Surah Al Hashr Tafseer

What you cut down of the Linah, or you left them standing on their stems, it was by leave of Allah, and in order that He might disgrace the rebellious.

Linah is an especially good type of date tree.

Abu Ubaydah said that Linah is a different kind of dates than Ajwah and Barni.

Several others said that Linah refers to every type of date fruits, except for the Ajwah (ripen dates), while Ibn Jarir said that it refers to all kinds of date trees.

Ibn Jarir quoted Mujahid saying that it also includes the Buwayrah type.

When the Messenger of Allah laid siege to Bani An-Nadir, to humiliate them and bring fear and terror to their hearts, he ordered their date trees to be cut down.

Muhammad bin Ishaq narrated that Yazid bin Ruman, Qatadah and Muqatil bin Hayyan said,

"Bani An-Nadir sent a message to the Messenger, saying that he used to outlaw mischief in the earth, so why did he order that their trees be cut down? Allah sent down this honorable Ayah stating that whatever Linah was felled or left intact by the Muslims, has been done by His permission, will, leave and pleasure to humiliate and disgrace the enemy and degrade them."

Mujahid said,

"Some of the emigrants discouraged others from chopping down the date trees of Jews, saying that they were war spoils for Muslims. The Qur'an approved of the actions of those who discouraged and those who approved of cutting these trees, stating that those who cut them or did not, did so only by Allah's leave."

There is also a Hadith narrated from the Prophet with this meaning.

An-Nasa'i recorded that Ibn `Abbas said about Allah's statement,

مَا قَطَعْتُم مِّن لِّينَةٍ أَوْ تَرَكْتُمُوهَا قَايِمَةً عَلَى أُصُولِهَا فَبِإِذْنِ اللَّهِ

وَلِيُخْزِيَ الْفَاسِقِينَ

What you cut down of the Linah, or you left them standing on their stems, it was by leave of Allah, and in order that He might disgrace the rebellious.

"They forced them to come down from their forts and were ordered to cut their trees cut down. So the Muslims hesitated, and some of them said, `We cut down some and left some. We must ask Allah's Messenger if we will earn a reward for what we cut and if we will be burdened for what we left intact.' Allah sent down this Ayah,

مَا قَطَعْتُم مِّن لِّينَةٍ أَوْ تَرَكْتُمُوهَا قَايِمَةً عَلَى أُصُولِهَا فَبِإِذْنِ اللَّهِ

What you cut down of the Linah, or you left them standing on their stems, it was by leave of Allah."

Imam Ahmad recorded that Ibn Umar said;

the Messenger of Allah ordered that the date trees of Bani An-Nadir be cut down and burned.

The Two Sahihs collected a similar narration.

Al-Bukhari recorded that Abdullah bin Umar said,

"Bani An-Nadir and Bani Qurayzah fought (against the Prophet), and the Prophet exiled Bani An-Nadir and allowed Bani Qurayzah to remain in their area until later, when the Prophet fought against Qurayzah. Their men were executed and their women, children and wealth were confiscated and divided among Muslims. Some of them, however, were saved because they returned to the Prophet's side, who granted them asylum, and they embraced Islam. All of the Jews of Al-Madinah, Bani Qaynuqa`, the tribe of Abdullah bin Salam, Bani Harithah and the rest of the Jewish tribes in Al-Madinah were exiled."

The Two Sahihs also recorded from Ibn Umar;

the Messenger of Allah burned down the date trees of Bani An-Nadir and had them cut down the date palms of Al-Buwayrah. Allah the Exalted and Most Honored revealed this Ayah,

مَا قَطَعْتُم مِّن لِّينَةٍ أَوْ تَرَكْتُمُوهَا قَايِمَةً عَلَى أُصُولِهَا فَبِإِذْنِ اللَّهِ

وَلِيُخْزِيَ الْفَاسِقِينَ

What you cut down of the Linah, or you left them standing on their stems, it was by leave of Allah, and in order that He might disgrace the rebellious.

Muhammad bin Ishaq reported that the battle of Bani An-Nadir occurred after the battles of Uhud and Bi'r Ma`unah