Riyad as-Salihin, 1537

Ibn 'Abbas (May Allah be pleased with them) said:

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) passed by two graves and said, "Both of them (the persons in these graves) are being tortured, and they are not being tortured for a cardinal sin. But indeed they are great sins. One of them used not to save himself from being soiled with his urine, and the other one used to go about with calumnies (among the people to rouse hostilities, e.g., one goes to a person and tells him that so-and-so says about him such and such evil things)." [Al-Bukhari and Muslim].

وعن ابن عباس رضي الله عنهما أن رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم مر بقبرين فقال‏:‏ “إنهما يعذابان ، وما يعذبان في كبير‏!‏ بلى إنه كبير‏:‏ أما أحدهما ، فكان يمشي بالنميمة، وأما الآخر فكان لا يستتر من بوله ‏(‏‏(‏متفق عليه وهذا لفظ إحدى روايات البخاري‏)‏‏)‏‏.‏ قال العلماء‏:‏ معنى ‏

‏وما يعذبان في كبير‏

‏ أي كبير في زعمهما وقيل‏:‏ كبير تركه عليهما‏.‏

References1 variant

In-Book Reference: Book 17, Hadith 27

Sharh · explanationclick to expand

Guidance from the Hadith: 1) Malicious gossip is prohibited because it is one of the major sins. 2) It is not permissible for one to look down upon sins and misdeeds; rather, he should feel that they are grave so that he would be urged to repent and seek Allah’s forgiveness. Words in the Hadith: Did not protect himself from his urine: he did not avoid getting smeared by it; did not protect himself against being soiled by his urine.

Related hadiths6