Mustadrak al-Hakim — Hadith 3125

It is narrated from Aslam Abu Imran, the freed slave of Banu Tujib, that he said: We were at Constantinople. Uqbah bin Amir al-Juhani was commander over the people of Egypt and Fadalah bin Ubayd al-Ansari over the people of Syria (may Allah be pleased with them both). A great army of the Romans came out, so we Muslims also formed a great rank against them. Then a man from among the Muslims charged at the Roman rank until he entered among them. Then he came back towards us, and the people cried out and said: "He has thrown himself into destruction with his own hands." At this Sayyiduna Abu Ayyub al-Ansari (may Allah be pleased with him), the eminent Companion of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), said: "O people, you are interpreting this verse in this way, whereas this verse was revealed concerning us, the Ansar. When Allah granted dominance to His religion and its helpers became many, we said to one another secretly, without the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) knowing: Our properties have been ruined; if only we could now stay with them and set them right (through farming and care). So Allah revealed a rejection of what we had intended, and Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, revealed this verse: 'And spend in the way of Allah and do not throw yourselves into destruction with your own hands' [Surah al-Baqarah: 195]. So the destruction meant staying behind (abandoning jihad) to look after those properties, which is what we had intended; and so we were commanded to fight (jihad)." Thereafter Sayyiduna Abu Ayyub (may Allah be pleased with him) continued to fight in the way of Allah until Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, took his soul.
This hadith is sahih (authentic) on the condition of Imam Bukhari and Imam Muslim, but the two Shaykhs did not record it.