On Taking Minbars

Abu Hazim b. Dinar said:
People came to Sahl b. Sa'd al-Sa'idi, when they were doubtful about the kind of wood of the pulpit (in the mosque of the Prophet). They asked him about it. He said: By Allah, I know (the wood) of which it was made; I saw it the first day when it was placed there, and the first day when the Messenger of Allah ﷺ sat on it. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ sent for a woman whom Sahl named and asked her: Order your boy, the carpenter, to construct for me a wooden pulpit so that I sit on it when I deliver a speech to the people. So she ordered him and he made a pulpit of a wood called tarfa taken from al-Ghabah (a place at a distance of nine miles from Medina). He brought it to her. She sent it to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. He ordered and that was placed here. I saw the Messenger of Allah ﷺ praying on it: he said: "Allah is most great"; he then bowed while he was on it; then he returned and prostrated in the root of the pulpit; he then returned (to the pulpit). When he finished (the prayer), he addressed himself to the people and said: O people, I did this so that you may follow me and know my prayer.

حَدَّثَنَا قُتَيْبَةُ بْنُ سَعِيدٍ، حَدَّثَنَا يَعْقُوبُ بْنُ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنِ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ عَبْدٍ الْقَارِيُّ الْقُرَشِيُّ، حَدَّثَنِي أَبُو حَازِمِ بْنُ دِينَارٍ، أَنَّ رِجَالاً، أَتَوْا سَهْلَ بْنَ سَعْدٍ السَّاعِدِيَّ وَقَدِ امْتَرَوْا فِي الْمِنْبَرِ مِمَّ عُودُهُ فَسَأَلُوهُ عَنْ ذَلِكَ فَقَالَ وَاللَّهِ إِنِّي لأَعْرِفُ مِمَّا هُوَ وَلَقَدْ رَأَيْتُهُ أَوَّلَ يَوْمٍ وُضِعَ وَأَوَّلَ يَوْمٍ جَلَسَ عَلَيْهِ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ أَرْسَلَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ إِلَى فُلاَنَةَ امْرَأَةٍ قَدْ سَمَّاهَا سَهْلٌ " أَنْ مُرِي غُلاَمَكِ النَّجَّارَ أَنْ يَعْمَلَ لِي أَعْوَادًا أَجْلِسُ عَلَيْهِنَّ إِذَا كَلَّمْتُ النَّاسَ " . فَأَمَرَتْهُ فَعَمِلَهَا مِنْ طَرْفَاءِ الْغَابَةِ ثُمَّ جَاءَ بِهَا فَأَرْسَلَتْهُ إِلَى النَّبِيِّ ﷺ فَأَمَرَ بِهَا فَوُضِعَتْ هَا هُنَا فَرَأَيْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ صَلَّى عَلَيْهَا وَكَبَّرَ عَلَيْهَا ثُمَّ رَكَعَ وَهُوَ عَلَيْهَا ثُمَّ نَزَلَ الْقَهْقَرَى فَسَجَدَ فِي أَصْلِ الْمِنْبَرِ ثُمَّ عَادَ فَلَمَّا فَرَغَ أَقْبَلَ عَلَى النَّاسِ فَقَالَ " أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ إِنَّمَا صَنَعْتُ هَذَا لِتَأْتَمُّوا بِي وَلِتَعَلَّمُوا صَلاَتِي " .