What is the ruling on placing a branch from a tree on the grave of a deceased person after forty days?

Question:
Honorable Shaykh, may Allah grant you success, this questioner says: What is the ruling on placing a branch from a tree on the grave of a deceased person after forty days have passed?

Answer:
This is not permissible. The Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) placed it. The Messenger has a status unlike that of others, and as for others, there is no report that they placed something green on the grave in order to lighten the punishment for the deceased. This was not reported, and they did not do it. This was specific to the Messenger because he knew that they were being tormented. He said, “And they are not being tormented for a great matter, but it is a great matter. One of them used to spread talebearing, and the other used not to ensure he was clean from his urine.” Yes.