حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو الْوَلِيدِ، حَدَّثَنَا سَلْمُ بْنُ زَرِيرٍ، سَمِعْتُ أَبَا رَجَاءٍ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا عِمْرَانُ بْنُ حُصَيْنٍ، أَنَّهُمْ كَانُوا مَعَ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم فِي مَسِيرٍ، فَأَدْلَجُوا لَيْلَتَهُمْ حَتَّى إِذَا كَانَ وَجْهُ الصُّبْحِ عَرَّسُوا فَغَلَبَتْهُمْ أَعْيُنُهُمْ حَتَّى ارْتَفَعَتِ الشَّمْسُ، فَكَانَ أَوَّلَ مَنِ اسْتَيْقَظَ مِنْ مَنَامِهِ أَبُو بَكْرٍ، وَكَانَ لاَ يُوقَظُ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم مِنْ مَنَامِهِ حَتَّى يَسْتَيْقِظَ، فَاسْتَيْقَظَ عُمَرُ فَقَعَدَ أَبُو بَكْرٍ عِنْدَ رَأْسِهِ فَجَعَلَ يُكَبِّرُ وَيَرْفَعُ صَوْتَهُ، حَتَّى اسْتَيْقَظَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَنَزَلَ وَصَلَّى بِنَا الْغَدَاةَ، فَاعْتَزَلَ رَجُلٌ مِنَ الْقَوْمِ لَمْ يُصَلِّ مَعَنَا فَلَمَّا انْصَرَفَ قَالَ ‏"‏ يَا فُلاَنُ مَا يَمْنَعُكَ أَنْ تُصَلِّيَ مَعَنَا ‏"‏‏.‏ قَالَ أَصَابَتْنِي جَنَابَةٌ‏.‏ فَأَمَرَهُ أَنْ يَتَيَمَّمَ بِالصَّعِيدِ، ثُمَّ صَلَّى وَجَعَلَنِي رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم فِي رَكُوبٍ بَيْنَ يَدَيْهِ، وَقَدْ عَطِشْنَا عَطَشًا شَدِيدًا فَبَيْنَمَا نَحْنُ نَسِيرُ إِذَا نَحْنُ بِامْرَأَةٍ سَادِلَةٍ رِجْلَيْهَا بَيْنَ مَزَادَتَيْنِ، فَقُلْنَا لَهَا أَيْنَ الْمَاءُ فَقَالَتْ إِنَّهُ لاَ مَاءَ‏.‏ فَقُلْنَا كَمْ بَيْنَ أَهْلِكِ وَبَيْنَ الْمَاءِ قَالَتْ يَوْمٌ وَلَيْلَةٌ‏.‏ فَقُلْنَا انْطَلِقِي إِلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم‏.‏ قَالَتْ وَمَا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ فَلَمْ نُمَلِّكْهَا مِنْ أَمْرِهَا حَتَّى اسْتَقْبَلْنَا بِهَا النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم، فَحَدَّثَتْهُ بِمِثْلِ الَّذِي حَدَّثَتْنَا غَيْرَ أَنَّهَا حَدَّثَتْهُ أَنَّهَا مُؤْتِمَةٌ، فَأَمَرَ بِمَزَادَتَيْهَا فَمَسَحَ فِي الْعَزْلاَوَيْنِ، فَشَرِبْنَا عِطَاشًا أَرْبَعِينَ رَجُلاً حَتَّى رَوِينَا، فَمَلأْنَا كُلَّ قِرْبَةٍ مَعَنَا وَإِدَاوَةٍ، غَيْرَ أَنَّهُ لَمْ نَسْقِ بَعِيرًا وَهْىَ تَكَادُ تَنِضُّ مِنَ الْمِلْءِ ثُمَّ قَالَ ‏"‏ هَاتُوا مَا عِنْدَكُمْ ‏"‏‏.‏ فَجُمِعَ لَهَا مِنَ الْكِسَرِ وَالتَّمْرِ، حَتَّى أَتَتْ أَهْلَهَا قَالَتْ لَقِيتُ أَسْحَرَ النَّاسِ، أَوْ هُوَ نَبِيٌّ كَمَا زَعَمُوا، فَهَدَى اللَّهُ ذَاكَ الصِّرْمَ بِتِلْكَ الْمَرْأَةِ فَأَسْلَمَتْ وَأَسْلَمُوا‏.‏
Translation
Narrated Jabir bin `Abdullah

The Prophet (ﷺ) used to stand by a tree or a date-palm on Friday. Then an Ansari woman or man said. "O Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)! Shall we make a pulpit for you?" He replied, "If you wish." So they made a pulpit for him and when it was Friday, he proceeded towards the pulpit (for delivering the sermon). The datepalm cried like a child! The Prophet (ﷺ) descended (the pulpit) and embraced it while it continued moaning like a child being quietened. The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "It was crying for (missing) what it used to hear of religious knowledge given near to it."

Comment

Virtues and Merits of the Prophet (pbuh) and his Companions

Sahih al-Bukhari 3584

Contextual Background

This narration describes the transition from the Prophet delivering sermons while leaning against a date-palm tree to using a newly constructed pulpit (minbar) in the mosque.

The Ansar, known for their generosity and love for the Prophet, offered to build him a pulpit to make his preaching more comfortable and visible to the growing congregation.

Miraculous Nature

The crying of the date-palm represents one of the many miracles (mu'jizat) granted to Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) by Allah's permission.

Inanimate objects demonstrating consciousness and emotion confirms the Prophet's truthfulness and special status before Allah.

This miracle resembles how mountains and birds would glorify Allah with Prophet Dawud, showing how Allah grants special signs to His messengers.

Spiritual Significance

The tree's longing for the remembrance of Allah and religious knowledge teaches us about the inherent spirituality in creation.

If a mere tree yearns for religious knowledge, how much more should human beings, endowed with intellect, strive to seek and preserve divine knowledge.

The Prophet's compassionate response demonstrates his mercy toward all creation, even plants.

Scholarly Commentary

Classical scholars note this incident proves objects can possess awareness by Allah's will, though unlike human consciousness.

Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani explains the tree's crying was due to missing the proximity to revelation and the Prophet's blessed presence.

This event establishes the virtue of consistently attending circles of knowledge and the spiritual benefits of such gatherings.