He informed that the cutting down of treesor leaving them standing is only by the leave of Allah, exalted is He. Others said:“We should rather cut them down!” And so Allah, glorified and exalted is He, revealed (Whatsoever palmtreesye cut down…) confirming the opinion of those who warned against cutting the palm-trees down and,at the same time, stating the lawfulness of cutting them down.

And they disagreed amongst themselves.Some said: “Do not cut the palm-trees down for it is part of what Allah has given us as spoils”. They said: “You claim, OMuhammad, that you seek goodness, is there any goodness in damaging productive trees and cutting downpalm-trees?” They also said to him: “Is corruption in the earth part of what you claim has been revealed toyou?” The Prophet, Allah bless him and give him peace, was distressed upon hearing this, and the Muslimswere affected and feared that this may be an act of corruption. When the Messenger of Allah, Allah bless himand give him peace, headed toward Banu'l-Nadir and they took refuge in their fortresses, he ordered thecutting down and burning of their palm-trees. Allah, exalted is He,therefore, revealed (All that is in the heavens and all that is in the earth glorifieth Allah… Allah is Able to doall things)”. They proceededto destroy their own houses and take whatever wood they could take with them. He besieged their fortress and fought them until they agreed to moveout of Medina, carrying with them anything their camels could carry, except for armaments. Thefollowing day, he sent troops to them. He caught up with himand informed him of the plan, and so the Prophet, Allah bless him and give him peace, went back. A sincere woman advisor fromBanu'l-Nadir sent a message to her brother, a Muslim from the Helpers, informing him of the treacherywhich the Banu'l-Nadir were planning against the Messenger of Allah, Allah bless him and give him peace.Her brother hurriedly set off to see the Prophet, Allah bless him and give him peace. On the other side, three Jews proceeded armed with knives,intending to kill the Messenger of Allah, Allah bless him and give him peace. The Prophet, Allah bless him and give him peace,proceeded with three of his Companions.

Ifthey believe in you, we will all believe in you and follow'. However, when they reached a certain location, some Jewssaid: “How are you going to get to him when he has with him thirty of his Companions who all desire to diebefore him? Send to him and say: 'How are we going to understand whenthere are sixty of us? Come along with three of your Companions and three of our scholars will meet you. Let us meet in a location halfway between you and us so that our men hear you and ifthey believe in you, we will all believe in you”. They sent tothe Prophet, Allah bless him and give him peace, saying: “Come with thirty of your men and we will sendthirty of our men. Verily, you either fight our manor we shall do this and that, such that nothing will prevent us from the bracelets on your women's anklets”.When their letter reached the Jews, the Banu'l-Nadir were unanimously in favour of treason. Abu Muhammad al-Hasan ibn Muhammad al-Farisi informed us>Muhammad ibn 'Abd Allah ibn al-Fadl al-Tajir> Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn al-Husayn al-Hafiz> Muhammadibn Yahya> 'Abd al-Razzaq> Ma'mar> al-Zuhri> Ibn Ka'b ibn Malik> one of the Companions of the Prophet,Allah bless him and give him peace, who related that the unbelievers of Quraysh wrote the following to theJews after the Battle of Badr: “You are people of armaments and fortresses. The Messenger of Allah,Allah bless him and give him peace, surrounded them and then they signed a settlement treaty in which itwas agreed that they leave Medina”. However, when the Muslims were defeated at Uhud, they broke their pledge and showed enmitytoward the Messenger of Allah, Allah bless him and give him peace, and Muslims. When the Prophet, Allahbless him and give him peace, moved to Medina, they signed a treaty with him in which they agreed notfight against him or with him and the Messenger of Allah, Allah bless him and give him peace, consented.Then when the Messenger of Allah, Allah bless him and give him peace, defeated the idolaters at Badr,Banu'l-Nadir said: 'By Allah, he is the Prophet whose description we find in the Torah he will not bedefeated'. The commentators of the Qur'an said: “This verse was revealed about Banu'l-Nadir. (All that is in the heavens and all that is in the earth glorifieth Allah… Allah is Able to do all things).

Tafsir surah al hashr