Majma al-Zawaid — Hadith 4292

Sayyiduna Abu Umamah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates: On an extremely hot day the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) passed by Baqi' al-Gharqad. Some people were walking behind him. When he heard the sound of their sandals, he felt uneasy; he stopped and let those people walk ahead of him, so that no arrogance would enter his heart. When he passed by al-Baqi', there were two graves in which two men had been buried. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) asked: "Whom have you buried here today?" The people said: "O Prophet of Allah, so-and-so and so-and-so." The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Both of them are being punished at this moment, and they are being put to trial in their graves." The people said: "O Messenger of Allah, what is the reason for that?" The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "One of them used to go about spreading tales, and the other did not guard himself against urine." Then the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) took a palm branch, split it into two parts, and placed them on both graves. The people said: "O Prophet of Allah, why did you do that?" He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "So that their punishment may be lightened." The people said: "O Prophet of Allah, until when will they be punished?" The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "That is something of the unseen, which only Allah Almighty knows. Were it not for the heedlessness of your hearts and your excessive talk, you too would hear what I hear."
Al-Tabarani recorded it in al-Mu'jam al-Kabir. Its chain contains Ali bin Yazid, and he has been criticised.