Arabic (Original)
حَدَّثَنَا أَحْمَدُ بْنُ الْحَجَّاجِ أَخْبَرَنَا حَاتِمُ بْنُ إِسْمَاعِيلَ حَدَّثَنَا مُصْعَبُ بْنُ ثَابِتِ بْنِ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ الزُّبَيْرِ قَالَ طَلَبْنَا عِلْمَ الْعُودِ الَّذِي فِي مَقَامِ الْإِمَامِ فَلَمْ نَقْدِرْ عَلَى أَحَدٍ يَذْكُرُ لَنَا فِيهِ شَيْئًا قَالَ مُصْعَبٌ فَأَخْبَرَنِي مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ مُسْلِمِ بْنِ السَّائِبِ بْنِ خَبَّابٍ صَاحِبُ الْمَقْصُورَةِ فَقَالَ جَلَسَ إِلَيَّ أَنَسُ بْنُ مَالِكٍ يَوْمًا فَقَالَ هَلْ تَدْرِي لِمَ صُنِعَ هَذَا وَلَمْ أَسْأَلْهُ عَنْهُ فَقُلْتُ لَا وَاللَّهِ مَا أَدْرِي لِمَ صُنِعَ فَقَالَ أَنَسٌ كَانَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ يَضَعُ عَلَيْهِ يَمِينَهُ ثُمَّ يَلْتَفِتُ إِلَيْنَا فَقَالَ اسْتَوُوا وَاعْدِلُوا صُفُوفَكُمْ.
English Translation
Ahmad ibn al-Hajjaj told us: Hatim ibn Isma'il informed us: Mus'ab ibn Thabit ibn Abd Allah ibn al-Zubayr told us, he said: We sought knowledge about the piece of wood that is at the station of the imam, but we could not find anyone to tell us anything about it. Mus'ab said: Muhammad ibn Muslim ibn al-Sa'ib ibn Khabbab, the keeper of the enclosure, informed me, he said: Anas ibn Malik sat with me one day and said: "Do you know why this was made?" - and I had not asked him about it. I said: "No, by Allah, I do not know why it was made." Anas said: "The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, used to place his right hand upon it, then turn to us and say: Stand straight and align your rows."