(45) باب الصَّلاَةِ عَلَى الْمِنْبَرِ
Abu Hazim bin Dinar narrated that some men came to Sahl bin Sa'd As-Sa'idi. They were wondering what kind of wood the Minbar was made of, so they asked him about that. He said:
"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.'"
Reference: Sunan an-Nasa'i 739
In-book reference: Book 8, Hadith 52
English translation: Vol. 1, Book 8, Hadith 740