Agony of a piece of wood

A beautiful tradition reported by Al Hasan Al Basri on the authority
of Anas Ibn Malek is the following. He said: The Messenger of Allah
peacebe upon him used to give the Friday sermon while standing near a
piece of wood against which he would lean his back. When the number of
people increased in the mosque he said: Make a pulpit of two steps for
me, which they did. When the Prophet stood up to give the sermon on
Friday the said piece of wood moaned as if it expressed its sad
feeling of missing the Messenger of Allah peacebe upon him. Anas
comments: I was in the mosque and heard the piece moan. It continuedto
moan until the Prophet descended to it and embraced it. Then it was
silent. As a matter offact, whenever Al Hasan narrated this tradition
he would cry and say: O slaves of Allah! A piece ofwood misses the
Messenger of Allah! It is you who should do so.