Verse. 5131

'Abdullāh Ibn 'Abbās / Muḥammad al-Fīrūzabādī

تفسير : the prophet (pbuh) then ordered his companions to cut down their palm-trees except a particular tree called the 'ajwah, which he asked them not to cut down. when the banu'l-nadir reproached the believers for doing so, allah revealed: (whatsoever palm-trees you cut down) other than the 'ajwah palm-tree (or left standing on their roots) and did not cut down, i.e. the 'ajwah, (it was by allah's leave) both commands of cutting down and not cutting down are from allah, (in order that he might confound the evil-livers) in order that he might humiliate the disbelievers, i.e. the banu'l-nadir, through that which you have cut down of their palm-trees.

Jalāl al-Dīn al-Maḥallī

تفسير : whatever palm-trees you cut down, o muslims, or left standing on their roots, it was by god’s leave: he gave you the choice in this matter, and in order that, by giving [you] leave to cut them down, he might disgrace those who are immoral, the jews, in return for their objection that the cutting down of productive trees was [deliberate] spoiling [of the land].