Hayatus Sahabah - The Lives of the Sahabah - Part 3

586 THE LlVES OF THE SAHABAH mgw> (Vol-3)
The Sahabah 'MGw hear the Sobbing of
a Tree Trunk
Hadhrat Jaabir bin Abdullaah ~~w reports that Rasulullaah
used to lean
on a date palm when standing (to deliver the sermon) on Fridays. Someone
from the Ansaar made a suggestion saying, "0 Rasulullaah m! Should we not
make a pulpit for you?" "If you wish to," Rasulullaah @% replied. They then built
a pulpit and when Friday arrived, Rasulullaah m went towards the pulpit. The
palm (against which Rasulullaah @&% used to lean) then screamed like a little
child. Rasulullaah @% descended from the pulpit and embraced the palm,
which continued sobbing like a little child being pacified.
Hadhrat Jaabir B GW says that the palm wept because of the Dhikr that it used
to hear (when Rasulullaah @% leaned against, which it could no longer hear).(')
Another narration states that when the pulpit was built and Rasulullaah @%% was
standing upon it, the Sahabah i4BW heard the trunk of the palm make a sound
like that of a camel. It was only when Rasulullaah m went up to it and placed
his hand on it that it stopped. (2)
Yet another narration states that after the pulpit was made and Rasulullaah @&
was standing upright upon it, the trunk started to shake and sob like a camel.
Everyone in the Masjid could hear it and it was only when Rasulullaah
descended thepulpitandembraced it that it calmed down and remained silent.(3)
A different narration states that Rasulullaah said, "Had I not taken it into my
arms, it would have wept until the Day of Qiyaamah." (4)
In his account of the construction of the pulpit, Hadhrat Anas !&$G%Wj says, "When
Rasulullaah @%% went towards the pulpit instead of the tree trunk, I heard it
start to sob like someone longing for another. It then continued to sob until
Rasulullaah @% descended from the pulpit, walked over to it and embraced it.
Then only was it pacified." (5)
Another narration from Hadhrat Anas !&$,Wj adds that whenever Hadhrat Hasan
narrated this Hadith, he would weep and say, "0 servants of Allaah! When a piece
of wood can sob out of its longing for Rasulullaah @@ because of his esteemed
status in Allaah's sight, you people ought to long to meet him even more." (6)
An extended narration adds that Rasulullaah @'@ said, "I swear by the Being
Who controls the life of Muhammad! Had I not embraced it, it would have
remained like this until the Day of Qiyaamah out of its longing for Allaah's
Rasool m." Rasulullaah @?% then had it buried. (7)
(1) Bukhaari, as quoted in AIBidaayah wan Nihaayah (Vo1.6 Pg.127).
(2) Bukhaari. Ahrnad and Bazzaar have reported a similar narration.
(3) Ahmad, as quoted in A1 Bidaayah w& Nihaayah (Vo1.6 Pg.129). Ibn Abdul Birr has reported a
similar narration in his Jaami (Vol. Pg.).
(4) Abu Nu'aym in his Dalaa'il (Pg. 142).
(5) Ahmad.
(6) Baghawi. Abu Nu'aym has reported a similar narration, as quoted in A1 Bidaayah wan Nihaayah
(Vo1.6 Pg.127). Ibn Abdul Birr has reported a similar narration in his Jaami (Vo1.2 Pg.197).
(7) Abu Ya'la and Tirrnidhi, as quoted in A/ Bidaayah wan Nihaayah (Vo1.6 Pg.126). Narrations of this