Some people went to Sahl bin Saʿd As-Saʿidi 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 the very first day when Messenger of Allah ﷺ took his seat on it. Messenger of Allah ﷺ 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 Messenger of Allah ﷺ who ordered it to be placed here. Then I saw Messenger of Allah ﷺ 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.' "  

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 مُرِي غُلاَمَكِ النَّجَّارَ أَنْ يَعْمَلَ لِي أَعْوَادًا أَجْلِسُ عَلَيْهِنَّ إِذَا كَلَّمْتُ النَّاسَ فَأَمَرَتْهُ فَعَمِلَهَا مِنْ طَرْفَاءِ الْغَابَةِ ثُمَّ جَاءَ بِهَا فَأَرْسَلَتْ إِلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ فَأَمَرَ بِهَا فَوُضِعَتْ هَا هُنَا ثُمَّ رَأَيْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ صَلَّى عَلَيْهَا وَكَبَّرَ وَهْوَ عَلَيْهَا ثُمَّ رَكَعَ وَهْوَ عَلَيْهَا ثُمَّ نَزَلَ الْقَهْقَرَى فَسَجَدَ فِي أَصْلِ الْمِنْبَرِ ثُمَّ عَادَ فَلَمَّا فَرَغَ أَقْبَلَ عَلَى النَّاسِ فَقَالَ أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ إِنَّمَا صَنَعْتُ هَذَا لِتَأْتَمُّوا وَلِتَعَلَّمُوا صَلاَتِي  

Some people came to Sahl b. Sa'd and began to differ about the wood of which the (Prophet's pulpit was made. He (Sahl b. Sa'd) said: By Allah, I know of which wood it is made and who made it, and the day when I saw the Messenger of Allah ﷺ seated himself on it on the first day. I said to him: O Abu Abbas (kunyah of Sabl b. Sa'd), narrate to us (all these facts), He said: The Messenger of Allah ﷺ sent a person to a woman asking her to allow her slave, a carpenter, to work on woods (to prepare a pulpit) so that I should talk to the people (sitting on it). Abu Hazim said: He (Sahl b. Sa'd) pointed out the name of (that lady) that day. So he (the carpenter) made (a pulpit) with these three steps. Then the Messengerof Allah ﷺ commanded it to be placed here (where it is lying now). It was fashioned out of the wood of al-Ghaba. And I saw the Messenger of Allah (may peace he upon him) standing upon it and glorifying Allah and the people also glorified Allah after him, while he was on the pulpit. He then raised (his head from prostration) and stepped back (on his heels) till he prostrated himself at the base of pulpit, and then returned (to the former place and this movement of one or two steps continued) till the prayer was complete. He then turned towards the people and said: O people, I have done it so that you should follow me and learn (my mode of) prayer.  

أَمَا وَاللَّهِ إِنِّي لأَعْرِفُ مِنْ أَىِّ عُودٍ هُوَ وَمَنْ عَمِلَهُ وَرَأَيْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ أَوَّلَ يَوْمٍ جَلَسَ عَلَيْهِ قَالَ فَقُلْتُ لَهُ يَا أَبَا عَبَّاسٍ فَحَدِّثْنَا قَالَ أَرْسَلَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ إِلَى امْرَأَةٍ قَالَ أَبُو حَازِمٍ إِنَّهُ لَيُسَمِّيهَا يَوْمَئِذٍ انْظُرِي غُلاَمَكِ النَّجَّارَ يَعْمَلْ لِي أَعْوَادًا أُكَلِّمُ النَّاسَ عَلَيْهَا فَعَمِلَ هَذِهِ الثَّلاَثَ دَرَجَاتٍ ثُمَّ أَمَرَ بِهَا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ فَوُضِعَتْ هَذَا الْمَوْضِعَ فَهْىَ مِنْ طَرْفَاءِ الْغَابَةِ وَلَقَدْ رَأَيْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ قَامَ عَلَيْهِ فَكَبَّرَ وَكَبَّرَ النَّاسُ وَرَاءَهُ وَهُوَ عَلَى الْمِنْبَرِ ثُمَّ رَفَعَ فَنَزَلَ الْقَهْقَرَى حَتَّى سَجَدَ فِي أَصْلِ الْمِنْبَرِ ثُمَّ عَادَ حَتَّى فَرَغَ مِنْ آخِرِ صَلاَتِهِ ثُمَّ أَقْبَلَ عَلَى النَّاسِ فَقَالَ يَا أُيُّهَا النَّاسُ إِنِّي صَنَعْتُ هَذَا لِتَأْتَمُّوا بِي وَلِتَعَلَّمُوا صَلاَتِي  

"By Allah, I know what it is made of. I saw it the first day it was set up and the first day the Messenger of Allah ﷺ sat on it. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ sent word to so-and-so" - a woman whose name Sahl mentioned - "telling her: 'Tell your carpenter slave to make me something of wood that I can sit on when I speak to the people.' So she told him, and he made it from tamarisk wood from Al-Ghabah (a place near Al-Madinah). Then he brought it and it was sent to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, who commanded that it be set up here. Then I saw the Messenger of Allah ﷺ ascend it and praying on it, and saying the Takbir while he was on top of it, then he bowed when he was on top of it, then he came down backward and prostrated at the base of the Minbar, then he went back. When he had finished he turned to face the people and said: 'O people, I only did this so that you can follow me in prayer and learn how I pray.'"  

وَاللَّهِ إِنِّي لأَعْرِفُ مِمَّ 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 فَأَرْسَلَتْ إِلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ فَأَمَرَ بِهَا فَوُضِعَتْ هَا هُنَا ثُمَّ رَأَيْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ رَقِيَ فَصَلَّى عَلَيْهَا وَكَبَّرَ وَهُوَ عَلَيْهَا ثُمَّ رَكَعَ وَهُوَ عَلَيْهَا ثُمَّ نَزَلَ الْقَهْقَرَى فَسَجَدَ فِي أَصْلِ الْمِنْبَرِ ثُمَّ عَادَ فَلَمَّا فَرَغَ أَقْبَلَ عَلَى النَّاسِ فَقَالَ يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ إِنَّمَا صَنَعْتُ هَذَا لِتَأْتَمُّوا بِي وَلِتَعَلَّمُوا صَلاَتِي  

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.  

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  

"By Allah, I know what it is made of. I saw it the first day it was set up and the first day the Messenger of Allah ﷺ sat on it. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ sent word to so-and-so" - a woman whose name Sahl mentioned - "telling her: 'Tell your carpenter slave to make me something of wood that I can sit on when I speak to the people.' So she told him, and he made it from tamarisk wood from Al-Ghabah (a place near Al-Madinah). Then he brought it and it was sent to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, who commanded that it be set up here. Then I saw the Messenger of Allah ﷺ ascend it and praying on it, and saying the Takbir while he was on top of it, then he bowed when he was on top of it, then he came down backward and prostrated at the base of the Minbar, then he went back. When he had finished he turned to face the people and said: 'O people, I only did this so that you can follow me in prayer and learn how I pray.'" (Using translation from Nasāʾī 739)  

وَاللَّهِ لَأَعْرِفُ مِمَّ هُوَ وَلَقَدْ رَأَيْتُ أَوَّلَ يَوْمٍ جَلَسَ عَلَيْهِ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ أَرْسَلَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ إِلَى فُلَانَةً امْرَأَةٌ سَمَّاهَا سَهْلٌ أَنْ مُرِي غُلَامَكِ النَّجَّارَ أَنْ يَعْمَلَ لِي أَعْوَادًا أَجْلِسُ عَلَيْهَا إِذَا كَلَّمْتُ النَّاسَ فَأَمَرَتْهُ فَعَمِلَهَا مِنْ طَرْفَاءِ الْغَابَةِ ثُمَّ جَاءَ بِهَا فَأَرْسَلَتْ إِلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ فَأَمَرَ بِهَا فَوَضَعَتْ هَاهُنَا ثُمَّ رَأَيْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ صَلَّى عَلَيْهَا وَكَبَّرَ وَهُوَ عَلَيْهَا وَرَكَعَ وَهُوَ عَلَيْهَا وَرَفَعَ وَهُوَ عَلَيْهَا وَتَوَلَّى الْقَهْقَرِيَ فَسَجَدَ وَرَقَى عَلَى الْمِنْبَرِ ثُمَّ عَادَ فَلَمَّا فَرَغَ أَقْبَلَ عَلَى النَّاسِ فَقَالَ «يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ إِنَّمَا صَنَعْتُ هَذَا لِتَأْتَمُّوا وَلِتَعْلَمُوا صَلَاتِي»  

[Machine] The Messenger of Allah ﷺ sent to a woman named Fulanah, saying, "Tell your servant, the carpenter, to make sticks for me to address the people." He made these three steps from the wood of the forest, and the Prophet ﷺ ordered them to be placed in this position. Sahl said, "I saw the Prophet ﷺ sit on them on the first day. He then performed the takbir, and the people behind him also performed the takbir. Then he bowed while on the pulpit, and he descended to the lowest part of the pulpit and prostrated. He then returned until he finished his prayer, performing in it as he did in the first rak'ah. When the Prophet ﷺ finished, he turned to the people and said, 'O people, I did this so that you may follow my lead and learn my prayer.'"  

أَرْسَلَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ إِلَى فُلَانَةَ امْرَأَةٍ سَمَّاهَا فَقَالَ «مُرِي غُلَامَكِ النَّجَّارَ يَعْمَلُ لِي أَعْوَادًا أُكَلِّمُ النَّاسَ عَلَيْهَا» فَعَمِلَ لَهُ هَذِهِ الثَّلَاثَ الدَّرَجَاتِ مِنْ طَرْفَاءِ الْغَابَةِ فَأَمَرَ بِهَا النَّبِيُّ ﷺ يَعْنِي الدَّرَجَاتِ فَوُضِعَتْ بِهَذَا الْمَوْضِعِ قَالَ سَهْلٌ فَرَأَيْتُ النَّبِيَّ ﷺ أَوَّلَ يَوْمٍ جَلَسَ عَلَيْهَا فَكَبَّرَ وَكَبَّرَ النَّاسُ خَلْفَهُ ثُمَّ رَكَعَ وَهُوَ عَلَى الْمِنْبَرِ ثُمَّ رَفَعَ رَأْسَهُ فَنَزَلَ الْقَهْقَرَى فَسَجَدَ فِي أَصْلِ الْمِنْبَرِ ثُمَّ عَادَ حَتَّى فَرَغَ مِنْ آخِرِ صَلَاتِهِ يَصْنَعُ فِيهَا كَمَا صَنَعَ فِي الرَّكْعَةِ الْأُولَى فَلَمَّا فَرَغَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ أَقْبَلَ عَلَى النَّاسِ فَقَالَ «يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ إِنَّمَا فَعَلْتُ هَذِهِ لِتَأْتَمُّوا بِي وَلِتَعْلَمُوا صَلَاتِي»  

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. (Using translation from Abū Dāʾūd 1080)  

وَاللهِ إِنِّي أَعْرِفُ مَا هُوَ وَلَقَدْ رَأَيْتُهُ أَوَّلَ يَوْمٍ وُضِعَ وَأَوَّلَ يَوْمٍ جَلَسَ عَلَيْهِ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ «أَرْسَلَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ إِلَى فُلَانَةَ امْرَأَةٍ قَدْ سَمَّاهَا سَهْلٌ أَنْ مُرِي غُلَامَكِ النَّجَّارَ أَنْ يَعْمَلَ لِي أَعْوَادًا أَجْلِسُ عَلَيْهِنَّ فَأُكَلِّمُ النَّاسَ» فَأَمَرَتْهُ فَعَمِلَهُ مِنْ طَرْفَاءِ الْغَابَةِ ثُمَّ جَاءَ بِهِ إِلَى رَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ فَأَرْسَلَتْ بِهِ إِلَى رَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ وَأَمَرَ بِهِ فَوُضِعَ هَهُنَا ثُمَّ رَأَيْتُ رَسُولَ اللهِ ﷺ فَكَبَّرَ وَهُوَ عَلَيْهِ ثُمَّ رَكَعَ وَهُوَ عَلَيْهِ ثُمَّ نَزَلَ الْقَهْقَرَى فَسَجَدَ فِي أَصْلِ الْمِنْبَرِ ثُمَّ عَلَا فَلَمَّا فَرَغَ أَقْبَلَ عَلَى النَّاسِ فَقَالَ «يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ إِنَّمَا صَنَعْتُ هَذَا لِتَأْتَمُّوا بِي وَلِتَعْلَمُوا صَلَاتِي»  

Some people came to Sahl b. Sa'd and began to differ about the wood of which the (Prophet's pulpit was made. He (Sahl b. Sa'd) said: By Allah, I know of which wood it is made and who made it, and the day when I saw the Messenger of Allah ﷺ seated himself on it on the first day. I said to him: O Abu Abbas (kunyah of Sabl b. Sa'd), narrate to us (all these facts), He said: The Messenger of Allah ﷺ sent a person to a woman asking her to allow her slave, a carpenter, to work on woods (to prepare a pulpit) so that I should talk to the people (sitting on it). Abu Hazim said: He (Sahl b. Sa'd) pointed out the name of (that lady) that day. So he (the carpenter) made (a pulpit) with these three steps. Then the Messengerof Allah ﷺ commanded it to be placed here (where it is lying now). It was fashioned out of the wood of al-Ghaba. And I saw the Messenger of Allah (may peace he upon him) standing upon it and glorifying Allah and the people also glorified Allah after him, while he was on the pulpit. He then raised (his head from prostration) and stepped back (on his heels) till he prostrated himself at the base of pulpit, and then returned (to the former place and this movement of one or two steps continued) till the prayer was complete. He then turned towards the people and said: O people, I have done it so that you should follow me and learn (my mode of) prayer. (Using translation from Muslim 544a)   

أَمَا وَاللهِ إِنِّي لَأَعْرِفُ مِنْ أِيِّ عُودٍ هُوَ وَمَنْ عَمَلَهُ وَرَأَيْتُ رَسُولَ اللهِ ﷺ أَوَّلَ يَوْمٍ جَلَسَ عَلَيْهِ قَالَ فَقُلْتُ لَهُ يَا أَبَا عَبَّاسٍ فَحَدِّثْنَا فَقَالَ أَرْسَلَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ إِلَى امْرَأَةٍ قَالَ أَبُو حَازِمٍ إِنَّهُ سَمَّاهَا يَوْمَئِذٍ انْظُرِي غُلَامَكِ النَّجَّارَ يَعْمَلُ لِي أَعْوَادًا لِأُكَلِّمَ النَّاسَ عَلَيْهَا فَعَمِلَ هَذِهِ الثَّلَاثَ دَرَجَاتٍ ثُمَّ أَمَرَ بِهَا رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ فَوُضِعَتْ هَذَا الْمَوْضِعَ فَهِيَ مِنْ طَرْفَاءِ الْغَابَةِ وَلَقَدْ رَأَيْتُ رَسُولَ اللهِ ﷺ قَامَ عَلَيْهِ فَكَبَّرَ وَكَبَّرَ النَّاسُ وَرَاءَهُ وَهُوَ عَلَى الْمِنْبَرِ يَعْنِي ثُمَّ رَكَعَ ثُمَّ رَفَعَ فَنَزَلَ الْقَهْقَرَى حَتَّى سَجَدَ فِي أَصْلِ الْمِنْبَرِ ثُمَّ عَادَ حَتَّى فَرَغَ مِنْ آخِرِ صَلَاتِهِ ثُمَّ أَقْبَلَ عَلَى النَّاسِ فَقَالَ يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ إِنَّمَا صَنَعْتُ هَذَا لِتَأْتَمُّوا بِي وَلِتَعْلَمُوا صَلَاتِي