Sufyan narrates from Abu Hazim that they also asked Sahl bin Sa'd (may Allah be pleased with him): What was the pulpit of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) made of? He said: There is no one left among the people who knows more (about this) than me. It was made of tamarisk wood; the servant of so-and-so made it. And I saw the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him): when he climbed onto it, he faced the qiblah and said 'Allahu akbar' (Allah is the Greatest), then recited the Qur'an, then bowed, then came down from the pulpit walking backwards and prostrated, then he climbed onto the pulpit and recited the Qur'an, then bowed, then came down from the pulpit walking backwards and prostrated.
Hadith Referenceالسنن الكبرى للبيهقي / كتاب الصلاة / 5229
It is narrated from Abu Hazim bin Dinar that some people came to Sahl bin Sa'd al-Sa'idi (may Allah be pleased with him). They looked at the pulpit (wondering) what wood it was made from. Then they asked him about it, and he said: By Allah! I know what wood it is made of. I saw it when it was placed on the first day and the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) sat on it. the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) sent someone to a woman (Sahl (may Allah be pleased with him) also mentioned her name): "Instruct your carpenter servant to make me a pulpit for delivering the sermon." She instructed him, and he made it from tamarisk wood. That woman brought it to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). He (peace and blessings be upon him) gave the order and it was placed there. Then I saw the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him): he (peace and blessings be upon him) prayed on it and said the takbir, then he (peace and blessings be upon him) bowed on it. Then he came down and prostrated at the foot of the pulpit, that is, right next to it. Then he (peace and blessings be upon him) went back up the pulpit. After finishing, he turned towards the people and said: "O people! I have done this so that you may follow me and learn my prayer."
Hadith Referenceالسنن الكبرى للبيهقي / كتاب الصلاة / 5230
Imam al-Shafi'i (may Allah have mercy on him) says that the imam has the choice: when he wants to teach those following him the prayer, he may pray in a raised place to show them. Once they have learned the prayer, the imam and the followers should pray level on the ground.
Hadith Referenceالسنن الكبرى للبيهقي / كتاب الصلاة / 5231
(a) Hammam narrates from Sayyiduna Hudhayfah (may Allah be pleased with him) that he led the people in prayer in al-Mada'in on a raised place, so Sayyiduna Abu Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him) took hold of his shirt and pulled him. When he finished his prayer, he said: "Do you not know that they used to be forbidden from that?" Or he said: "That has been forbidden." He replied: "Yes! I remembered when you pulled me."
(b) In the narration of Ziyad bin Abdullah al-Bakka'i it is that Sayyiduna Abu Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "Do you not know that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) forbade that the imam stand in a raised place while the people are behind him?"
Hadith Referenceالسنن الكبرى للبيهقي / كتاب الصلاة / 5232
Likewise (through another chain), Ziyad bin Abdullah narrated it. It has also been narrated through another route as a connected (musnad) report, with a variation in it from this one.
Hadith Referenceالسنن الكبرى للبيهقي / كتاب الصلاة / 5233
Abu Sa'id al-Khudri (may Allah be pleased with him) says that Hudhayfah bin al-Yaman (may Allah be pleased with him) led them in prayer in al-Mada'in on a raised place. Salman (may Allah be pleased with him) seized him from behind and said: I do not know whether a long time has passed for you or you have forgotten. Did you not hear the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) say: "The imam should not lead his companions in prayer from a place higher than theirs."
Hadith Referenceالسنن الكبرى للبيهقي / كتاب الصلاة / 5234
Adi bin Thabit al-Ansari says: A man narrated to me that he was with Ammar bin Yasir (may Allah be pleased with him) in al-Mada'in. The iqamah for the prayer was called, and Ammar (may Allah be pleased with him) stepped forward and stood on a raised place to lead the prayer, while the people were below. Hudhayfah (may Allah be pleased with him) stepped forward and took hold of his hands. Ammar (may Allah be pleased with him) followed him until Hudhayfah (may Allah be pleased with him) brought him down. When Ammar (may Allah be pleased with him) finished the prayer, Hudhayfah (may Allah be pleased with him) said: Did you not hear the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) say: "When one of you leads the people, he should not stand in a place higher than those following him"? Ammar said: "That is why I followed you when you took hold of my hands."
Hadith Referenceالسنن الكبرى للبيهقي / كتاب الصلاة / 5235