5. The Book of Mosques and Places of Prayer

٥۔ كتاب الْمَسَاجِدِ وَمَوَاضِعِ الصَّلاَةِ

5.11 The permissibility of taking one or two steps while praying, and that is not disliked if done for a reason. The permissibility of the Imam praying in a place that is higher than the people praying behind him, if that is done for a reason, such as teaching them how to offer prayers, and other than that.

٥۔١١ باب جَوَازِ الْخُطْوَةِ وَالْخُطْوَتَيْنِ فِي الصَّلاَةِ

(316) bukhari:917Qutaybah b. Saʿīd > Yaʿqūb b. ʿAbd al-Raḥman b. Muḥammad b. ʿAbdullāh b. ʿAbd al-Qārī al-Qurashī al-Iskandarānī > Abū Ḥāzim b. Dīnār

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.' "  

(٣١٦) البخاري:٩١٧حَدَّثَنَا قُتَيْبَةُ بْنُ سَعِيدٍ قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا يَعْقُوبُ بْنُ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنِ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ عَبْدٍ الْقَارِيُّ الْقُرَشِيُّ الإِسْكَنْدَرَانِيُّ قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا 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 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