386 – Al-Hakam ibn Ḥazn (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: “We attended the Friday prayer with the Prophet ﷺ, and he stood leaning on a staff or on a bow.” Related by Abū Dāwūd (1).

Status of the ḥadīth:
This report is ḥasan (sound). Ibn Ḥajar said in al-Talkhīṣ: “Abū Dāwūd transmitted it through the chain of al-Hakam ibn Ḥazn al-Kulfī, and its isnād is ḥasan. It contains Shihāb ibn Kharāsh, about whom the scholars differed, though most declared him reliable. Ibn al-Sakan and Ibn Khuzaymah also graded it authentic (2/352).”
It has a corroborating narration from al-Barāʾ ibn ʿĀzib in Abū Dāwūd, which Ibn al-Sakan declared authentic.
Additional reports on the topic come from Ibn ʿAbbās and Ibn al-Zubayr, recorded by Abū Shaykh and Ibn Ḥibbān.

Glossary:
• leaning (mutawakkiʾan): resting or supporting oneself on a bow or a staff.
• bow (qaws): an ancient crescent-shaped weapon used for shooting arrows; the word may be treated as masculine or feminine. Plurals: aqwās, qisī.

Points derived from the ḥadīth:
1 – The narration indicates that it is recommended for the preacher to deliver the sermon while leaning on a bow or a staff.
2 – The wisdom behind this—Allah knows best—is that it steadies the preacher’s heart, helps him stand firmly, prevents his hands from fidgeting, and was an Arab orators’ custom that projected strength and dignity, inculcating attentiveness and readiness to accept the message among the audience.