قَوْلُهُ تَعَالَى: {وَلَا تُلْقُوا بِأَيْدِيكُمْ إِلَى التَّهْلُكَةِ} [البقرة: 195]

AbuImran said: We went out on an expedition from Medina with the intention of (attacking) Constantinople. AbdurRahman ibn Khalid ibn al-Walid was the leader of the company. The Romans were just keeping their backs to the walls of the city. A man (suddenly) attacked the enemy. Thereupon the people said: Stop! Stop! There is no god but Allah. He is putting himself into danger. AbuAyyub said: This verse was revealed about us, the group of the Ansar (the Helpers). When Allah helped His Prophet ﷺ and gave Islam dominance, we said (i.e. thought): Come on! Let us stay in our property and improve it. Thereupon Allah, the Exalted, revealed, "And spend of your substance in the cause of Allah, and make not your hands contribute to (your destruction)". To put oneself into danger means that we stay in our property and commit ourselves to its improvement, and abandon fighting (i.e. jihad). AbuImran said: AbuAyyub continued to strive in the cause of Allah until he (died and) was buried in Constantinople.  

النَّاسُ مَهْ مَهْ لاَ إِلَهَ إِلاَّ اللَّهُ يُلْقِي بِيَدَيْهِ إِلَى التَّهْلُكَةِ فَقَالَ أَبُو أَيُّوبَ إِنَّمَا نَزَلَتْ هَذِهِ الآيَةُ فِينَا مَعْشَرَ الأَنْصَارِ لَمَّا نَصَرَ اللَّهُ نَبِيَّهُ وَأَظْهَرَ الإِسْلاَمَ قُلْنَا هَلُمَّ نُقِيمُ فِي أَمْوَالِنَا وَنُصْلِحُهَا فَأَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى { وَأَنْفِقُوا فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ وَلاَ تُلْقُوا بِأَيْدِيكُمْ إِلَى التَّهْلُكَةِ } فَالإِلْقَاءُ بِالأَيْدِي إِلَى التَّهْلُكَةِ أَنْ نُقِيمَ فِي أَمْوَالِنَا وَنُصْلِحَهَا وَنَدَعَ الْجِهَادَ قَالَ أَبُو عِمْرَانَ فَلَمْ يَزَلْ أَبُو أَيُّوبَ يُجَاهِدُ فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ حَتَّى دُفِنَ بِالْقُسْطَنْطِينِيَّةِ  

"We were in a Roman city, when a large column of Romans came out to us. So about the same number or more of the Muslims went towards them. The commander of the people of Egypt was 'Uqbah bin 'Amir, and the commenter of the (our) group was Fadalah bin 'Ubaid. One man among the Muslims reached the Roman line until he entered amidst them, so the people started screaming: 'Subhan Allah! He has thrown himself into destruction!' Abu Ayyub Al-Ansari said: 'O you people! You give this interpretation for this Ayah, while this Ayah was only revealed about us, the people among the Ansar, when Allah made Islam might, and increased its supporters. Some of us secretly said to each other, outside of the presence of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ: "Our wealth has been ruined, and Allah has strengthened Islam, and increased its supporters, so if we tend to our wealth then what we lost of it shall be revitalized for us." So Allah, Blessed and Most High, revealed to His Prophet ﷺ, rebuking what we said: 'And spend in the cause of Allah, and do not throw yourselves into destruction. (2:195)' So the destruction was tending to the wealth and maintaining it.' Abu Ayyub did not cease traveling in Allah's cause, until he was buried in the land of the Romans."  

حَدَّثَنَا الضَّحَّاكُ بْنُ مَخْلَدٍ أَبُو عَاصِمٍ النَّبِيلُ عَنْ حَيْوَةَ بْنِ شُرَيْحٍ عَنْ يَزِيدَ بْنِ أَبِي حَبِيبٍ عَنْ أَسْلَمَ أَبِي عِمْرَانَ التُّجِيبِيِّ قَالَ كُنَّا بِمَدِينَةِ الرُّومِ فَأَخْرَجُوا إِلَيْنَا صَفًّا عَظِيمًا مِنَ الرُّومِ فَخَرَجَ إِلَيْهِمْ مِنَ الْمُسْلِمِينَ مِثْلُهُمْ أَوْ أَكْثَرُ وَعَلَى أَهْلِ مِصْرَ عُقْبَةُ بْنُ عَامِرٍ وَعَلَى الْجَمَاعَةِ فَضَالَةُ بْنُ عُبَيْدٍ فَحَمَلَ رَجُلٌ مِنَ الْمُسْلِمِينَ عَلَى صَفِّ الرُّومِ حَتَّى دَخَلَ فِيهِمْ فَصَاحَ النَّاسُ وَقَالُوا سُبْحَانَ اللَّهِ يُلْقِي بِيَدَيْهِ إِلَى التَّهْلُكَةِ فَقَامَ أَبُو أَيُّوبَ الأَنْصَارِيُّ فَقَالَ يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ إِنَّكُمْ تَتَأَوَّلُونَ هَذِهِ الآيَةَ هَذَا التَّأْوِيلَ وَإِنَّمَا نَزَلَتْ هَذِهِ الآيَةُ فِينَا مَعْشَرَ الأَنْصَارِ لَمَّا أَعَزَّ اللَّهُ الإِسْلاَمَ وَكَثُرَ نَاصِرُوهُ فَقَالَ بَعْضُنَا لِبَعْضٍ سِرًّا دُونَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ إِنَّ أَمْوَالَنَا قَدْ ضَاعَتْ وَإِنَّ اللَّهَ قَدْ أَعَزَّ الإِسْلاَمَ وَكَثُرَ نَاصِرُوهُ فَلَوْ أَقَمْنَا فِي أَمْوَالِنَا فَأَصْلَحْنَا مَا ضَاعَ مِنْهَا فَأَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ عَلَى نَبِيِّهِ ﷺ يَرُدُّ عَلَيْنَا مَا قُلْنَا (وَأَنْفِقُوا فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ وَلاَ تُلْقُوا بِأَيْدِيكُمْ إِلَى التَّهْلُكَةِ ) فَكَانَتِ التَّهْلُكَةُ الإِقَامَةَ عَلَى الأَمْوَالِ وَإِصْلاَحَهَا وَتَرَكْنَا الْغَزْوَ فَمَا زَالَ أَبُو أَيُّوبَ شَاخِصًا فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ حَتَّى دُفِنَ بِأَرْضِ الرُّومِ  

AbuImran said: We went out on an expedition from Medina with the intention of (attacking) Constantinople. AbdurRahman ibn Khalid ibn al-Walid was the leader of the company. The Romans were just keeping their backs to the walls of the city. A man (suddenly) attacked the enemy. Thereupon the people said: Stop! Stop! There is no god but Allah. He is putting himself into danger. AbuAyyub said: This verse was revealed about us, the group of the Ansar (the Helpers). When Allah helped His Prophet ﷺ and gave Islam dominance, we said (i.e. thought): Come on! Let us stay in our property and improve it. Thereupon Allah, the Exalted, revealed, "And spend of your substance in the cause of Allah, and make not your hands contribute to (your destruction)". To put oneself into danger means that we stay in our property and commit ourselves to its improvement, and abandon fighting (i.e. jihad). AbuImran said: AbuAyyub continued to strive in the cause of Allah until he (died and) was buried in Constantinople. (Using translation from Abū Dāʾūd 2512)   

النَّاسُ مَهْ مَهْ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللهُ يُلْقِي بِيَدِهِ إِلَى التَّهْلُكَةِ فَقَالَ أَبُو أَيُّوبَ ؓ إِنَّمَا أُنْزِلَتْ هَذِهِ الْآيَةُ فِينَا مَعْشَرَ الْأَنْصَارِ لَمَّا نَصَرَ اللهُ نَبِيَّهُ وَأَظْهَرَ الْإِسْلَامَ قُلْنَا هَلُمَّ نُقِيمُ فِي أَمْوَالِنَا وَنُصْلِحُهَا فَأَنْزَلَ اللهُ تَعَالَى {وَأَنْفِقُوا فِي سَبِيلِ اللهِ وَلَا تُلْقُوا بِأَيْدِيكُمْ إِلَى التَّهْلُكَةِ} [البقرة 195] فَالْإِلْقَاءُ بِأَيْدِينَا إِلَى التَّهْلُكَةِ أَنْ نُقِيمَ فِي أَمْوَالِنَا وَنُصْلِحَهَا وَنَدَعَ الْجِهَادَ قَالَ أَبُو عِمْرَانَ فَلَمْ يَزَلْ أَبُو أَيُّوبَ يُجَاهِدُ فِي سَبِيلِ اللهِ حَتَّى دُفِنَ بِالْقُسْطَنْطِينِيَّةِ وَقَدْ مَضَى فِي هَذَا الْمَعْنَى أَحَادِيثُ  

"We were in a Roman city, when a large column of Romans came out to us. So about the same number or more of the Muslims went towards them. The commander of the people of Egypt was 'Uqbah bin 'Amir, and the commenter of the (our) group was Fadalah bin 'Ubaid. One man among the Muslims reached the Roman line until he entered amidst them, so the people started screaming: 'Subhan Allah! He has thrown himself into destruction!' Abu Ayyub Al-Ansari said: 'O you people! You give this interpretation for this Ayah, while this Ayah was only revealed about us, the people among the Ansar, when Allah made Islam might, and increased its supporters. Some of us secretly said to each other, outside of the presence of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ: "Our wealth has been ruined, and Allah has strengthened Islam, and increased its supporters, so if we tend to our wealth then what we lost of it shall be revitalized for us." So Allah, Blessed and Most High, revealed to His Prophet ﷺ, rebuking what we said: 'And spend in the cause of Allah, and do not throw yourselves into destruction. (2:195)' So the destruction was tending to the wealth and maintaining it.' Abu Ayyub did not cease traveling in Allah's cause, until he was buried in the land of the Romans." (Using translation from Tirmidhī 2972)   

كُنَّا بِالْقُسْطَنْطِينِيَّةِ وَعَلَى أَهْلِ مِصْرَ عُقْبَةُ بْنُ عَامِرٍ وَعَلَى أَهْلِ الشَّامِ رَجُلٌ يُرِيدُ فَضَالَةَ بْنَ عُبَيْدٍ فَخَرَجَ مِنَ الْمَدِينَةِ صَفٌّ عَظِيمٌ مِنَ الرُّومِ فَصَفَفْنَا لَهُمْ فَحَمَلَ رَجُلٌ مِنَ الْمُسْلِمِينَ عَلَى الرُّومِ حَتَّى دَخَلَ فِيهِمْ ثُمَّ خَرَجَ عَلَيْنَا فَصَاحَ النَّاسُ إِلَيْهِ فَقَالُوا سُبْحَانَ اللهِ أَلْقَى بِيَدِهِ إِلَى التَّهْلُكَةِ فَقَامَ أَبُو أَيُّوبَ الْأَنْصَارِيُّ صَاحِبُ رَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ فَقَالَ يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ إِنَّكُمْ لَتُؤَوِّلُونَ هَذِهِ الْآيَةَ عَلَى هَذَا التَّأْوِيلِ إِنَّمَا أُنْزِلَتْ هَذِهِ الْآيَةُ فِينَا مَعْشَرَ الْأَنْصَارِ إِنَّا لَمَّا أَعَزَّ اللهُ دِينَهُ وَكَثُرَ نَاصِرُوهُ فَقُلْنَا فِيمَا بَيْنَنَا بَعْضُنَا لِبَعْضٍ سِرًّا مِنْ رَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ إِنَّ أَمْوَالَنَا قَدْ ضَاعَتْ فَلَوْ أَقَمْنَا فِيهَا قَدْ أَصْلَحْنَا مَا ضَاعَ مِنْهَا فَأَنْزَلَ اللهُ ﷻ يَرُدُّ عَلَيْنَا مَا هَمَمْنَا بِهِ فَقَالَ {وَأَنْفِقُوا فِي سَبِيلِ اللهِ وَلَا تُلْقُوا بِأَيْدِيكُمْ إِلَى التَّهْلُكَةِ} [البقرة 195] فَكَانَتِ التَّهْلُكَةُ فِي الْإِقَامَةِ الَّتِي أَرَدْنَا أَنْ نُقِيمَ فِي أَمْوَالِنَا نُصْلِحُهَا فَأَمَرَنَا بِالْغَزْوِ فَمَا زَالَ أَبُو أَيُّوبَ ؓ غَازِيًا فِي سَبِيلِ اللهِ حَتَّى قَبَضَهُ اللهُ ﷻ