Bukhari

Hadith Commentary:
Imam Bukhari rahimahullah himself has included the narration of Sulayman in "Signs of Prophethood" (Alamat al-Nubuwwah), and in this hadith, the name of Anas's son is mentioned.
This piece of wood began to weep due to separation from the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, and when he placed his blessed hand upon it, it was comforted. Should not the believers love the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam at least as much as this piece of wood did?
Those who consider the opinions and analogies of others superior to the words of the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam (Maulana Waheed al-Zaman, may Allah have mercy on him).
The weeping of this piece of wood at the separation from the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam is among the miracles of Prophethood.

Hadith Commentary:
(1)
It is understood from a narration in Sahih al-Bukhari that when the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) placed his hand on that trunk, it became calm and stopped crying.
(Sahih al-Bukhari, al-Manaqib, Hadith: 3585)
In another narration, the reason for its crying is also mentioned: it used to listen to the remembrance of Allah, from which it had now been deprived.
(Sahih al-Bukhari, al-Manaqib, Hadith: 3584)
However, in the narration of Sunan al-Nasa’i, it is stated that due to the separation from the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam), it was overtaken by trembling and began to cry in the manner that a she-camel cries for her lost child.
We will provide a complete explanation of this in Kitab al-Manaqib, Chapter: Signs of Prophethood in Islam.
(2)
Imam al-Bukhari (rahimahullah) has established from this narration the practice of delivering the sermon (khutbah) from the pulpit (minbar), which is explicitly mentioned in Hadith: 3584 and 3585.
And Allah knows best.

Hadith Commentary:
The Companions heard this sound; in another narration, it is mentioned that the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) came and embraced it, and the wood became silent.
He (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) said:
If I had not done so, it would have continued to weep until the Day of Resurrection.
Imam Hasan al-Basri (rahimahullah), when narrating this hadith, used to say: O Muslims! A piece of wood wept out of longing to meet the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam), and you do not even have as much longing to meet him as a piece of wood.
In the narration of al-Darimi, it is mentioned that he (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) ordered a pit to be dug and that piece of wood was buried in it.
In the narration of Abu Nu‘aym, it is mentioned that he (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) said to the Companions: Are you not amazed at the weeping of this piece of wood?
They came, heard its weeping, and themselves wept greatly. O Muslims! If a piece of wood can have such love for the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam), and we, who are the noblest of creation, do not even have that much affection for our Prophet.
It is a time for weeping that, leaving aside the hadith of the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam), we run towards the statements of Abu Hanifah and Shafi‘i, and the hadith of the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) does not bring us satisfaction, but the statements of Qahistani and Kaydani—who knows from which garden they are—bring us contentment.
La hawla wa la quwwata illa billah.
Then why do you claim Islam when you do not have even a little love for the Prophet of Islam?
(Maulana Waheed al-Zaman, rahimahullah)

Hadith Commentary:
1.
Allah, the Exalted, granted our Messenger, sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, such miracles that had not been given to any previous prophet. Although ‘Isa (alayhis salam) would bring the dead to life, the mentioned miracle of the Messenger of Allah, sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, surpasses that, because there had never been any sign of life in a dry trunk. When Allah, the Exalted, instilled the emotion of longing and yearning in a dry trunk, then what can be said about the noble Companions, radi Allahu anhum. The patience they demonstrated at your passing is truly enviable.

2.
It is narrated from Anas, radi Allahu anhu, that the trunk was buried in the ground, while in another narration it is stated that when the mosque was demolished, Ubayy ibn Ka‘b, radi Allahu anhu, took possession of it. (Sunan al-Darimi, Bab Ma Akram al-Nabi sallallahu alayhi wa sallam bi Hanin al-Minbar, Hadith: 36) Hafiz Ibn Hajar, rahimahullah, says there is no contradiction in these narrations, because the Messenger of Allah, sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, had it buried, but when the mosque was demolished and there was a plan to rebuild it, it became exposed during the excavation, and at that time Ubayy ibn Ka‘b, radi Allahu anhu, took it into his possession. (Fath al-Bari: 6/737)

3.
At the end of Hadith 3584, the reason for the trunk’s weeping that is mentioned— is this the statement of the narrator or the saying of the Messenger of Allah, sallallahu alayhi wa sallam? The preferred view is that the Messenger of Allah, sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, himself stated the reason, as is explicitly mentioned in the narration of Musnad Ahmad. (See Musnad Ahmad: 3/300)

Hadith Commentary:
Now he has been deprived of it because I have distanced Myself from him.

Hadith Commentary:
Because he left it and began delivering the sermon on the pulpit.
This is a great miracle of the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, that even a piece of wood manifested grief at his separation.
Eventually, when the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam embraced that piece of wood to his chest, only then did its weeping cease.
Imam Bukhari rahimahullah has established from this hadith that the profession of carpentry is not a blameworthy profession.
A Muslim may choose whichever profession among them is easy for him and seek lawful (halal) sustenance through it.
These ahadith also shed light on the fact that, regarding industry and craftsmanship, Islam has a progressive plan in its view.
Whatever advancements have occurred in this field in later times—especially today, in this mechanical era, how swiftly all these arts are progressing—fundamentally, all of this is the sacred result of Islamic teachings.
In this respect, it is a great favor of Islam upon the entire world of humanity that, by giving the message of progress in both religion and worldly affairs, it has revealed the true concept of religion before mankind.
It is true: "Indeed, the religion with Allah is Islam" ().

Hadith Commentary:
(1)
The profession of carpentry is permissible.
He receives wages for his labor, in which there is no objection; rather, because it is work done by hand, it is considered the best form of earning.
(2)
Generally, these individuals work in two ways:
• The wood, etc., belongs to the owner; however, the carpenter receives wages for making doors, windows, etc.
• He also provides the wood himself and works on it as well.
In such a case, this is both trade and wages.
There is no doubt regarding its permissibility either, although sometimes after purchasing the wood, it is discovered that it is useless and hollow inside.
Their saying is that only after splitting wood or a cucumber does one know its quality.
If it turns out to be defective, the carpenter suffers considerable loss; therefore, the owner should, from a moral standpoint, compensate the carpenter for his loss.
In any case, adopting the profession of carpentry is permissible.
The one who prepared the pulpit (minbar) of the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) was a carpenter slave.
You (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) used the pulpit he made and did not object to this profession.
A Muslim can adopt it and seek lawful (halal) sustenance through it.

1397. Commentary:

➊ In the time of the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam), all the pillars of the Prophet’s Mosque (Masjid Nabawi) were made from the trunks of date palms. The mentioned trunk was the one upon which the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) used to lean, so when he ascended the pulpit (minbar), it began to weep out of the sorrow of separation.

➋ “It began to weep”—this was an apparent miracle of the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam), that from the dry trunk a sound like that of a she-camel about to give birth began to emerge. All those present heard it. Then, when the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) showed affection to it and it became silent, this was another miracle. In other narrations, it is explicitly mentioned that the trunk wept due to separation from him.

➌ From this hadith, it is understood that the imam should stand on the pulpit (minbar) during the Friday sermon (khutbah), because this was the final Sunnah of the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam). This is also the purpose of the chapter.

➍ There is virtue for the imam in standing on the pulpit (minbar); furthermore, he will be visible to everyone, and all will hear his voice. Sitting between the two sermons will also be facilitated.

➎ The imam should place his feet on the pulpit (minbar). Umar (radi Allahu anhu) used to place his feet on the first step of the pulpit, Abu Bakr as-Siddiq (radi Allahu anhu) on the second, and the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) on the third. Later, out of respect, the third and second steps were abandoned.