When the Messenger of Allah ﷺ arrived, he stayed in the upper part of Madinah among a clan called Banu Amr bin Awf, and he remained with them for fourteen nights. Then he sent for the chiefs of Banu al-Najjar.They came wearing their swords. It is as if I can still see the Messenger of Allah ﷺ on his mount, with Abu Bakr riding behind him and the chiefs of Banu al-Najjar around him, until he dismounted in the courtyard of Abu Ayub.He used to pray wherever the time of prayer overtook him, and he would pray in the folds where sheep were kept. Then he gave orders for the mosque to be built. He sent for the chiefs of Banu al-Najjar, and when they came he said, "Banu al-Najjar, name me a price for this garden of yours."They replied, "By Allah, we will not seek its price except from Allah."He said, In it was what I am about to tell you. There were graves of polytheists in it, there were ruins, and there were palm trees. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ gave orders, so the graves of the polytheists were dug up, the ruins were leveled, and the palm trees were cut down.They lined up the palm trunks toward the qiblah of the mosque and made its doorposts of stone. They began carrying those stones while chanting work-songs, and the Messenger of Allah ﷺ was with them, saying, "Allah, there is no good except the good of the hereafter, so grant victory to the Ansar and the Muhajirun."
حدثنا عبد الصمد حدثني أبي حدثنا أبو التياح يزيد بن حميد الضبعي قال
لما قدم رسول الله ﷺ نزل في علو المدينة في حي يقال له بنو عمرو بن عوف فأقام فيهم أربع عشرة ليلة ثم إنه أرسل إلى ملإ من بني النجار قال فجاءوا متقلدين سيوفهم قال فكأني أنظر إلى رسول الله ﷺ على راحلته وأبو بكر ردفه وملأ بني النجار حوله حتى ألقى بفناء أبي أيوب قال فكان يصلي حيث أدركته الصلاة ويصلي في مرابض الغنم ثم إنه أمر بالمسجد فأرسل إلى ملإ من بني النجار فجاءوا فقال يا بني النجار ثامنوني حائطكم هذا فقالوا والله لا نطلب ثمنه إلا إلى الله قال وكان فيه ما أقول لكم كانت فيه قبور المشركين وكان فيه حرث وكان فيه نخل فأمر رسول الله ﷺ بقبور المشركين فنبشت وبالحرث فسويت وبالنخل فقطع قال فصفوا النخل إلى قبلة المسجد وجعلوا عضادتيه حجارة قال وجعلوا ينقلون ذلك الصخر وهم يرتجزون ورسول الله ﷺ معهم يقول اللهم لا خير إلا خير الآخره فانصر الأنصار والمهاجره