Arabic (Original)
قَالَ عَبْد اللَّهِ حَدَّثَنَا عِيسَى بْنُ سَالِمٍ أَبُو سَعِيدٍ الشَّاشِيُّ فِي سَنَةِ ثَلَاثِينَ وَمِائَتَيْنِ حَدَّثَنَا عُبَيْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ عَمْرٍو يَعْنِي الرَّقِّيَّ أَبُو وَهْبٍ عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عَقِيلٍ عَنْ الطُّفَيْلِ بْنِ أُبَيِّ بْنِ كَعْبٍ عَنْ أَبِيهِ قَالَ كَانَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ يُصَلِّي إِلَى جِذْعٍ وَكَانَ الْمَسْجِدُ عَرِيشًا وَكَانَ يَخْطُبُ إِلَى جَنْبِ ذَلِكَ الْجِذْعِ فَقَالَ رِجَالٌ مِنْ أَصْحَابِهِ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ نَجْعَلُ لَكَ شَيْئًا تَقُومُ عَلَيْهِ يَوْمَ الْجُمُعَةِ حَتَّى تَرَى النَّاسَ أَوْ قَالَ حَتَّى يَرَاكَ النَّاسُ وَحَتَّى يَسْمَعَ النَّاسُ خُطْبَتَكَ قَالَ نَعَمْ فَصَنَعُوا لَهُ ثَلَاثَ دَرَجَاتٍ فَقَامَ النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ كَمَا كَانَ يَقُومُ فَصَغَى الْجِذْعُ إِلَيْهِ فَقَالَ لَهُ اسْكُنْ ثُمَّ قَالَ لِأَصْحَابِهِ هَذَا الْجِذْعُ حَنَّ إِلَيَّ فَقَالَ لَهُ النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ اسْكُنْ إِنْ تَشَأْ غَرَسْتُكَ فِي الْجَنَّةِ فَتَأْكُلُ مِنْكَ الصَّالِحُونَ وَإِنْ تَشَأْ أُعِيدُكَ كَمَا كُنْتَ رَطْبًا فَاخْتَارَ الْآخِرَةَ عَلَى الدُّنْيَا فَلَمَّا قُبِضَ النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ دُفِعَ إِلَى أُبَيٍّ فَلَمْ يَزَلْ عِنْدَهُ حَتَّى أَكَلَتْهُ الْأَرَضَةُ.
English Translation
Abdullah said: Isa ibn Salim Abu Sa'id ash-Shashi narrated to us in the year two hundred and thirty: Ubaydullah ibn Amr -- meaning ar-Raqqi, Abu Wahb -- narrated to us, from Abdullah ibn Muhammad ibn Aqil, from At-Tufayl ibn Ubayy ibn Ka'b, from his father, who said: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, used to pray facing a palm-trunk, and the mosque was [merely] a roofed shelter, and he would deliver the sermon beside that trunk. Some men among his Companions said: "O Messenger of Allah, shall we make you something to stand upon on Friday, so that you may see the people" -- or he said "so that the people may see you and so that the people may hear your sermon"? He said: "Yes." So they made for him three steps. The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, stood as he used to stand, and the trunk leaned toward him, so he said to it: "Be still." Then he said to his Companions: "This trunk yearned for me." Then the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said to it: "Be still; if you wish, I will plant you in Paradise so that the righteous may eat from you, and if you wish, I will restore you as you were, moist [as before]." So it chose the Hereafter over this world. When the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, passed away, it was given to Ubayy, and it remained with him until the termites ate it.