over me?" Then he fell ill while Yazid bin Mu'awiyah was leading the army. He came to visit him and asked: "What is your need?" He said: "My need is that when I die, you mount, then advance into the land of the enemy as far as you find room to go, and when the way comes to an end, bury me there and then return." The narrator says: Sayyiduna Abu Ayyub (may Allah be pleased with him) used to say (while reciting this saying of Allah Almighty): "Go forth, whether light or heavy" [Surah al-Tawbah: 41] , and I find myself only either light or heavy.

It is narrated from al-Hakam that Sayyiduna Abu Ayyub al-Ansari (may Allah be pleased with him) took part alongside Sayyiduna Ali bin Abi Talib (may Allah be pleased with him) in Harura' (the battle against the Khawarij).

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) was staying in the upper room of the house of Sayyiduna Abu Ayyub al-Ansari (may Allah be pleased with him). His food would be kept in a basket inside a closet, and something resembling a cat (from the jinn) would come through an opening and take the food from the basket. He complained about this to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), and he (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "That is a ghul (a female jinn). When she comes, say: The Messenger of Allah commands you not to move from here." The narrator says: When she came, Sayyiduna Abu Ayyub (may Allah be pleased with him) said to her: "The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) commands you not to move from here." She said: "O Abu Ayyub! Let me go this time; by Allah, I will not come back." So he let her go, and came and informed the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him). This happened twice. Then she said: "Shall I not teach you words which, if you recite them, no devil will come near your house that night, that day and the following day?" He said: Certainly. She said: "Recite Ayat al-Kursi: 'Allah, there is no god but He, the Ever-Living, the Sustainer of all' [Surah al-Baqarah: 255] ." So he came to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) and informed him, and he (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "She has spoken the truth, though she is a great liar."

Abd al-Rahman bin Abi Amrah narrates from his father that Sayyiduna Abu Ayyub al-Ansari (may Allah be pleased with him) had a place for drying dates in the garden of his house. Then he mentioned a hadith similar to it.

Abd al-Rahman bin Abi Layla narrates from Sayyiduna Abu Ayyub al-Ansari (may Allah be pleased with him) that he had a small room, where the ghul (a female jinn) would come and take some things. Then he mentioned a hadith similar to it. When these chains of narration are combined, it becomes a well-known (mashhur) hadith, and Allah knows best.

It is narrated from Miqsam that Sayyiduna Abu Ayyub al-Ansari (may Allah be pleased with him) came to Sayyiduna Mu'awiyah (may Allah be pleased with him) and mentioned a need of his. He said: "Are you not the companion of Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him)?" He replied: "Know that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) informed us beforehand that after him we would face favouritism and preference of others over us (and denial of our rights)." He asked: "Then what did he (peace and blessings be upon him) command you?" He said: "He (peace and blessings be upon him) commanded us to be patient until we meet him at the Pond (al-Kawthar)." Sayyiduna Mu'awiyah (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "Then be patient." At this, Sayyiduna Abu Ayyub (may Allah be pleased with him) became angry and swore that he would never speak to him again. Then Sayyiduna Abu Ayyub (may Allah be pleased with him) came to Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) and told him the whole story. So Ibn Abbas vacated his house for him just as Sayyiduna Abu Ayyub had vacated his house for the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him). He asked: "What do you want?" He said: "Four slaves to work at my place." Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) said: "I have twenty slaves for you." This hadith has an authentic (sahih) chain of narration, but the two Shaykhs (Bukhari and Muslim) did not record it.