Hadith: O people, I only did this so that you can follow my example and learn my prayer.'

عن أَبِي حَازِمِ بْن دِينَارٍ:
أَنَّ رِجَالًا أَتَوْا سَهْلَ بْنَ سَعْدٍ السَّاعِدِيَّ، وَقَدِ امْتَرَوْا فِي الْمِنْبَرِ مِمَّ عُودُهُ، فَسَأَلُوهُ عَنْ ذَلِكَ، فَقَالَ: وَاللهِ إِنِّي لَأَعْرِفُ مِمَّا هُوَ، وَلَقَدْ رَأَيْتُهُ أَوَّلَ يَوْمٍ وُضِعَ، وَأَوَّلَ يَوْمٍ جَلَسَ عَلَيْهِ رَسُولُ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ، أَرْسَلَ رَسُولُ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ إِلَى فُلَانَةَ -امْرَأَةٍ من الأنصار قَدْ سَمَّاهَا سَهْلٌ-: «مُرِي غُلَامَكِ النَّجَّارَ أَنْ يَعْمَلَ لِي أَعْوَادًا أَجْلِسُ عَلَيْهِنَّ إِذَا كَلَّمْتُ النَّاسَ»، فَأَمَرَتْهُ فَعَمِلَهَا مِنْ طَرْفَاءِ الْغَابَةِ، ثُمَّ جَاءَ بِهَا، فَأَرْسَلَتْ إِلَى رَسُولِ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ، فَأَمَرَ بِهَا فَوُضِعَتْ هَاهُنَا، ثُمَّ رَأَيْتُ رَسُولَ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ صَلَّى عَلَيْهَا وَكَبَّرَ وَهُوَ عَلَيْهَا، ثُمَّ رَكَعَ وَهُوَ عَلَيْهَا، ثُمَّ نَزَلَ الْقَهْقَرَى، فَسَجَدَ فِي أَصْلِ الْمِنْبَرِ ثُمَّ عَادَ، فَلَمَّا فَرَغَ أَقْبَلَ عَلَى النَّاسِ فَقَالَ: «أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ، إِنَّمَا صَنَعْتُ هَذَا لِتَأْتَمُّوا وَلِتَعَلَّمُوا صَلَاتِي».
[صحيح] - [متفق عليه] - [صحيح البخاري: 917]

Abu Hāzim ibn Dinār reported:
Some men came to Sahl ibn Sa'd as-Sā‘idi. They were wondering what kind of wood the Pulpit was made of. So, they asked him about it, and 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 (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) sat on it. The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) sent to so-and-so - a woman from the Ansār whose name was mentioned by Sahl - telling her: 'Tell your carpenter slave to make for me some pieces 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-Ghābah (a place near Madīnah). Then, he brought it, and it was sent to the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him), who commanded that it be set up here. Then, I saw the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) pray on it and say the takbīr while he was on it, and then he bowed while he was on it, and then he came down backwards and prostrated at the base of the Pulpit; and then he went back. When he finished, he turned to the people and said: 'O people, I only did this so that you can follow my example and learn my prayer.'"
[Authentic hadith] - [Narrated by Bukhari & Muslim] - [Sahih Bukhari - 917]

Explanation

Some men came to one of the Companions and asked him about the Prophet's Pulpit which the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) used, as to what it was made of. They debated and disputed about that. So, he mentioned to them that the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) sent to a woman from the Ansār who had a carpenter slave, saying to her: Tell your slave to make a pulpit for me that I can sit on when I speak to the people. The woman complied and told her slave to make for the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) a pulpit from Tamarisk wood. When he finished the Pulpit, the woman sent it to the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him), who commanded that it be placed in its place in the Mosque. Then, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) prayed on it, said takbīr while on it, and bowed while on it. Then, he came down backward without turning his face behind and prostrated himself next to the base of the Pulpit, and he then went back. When he finished the prayer, he turned to the people and said: O people, I only did this so that you can follow my example and learn my prayer.