'Abu ‘Ayyub Al-‘Ansariyy to lead the she-camel to his house

والصَّلَاةُ والسَّلاَمُ عَلَى سَيّدِنَا مُحَمَّدٍ أَشْرَفِ اْلمُرْسَلِيْنَ وَعَلَى آلِهِ وَصَحْبِهِ الطَّيّبِيْنَ الطَّاهِرِيْن

As the Prophet ﷺ neared Yathrib - later called "Taybah" in honour of his blessed presence -throngs of Muslims, jubilant and excited that he had arrived, eagerly came forward, each vying for the honour of hosting him, saying: "Let the Prophet be my guest; I will honour him and serve him," and taking hold of the she-camel's reins, attempting to lead it to their homes.

However, the Prophet ﷺ instructed them, "Leave her, for she is commanded." This meant that the camel, under divine guidance, would stop at the appointed place.

The she-camel eventually stopped and knelt at the site of what would later become the Prophet’s Mosque. Although the Prophet ﷺ remained on the she-camel and loosened its reins, it stood up, turned back and moved a short distance. Then, it turned its head backwards, returned to its original spot, knelt down again, and lowered its neck.

At this point, the Prophet ﷺ dismounted, and it was noon. ‘Abu ‘Ayyub Khalid ibnu Zayd Al-‘Ansariyy, from the Banu Najjar (the Prophet's maternal relatives), came forward. He took the Prophet's belongings and led the she-camel to his house. The Prophet ﷺ stayed with ‘Abu ‘Ayyub because of the familial connection.

The Prophet ﷺ then inquired about the land where the she-camel had knelt. He expressed his wish to purchase it. ‘Abu Bakr as-Siddiq paid for the land, and the Prophet ﷺ  instructed his companions to clear it of its palm trees and level the ground, as it contained old pagan graves which were exhumed and their remains moved. This area was then designated for the construction of the Prophet's Mosque.

The companions worked together to build the mosque, known as the Prophet’s Mosque (Al-Masjidu n-Nabawiyy). Around it, the Prophet ﷺ built accommodations for his wives. The noble companions gathered around him there, and the strength of the Islamic call increased and spread further.

The Prophet ﷺ remained in Medina for ten years until his passing. He died in the chamber of ^A’ishah and was buried there. May Allah increase the honour of Prophet Muhammad, raise his rank, and protect his nation from what he fears for it.