Jabir bin Abdullah reported,

Jabir reported, "We were traveling with the Messenger of Allah ﷺ until we came down into a wide, open valley. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ went off to relieve himself, and I followed him with a small vessel of water. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ looked around but could not find anything to screen himself behind, until he noticed two trees at the edge of the valley. He walked over to one of them, took hold of one of its branches, and said, 'Come along with me, by the permission of Allah.' It came along with him, obedient like a camel led by its nose-rein, submissive to its driver, until he reached the other tree. He took hold of one of its branches and said, 'Come along with me, by the permission of Allah.' It too came along with him in the same way. When he had brought them to the midpoint between their two original places, he joined them together and said, 'Come together over me, by the permission of Allah.' So they joined together.Jabir continued, "I hurried away, afraid that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ might sense me close by and move further off." (Muhammad bin Abbad's version says, "and go further away.") "I sat down occupying myself with my own thoughts, and when I happened to glance up, there was the Messenger of Allah ﷺ coming back, and the two trees had separated, each one standing again on its own trunk. I saw the Messenger of Allah ﷺ pause for a moment and gesture with his head like this." (Abu Ismail demonstrated by moving his head right and left.) "Then he came forward, and when he reached me he said, 'Jabir, did you see where I was standing?'I replied, 'Yes, Messenger of Allah.'He said, 'Go to the two trees and cut a branch from each one, then bring them to me. When you reach the spot where I was standing, place one branch on your right and one branch on your left.'Jabir said, "I got up, took a stone, broke it, and sharpened its edge until it became sharp enough. I went to the two trees, cut a branch from each one, then came back dragging them along until I stood where the Messenger of Allah ﷺ had stood. I placed one branch on my right and one branch on my left, then I caught up with him and said, 'I have done it, Messenger of Allah. But why was that?'He answered, 'I passed by two graves whose occupants were being punished, and I wished, through my intercession, that their punishment be eased as long as the two branches remain fresh.'" The hadith continues.

عن جابر بن عبد الله قال- في حديثه الطويل

-: سرنا مع رسول الله ﷺ حتى نزلنا واديا أفيح، فذهب رسول الله ﷺ يقضي حاجته، فاتبعته بإداوة من ماء، فنظر رسول الله ﷺ فلم ير شيئا يستتر به، فإذاشجرتان بشاطئ الوادي، فانطلق رسول الله ﷺ إلى إحداهما فأخذ بغصن من أغصانها، فقال: انقادي علي بإذن الله فانقادت معه كالبعير المخشوش، الذي يصانع قائده حتى أتى الشجرة الأخرى، فأخذ بغصن من أغصانها، فقال: انقادي علي بإذن الله فانقادت معه كذلك، حتى إذا كان بالمنصف مما بينهما، لأم بينهما (يعني جمعهما) فقال: التئما علي بإذن الله فالتأمتا، قال جابر: فخرجت أحضر مخافة أن يحش رسول الله ﷺ بقربي فيبتعد (وقال محمد بن عباد: فيتبعد) فجلست أحدث نفسي، فحانت مني لفتة، فإذا أنا برسول الله ﷺ مقبلا، وإذا الشجرتان قد افترقتا، فقامت كل واحدة منهما على ساق، فرأيت رسول الله ﷺ وقف وقفة، فقال: برأسه هكذا (وأشار أبو إسماعيل برأسه يمينا وشمالا) ثم أقبل، فلما انتهى إلي قال: يا جابر! هل رأيت، مقامي؟ قلت: نعم، يا رسول الله! قال: فانطلق إلى الشجرتين فاقطع من كل واحدة منهما غصنا، فأقبل بهما، حتى إذا قمت مقامي فأرسل غصنا عن يمينك وغصنا عن يسارك. قال جابر: فقمت فأخذت حجرا فكسرته وحسرته، فانذلق لي فأتيت الشجرتين فقطعت من كل واحدة منهما غصنا، ثم أقبلت أجرهما حتى قمت مقام رسول الله ﷺ أرسلت غصنا عن يميني وغصنا عن يساري، ثم لحقته فقلت: قد فعلت، يا رسول الله! فعم ذاك؟ قال: إني مررت بقبرين يعذبان، فأحببت بشفاعتي أن يرفه عنهما ما دام الغصنان رطبين… الحديث.