This hadith refers to one of the signs of the prophethood of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), which was that inanimate objects sensed his presence and recognized him. In this report, Jabir ibn ‘Abdillah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that there was a tree trunk in the mosque, the trunk of a palm tree, and when the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) wanted to address the people, he would lean against this treetrunk, so that the people could all see him. When the minbar was set up for him, the tree trunk grieved. Allah created in the tree trunk a life like that of animals, and a sound was heard coming from it like the sound of a ten-month-pregnant she-camel. The tree trunk was sad because the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) had left it, and it did not stop making this sound until the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) came down and put his hand on it. This hadith indicates that the khutbah may be delivered from the minbar, because that is more effective in helping to convey the message and will have a greater impact..