Boreal

1,001 Sayings and Deeds of the Prophet

Prayers

The Pulpit

At one point in time, Muhammad requested a pulpit. It was built out of tamarisk, a type of cedar, by the slave of a nameless woman.

Narrated Abu Hazim bin Dinar:

Some people went to Sahl bin Sad As-Sa'idi and told him that they had different opinions regarding the wood of the pulpit. They asked him about it and he said, "By Allah, I know of what wood the pulpit was made, and no doubt I saw it on thy very first day when Allah's Apostle I took his seat on it. Allah's Apostle sent for such and such an Ansari woman (and Sahl mentioned her name) and said to her, 'Order your slave-carpenter to prepare for me some pieces of wood (i.e. pulpit) on which I may sit at the time of addressing the people.'

So she ordered her slave-carpenter and he made it from the tamarisk of the forest and brought it (to the woman). The woman sent that (pulpit) to Allah's Apostle who ordered it to be placed here. Then I saw Allah's Apostle praying on it and then bowed on it. Then he stepped back, got down and prostrated on the ground near the foot of the pulpit and again ascended the pulpit. After finishing the prayer he faced the people and said, 'I have done this so that you may follow me and learn the way I pray.'"

Bukhari 13.40

The new pulpit left a nearby palm stem, next to which Muhammad used to deliver his Friday sermon in tears.

Narrated Jabir bin Abdullah:

The Prophet used to stand by a tree or a date-palm on Friday. Then an Ansari woman or man said. "O Allah's Apostle! Shall we make a pulpit for you?"

He replied, "If you wish."

So they made a pulpit for him and when it was Friday, he proceeded towards the pulpit (for delivering the sermon). The date-palm cried like a child!

The Prophet descended (the pulpit) and embraced it while it continued moaning like a child being quietened (sic).

The Prophet said, "It was crying for (missing) what it used to hear of religious knowledge given near to it."

Bukhari 56.784

Narrated Anas bin Malik:

That he heard Jabir bin Abdullah saying, "The roof of the Mosque was built over trunks of date-palms working as pillars. When the Prophet delivered a sermon, he used to stand by one of those trunks till the pulpit was made for him, and he used it instead. Then we heard the trunk sending a sound like of a pregnant she-camel till the Prophet came to it, and put his hand over it, then it became quiet."

Bukhari 56.785

In another hadith, the tree bellowed like a pregnant she-camel.

Narrated Anas bin Malik:

That he heard Jabir bin 'Abdullah saying, "The roof of the Mosque was built over trunks of date-palms working as pillars. When the Prophet delivered a sermon, he used to stand by one of those trunks till the pulpit was made for him, and he used it instead. Then we heard the trunk sending a sound like of a pregnant she-camel till the Prophet came to it, and put his hand over it, then it became quiet."

Bukhari 56.785