Narrated Sahl b. Sa‘d as-Sa‘idi said he was asked what the pulpit was made of and replied, “It was from the tamarisks of al-Ghaba, made by so and so, client of such and such a woman, for God’s Messenger. When it was made and placed in position God’s Messenger mounted it, faced the qibla, and said ‘God is mos:
Then when he finished he faced the people and said, “O people, I have done this only that you should be guided by me and know how I conduct prayer.”
I must tell you how God’s Messenger conducted prayer. He said that he had the iqama announced, drew the men up in line and drew up the youths behind them, then led them in prayer (mentioning how he conducted it), then said, “Thus is the prayer of. . ,”* ‘Abd al-A‘la said: I think he must have said “my people.”
* The wording of the tradition is incomplete. ‘Abd al-A‘la who appears at a later stage in the isnad supplies what he considers the missing word must have been.
Abu Dawud transmitted it.
Narrated ‘Ammar said he was leading the people in al-Mada’in in prayer, and stood on a bench and prayed while the people were lower than he was. Hudhaifa came forward and took him by the hands, and ‘Ammar followed him till he brought him down. When ‘Ammar finished his prayer Hudhaifa said to him:
Did you not hear God’s Messenger say, “When a man leads the people in prayer he must not stand in a position higher than theirs,” or words to that effect? ‘Ammar replied, “That is why I followed you when you took me by the hand.”
