Are all the Companions of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, forgiven and destined for Paradise, taking into account the hadith: “The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, passed by two graves and said: ‘Indeed, they are being tormented, and they are not being tormented for a major sin.’ Then he said: ‘Rather, as for one of them, he used to walk among people spreading malicious gossip, and as for the other, he was not careful to purify himself from urine’”?

Scholars have differed in identifying the deceased individuals who were punished in the grave, and whether they were disbelievers or Muslims. Some held the view that they were disbelievers, citing a weak hadith (definition) as evidence. Others maintained that they were Muslims, based on some narrations that indicate this, such as their burial in Al-Baqi‘, and their punishment being for backbiting and urine, which is not commensurate with the punishment of a disbeliever for disbelief. Ibn Hajar ultimately favored the view that they were Muslims. Accordingly, the case of these two individuals is considered a special exception to the general proofs that attest to Paradise for Muslims.