“Whatever palm trees you cut down”—the verse.

When the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, came to Banu al-Nadir and they fortified themselves in their strongholds, he ordered that their palm trees be cut down and burned. Thereupon, the enemies of Allah were distressed and said, “O Muhammad, you claim that you seek righteousness! Is destroying trees and cutting down palm trees part of righteousness? Have you found any corruption in the land in what you claim has been sent down to you?” The Muslims were troubled by what they said and feared (1) that this might constitute corruption. They differed concerning it: some said, “Do not cut them down, for they are among the spoils that Allah has bestowed upon us.” Others said, “Rather, let us vex them by cutting them down.” So Allah revealed this verse, affirming the position of those who forbade their cutting and absolving those who cut them down of sin.

Abd al-Wahid al-Mulayhi informed us; Ahmad ibn Abd Allah al-Na'imi informed us; Muhammad ibn Yusuf informed us; Muhammad ibn Isma'il narrated to us; Adam narrated to us; al-Layth narrated to us from Nafi', from Ibn Umar, who said: “The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, burned the palm trees of Banu al-Nadir and cut down the palms at al-Buwayrah. Then the following was revealed: (2) ‘Whatever palm trees you cut down or leave standing upon their roots, it is by Allah’s permission.’”

“Whatever palm trees you cut down or leave standing upon their roots, it is by Allah’s permission.” In this verse, Allah informs us that both what they cut down and what they left standing were by Allah’s permission, “and so that He might disgrace the defiantly disobedient.”

They differed regarding the līnah (a type of date palm). Some said: “All date palms are līnah, except the ajwah.” [This was the view of Ikrimah and Qatadah (3), and Zadhan narrated from Ibn Abbas, may Allah be pleased with them both, that the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, would cut down their palm trees except the ajwah.] (4) The people of Medina call every date variety other than the ajwah alwān (varieties; singular lawn) and līnah (a variety). Al-Zuhri said: “It refers to all varieties of date palms except the ajwah and the barniyyah.”