In the beginning, the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) used to stand on the trunk of a palm tree in the mosque when addressing the people and delivering khutbahs, then he acquired the minbar. In this hadith, Jabir ibn ‘Abdillah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that a woman came to the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) and said: O Messenger of Allah, why don’t I have something made for you to sit on? Meaning, on which to sit and stand, instead of the palm trunk from which he addressed the people. I have a slave who is a carpenter – that is, a craftsmen who is skilled in working with wood. The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) accepted her offer, and left it up to her so as not to burden her; if she wished, she could do that, and if she wished, she could refrain from doing that, and there would be no sin on her. So the woman instructed her slave to make the minbar for the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) and he did that. The minbar had three steps that were not very high, as is mentioned in the reports. This hadith indicates that one should stand and sit on an elevated surface when addressing people and delivering khutbahs, and that minbars may be used in mosques. It indicates that one may seek the help of craftsmen and skilled people in anything that may be beneficial to the Muslims, and that the one who takes the initiative to do such things is to be appreciated and thanked..