Sahl bin Saʿd was asked about the (Prophet's) pulpit as to what thing it was made of? Sahl replied: "None remains alive amongst the people, who knows about it better than I. It was made of tamarisk (wood) of the forest. So and so, the slave of so and so prepared it for Messenger of Allah ﷺ . When it was constructed and place (in the Mosque), Messenger of Allah ﷺ stood on it facing the Qibla and said 'Allahu Akbar', and the people stood behind him (and led the people in prayer). He recited and bowed and the people bowed behind him. Then he raised his head and stepped back, got down and prostrated on the ground and then he again ascended the pulpit, recited, bowed, raised his head and stepped back, got down and prostrate on the ground. So, this is what I know about the pulpit." Ahmad bin Hanbal said, "As the Prophet ﷺ was at a higher level than the people, there is no harm according to the above-mentioned Hadith if the Imam is at a higher level than his followers during the prayers."  

مَا بَقِيَ بِالنَّاسِ أَعْلَمُ مِنِّي هُوَ مِنْ أَثْلِ الْغَابَةِ عَمِلَهُ فُلاَنٌ مَوْلَى فُلاَنَةَ لِرَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ وَقَامَ عَلَيْهِ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ حِينَ عُمِلَ وَوُضِعَ فَاسْتَقْبَلَ الْقِبْلَةَ كَبَّرَ وَقَامَ النَّاسُ خَلْفَهُ فَقَرَأَ وَرَكَعَ وَرَكَعَ النَّاسُ خَلْفَهُ ثُمَّ رَفَعَ رَأْسَهُ ثُمَّ رَجَعَ الْقَهْقَرَى فَسَجَدَ عَلَى الأَرْضِ ثُمَّ عَادَ إِلَى الْمِنْبَرِ ثُمَّ قَرَأَ ثُمَّ رَكَعَ ثُمَّ رَفَعَ رَأْسَهُ ثُمَّ رَجَعَ الْقَهْقَرَى حَتَّى سَجَدَ بِالأَرْضِ فَهَذَا شَأْنُهُ قَالَ أَبُو عَبْدِ اللَّهِ قَالَ عَلِيُّ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ سَأَلَنِي أَحْمَدُ بْنُ حَنْبَلٍ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ عَنْ هَذَا الْحَدِيثِ قَالَ فَإِنَّمَا أَرَدْتُ أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ ﷺ كَانَ أَعْلَى مِنَ النَّاسِ فَلاَ بَأْسَ أَنْ يَكُونَ الإِمَامُ أَعْلَى مِنَ النَّاسِ بِهَذَا الْحَدِيثِ قَالَ فَقُلْتُ إِنَّ سُفْيَانَ بْنَ عُيَيْنَةَ كَانَ يُسْأَلُ عَنْ هَذَا كَثِيرًا فَلَمْ تَسْمَعْهُ مِنْهُ قَالَ لاَ  

[Machine] They asked Sahl ibn Saad about something from the pulpit of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ . He said, "No one remaining among the people knows about it more than me. It is from the actions of 'such and such' who is the client of 'such and such'. I have indeed seen the Messenger of Allah ﷺ when he ascended the pulpit, faced the qibla, said takbir, then recited, then performed ruku, then descended to al-Qahhara, prostrated, then ascended, then recited, then performed ruku, then descended to al-Qahhara, then prostrated."  

سَأَلُوا سَهْلَ بْنَ سَعْدٍ مِنْ أَيِّ شَيْءٍ مِنْبَرُ رَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ؟ قَالَ «وَمَا بَقِيَ مِنَ النَّاسِ أَحَدٌ هُوَ أَعْلَمُ بِهِ مِنِّي هُوَ مِنْ أَثْلِ الْغَابَةِ عَمِلَهُ لَهُ فُلَانٌ مَوْلَى فُلَانَةَ وَلَقَدْ رَأَيْتُ رَسُولَ اللهِ ﷺ حِينَ صَعَدَ عَلَيْهِ اسْتَقْبَلَ الْقِبْلَةَ فَكَبَّرَ ثُمَّ قَرَأَ ثُمَّ رَكَعَ ثُمَّ نَزَلَ الْقَهْقَرَى فَسَجَدَ ثُمَّ صَعَدَ ثُمَّ قَرَأَ ثُمَّ رَكَعَ ثُمَّ نَزَلَ الْقَهْقَرَى ثُمَّ سَجَدَ»  

[Machine] They asked Sahl bin Saad, "From which part of the pulpit of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ did you see him? He replied, "No one among the people knows more about it than me. His acts were like the furthest part of the forest. Such and such a slave of such and such (person) was his Mawla. I indeed saw the Messenger of Allah ﷺ when he mounted the pulpit, faced the Qibla, glorified Allah (by saying Takbir) and read the Qur'an. Then he bowed, descended and went to Qahqaha, where he prostrated. Then he ascended and recited the Qur'an, bowed again and descended to Qahqaha, where he prostrated. This tradition is found in a sound Hadith reported by Ibn Uyainah.  

سَأَلُوا سَهْلَ بْنَ سَعْدٍ ؓ مِنْ أِيِّ شَيْءٍ مِنْبَرُ رَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ؟ قَالَ مَا بَقِيَ مِنَ النَّاسِ أَحَدٌ أَعْلَمُ بِهِ مِنِّي مِنْ أَثْلِ الْغَابَةِ عَمِلَهُ لَهُ فُلَانٌ مَوْلَى فُلَانَةَ وَلَقَدْ رَأَيْتُ رَسُولَ اللهِ ﷺ حَيْثُ صَعَدَ عَلَيْهِ اسْتَقْبَلَ الْقِبْلَةَ فَكَبَّرَ ثُمَّ قَرَأَ ثُمَّ رَكَعَ ثُمَّ نَزَلَ الْقَهْقَرَى فَسَجَدَ ثُمَّ صَعَدَ فَقَرَأَ ثُمَّ رَكَعَ ثُمَّ نَزَلَ الْقَهْقَرَى فَسَجَدَ أَخْرَجَاهُ فِي الصَّحِيحِ مِنْ حَدِيثِ ابْنِ عُيَيْنَةَ