The Messenger of Allah ﷺ used to pray next to a palm tree trunk when the mosque was made of date palm leaves. He also used to deliver his sermon to the people beside that trunk. A man from his companions said, "O Messenger of Allah, shall I make a minbar (pulpit) for you to stand on during Friday sermons so that the people can see and hear you better?" The Prophet ﷺ agreed, so he built a minbar with three steps, which the Prophet ﷺ used for his sermons.
When the minbar was completed and placed where the Prophet ﷺ intended to use it, he approached it. However, as he moved past the palm tree trunk he used to stand beside and approached the new minbar, the trunk made a sound and seemed to mourn. It quivered and split. Upon hearing this, the Prophet ﷺ descended from the minbar and touched the trunk with his hand in a comforting manner. Then he returned to the minbar.
During his prayers, the Prophet ﷺ would sometimes lean towards the trunk. Ṭufayl said that when the mosque was later rebuilt, and its structure changed, his father Abū Ubayy b. Kaʿb took possession of that palm tree trunk and kept it in his house until it deteriorated and eventually turned to dust.
كَانَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ يُصَلِّي إِلَى جِذْعٍ إِذْ كَانَ الْمَسْجِدُ عَرِيشًا وَكَانَ يَخْطُبُ النَّاسَ إِلَى جَانِبِ ذَلِكَ الْجِذْعِ فَقَالَ رَجُلٌ مِنْ أَصْحَابِهِ: يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ هَلْ لَكَ أَنْ أَجْعَلَ لَكَ مِنْبَرًا تَقُومُ عَلَيْهِ يَوْمَ الْجُمُعَةِ حَتَّى يَرَى النَّاسُ خُطْبَتَكَ؟ قَالَ: «نَعَمْ۔» فَصَنَعَ لَهُ ثَلَاثَ دَرَجَاتٍ هِيَ الَّتِي عَلَى الْمِنْبَرِ۔
فَلَمَّا قُضِيَ الْمِنْبَرُ وَوُضِعَ فِي مَوْضِعِهِ الَّذِي وَضَعَهُ فِيهِ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ بَدَا لِرَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ أَنْ يَقُومَ عَلَى ذَلِكَ الْمِنْبَرِ۔ فَمَرَّ إِلَيْهِ فَلَمَّا أَنْ جَاوَزَ الْجِذْعَ الَّذِي كَانَ يَخْطُبُ إِلَيْهِ وَيَقُومُ إِلَيْهِ خَارَ إِلَيْهِ ذَلِكَ الْجِذْعُ حَتَّى تَصَدَّعَ وَانْشَقَّ۔ فَنَزَلَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ لَمَّا سَمِعَ صَوْتَ الْجِذْعِ فَمَسَحَهُ بِيَدِهِ ثُمَّ رَجَعَ إِلَى الْمِنْبَرِ۔
وَكَانَ إِذَا صَلَّى مَعَ ذَلِكَ مَالَ إِلَى الْجِذْعِ۔ يَقُولُ الطُّفَيْلُ: فَلَمَّا هُدِمَ الْمَسْجِدُ وَغُيِّرَ أَخَذَ أَبُوهُ أُبَيُّ بْنُ كَعْبٍ ذَلِكَ الْجِذْعَ فَكَانَ عِنْدَهُ فِي بَيْتِهِ حَتَّى بَلِيَ وَأَكَلَتْهُ الْأَرَضَةُ وَعَادَ رُفَاتًا۔