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 صلى الله عليه وسلم أَرْسَلَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم إِلَى فُلاَنَةَ ـ امْرَأَةٍ قَدْ سَمَّاهَا سَهْلٌ ـ " مُرِي غُلاَمَكِ النَّجَّارَ أَنْ يَعْمَلَ لِي أَعْوَادًا أَجْلِسُ عَلَيْهِنَّ إِذَا كَلَّمْتُ النَّاسَ ". فَأَمَرَتْهُ فَعَمِلَهَا مِنْ طَرْفَاءِ الْغَابَةِ ثُمَّ جَاءَ بِهَا، فَأَرْسَلَتْ إِلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَأَمَرَ بِهَا فَوُضِعَتْ هَا هُنَا، ثُمَّ رَأَيْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم 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 went to Sahl bin Sa`d As-Sa`idi and told him that they had different opinions regardingthe wood of the pulpit. They asked him about it and he said, "By Allah, I know of what wood thepulpit was made, and no doubt I saw it on the very first day when Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) took his seat on it.Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) sent for such and such an Ansari woman (and Sahl mentioned her name) and said toher, 'Order your slave-carpenter to prepare for me some pieces of wood (i.e. pulpit) on which I may sitat the time of addressing the people.' So she ordered her slave-carpenter and he made it from thetamarisk of the forest and brought it (to the woman). The woman sent that (pulpit) to Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)who ordered it to be placed here. Then I saw Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) praying on it and then bowed on it. Thenhe stepped back, got down and prostrated on the ground near the foot of the pulpit and again ascendedthe pulpit. After finishing the prayer he faced the people and said, 'I have done this so that you mayfollow me and learn the way I pray.' "