Volume 2, Book 15, Number 76:
Narrated Abu Sa’id Al-Khudri:
The Prophet used to proceed to the Musalla on the days of Id-ul-Fitr and Id-ul-Adha; the first
thing to begin with was the prayer and after that he would stand in front of the people and the
people would keep sitting in their rows. Then he would preach to them, advise them and give them
orders, (i.e. Khutba). And after that if he wished to send an army for an expedition, he would do so;
or if he wanted to give and order, he would do so, and then depart. The people followed this tradition
till I went out with Marwan, the Governor of Medina, for the prayer of Id-ul-Adha or Id-ul-Fitr.
When we reached the Musalla, there was a pulpit made by Kathir bin As-Salt. Marwan wanted to
get up on that pulpit before the prayer. I got hold of his clothes but he pulled them and ascended the
pulpit and delivered the Khutba before the prayer. I said to him, “By Allah, you have changed (the
Prophet’s tradition).” He replied, “O Abu Sa’id! Gone is that which you know.” I said, “By Allah! What I
know is better than what I do not know.” Marwan said, “People do not sit to listen to our Khutba after
the prayer, so I delivered the Khutba before the prayer.”