Islamic Knowledge

Al-Ustuwanah al-Hannanah Initially, in Al-Masjid al-Nabawi, the Prophet Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam would give Khutbah whilst leaning against the bark (جذع) of a date tree. Then after the Battle of Khaybar, a woman suggested that the Prophet Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam has a Minbar made for him and that she can organise for this with her servant who is a carpenter. The Prophet Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam allows this. The first time the Prophet Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam decided to use the Minbar, the Sahabah state that they could hear a crying sound like a child (تَئِنُّ أنينَ الصبي) - Sahih al-Bukhari, hadith number 14206. In another narration of Sahih al-Bukhari (hadith number: 3585), the Sahabah state that the sound was like Sawt al-Ishaar (صوت العشار) which is the sound a camel makes when giving birth. Immediately the Prophet Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam came off the Minbar and began patting the bark which became quiet. As mentioned in the hadith of Sunan al-Darimi (hadith number: 32), the Prophet Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam offered the bark that it be replanted so that it may regrow as a tree or that it is buried such that it grows in Jannah, the bark chose the latter. In the hadith of Sunan Ibn Majah (hadith number: 1414), Ubayy Ibn Ka'b RA says: فلما هدم المسجد وغير أخذت ذلك الجذع فلم يزل عندي في بيتي حتى بلي فأكلته الأرضية وعاد رفاتا When the Masjid was further expanded and changed, I took this bark and kept it withme in my home, until it slowly became worn out and was eaten up by small insects.