حَدَّثَنَا حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو بَكْرٍ النَّيْسَابُورِيُّ ، نَا يَزِيدُ بْنُ سِنَانٍ ، نَا عَبْدُ الصَّمَدِ ، نَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ الْمُثَنَّى ، عَنْ ثُمَامَةَ بْنِ أَنَسٍ ، عَنْ أَبِي أَيُّوبَ ، أَنَّهُ " رَكِبَ فِي الْبَحْرِ فِي رَهْطٍ مِنْ أَصْحَابِهِ ، فَوَجَدُوا سَمَكَةً طَافِيَةً عَلَى الْمَاءِ فَسَأَلُوهُ عَنْهَا ، فَقَالَ : أَطَيِّبَةٌ هِيَ لَمْ تُغَيَّرْ ؟ ، قَالُوا : نَعَمْ ، قَالَ : فَكُلُوهَا وَارْفَعُوا نَصِيبِي مِنْهَا وَكَانَ صَائِمًا " .
It is narrated about Sayyiduna Abu Ayyub (may Allah be pleased with him) that he was traveling by sea with some companions of the Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). They found a dead fish floating on the water. The people asked him about it, so he inquired: Is it pure? Has there been any change in it (i.e., has it started to smell)? The people replied: Yes! (It is pure). So Sayyiduna Abu Ayyub (may Allah be pleased with him) said: Eat it, and save my share from it as well (i.e., keep it for me). The reason for this was that at that time he was fasting.