5. Whatever (of their) palm-trees you may have cut down or left them standing on their roots,² it was by God’s leave and so that He might disgrace the transgressors.

2. God allowed the Muslims to cut down the trees during their siege of the Banū Nadīr to facilitate the operation. However, except for such strict military exigencies, the Prophet continually forbade the destruction of trees and crops. The Qur’ān’s special mention of this incident during the fighting against the Banū Nadīr must refer to this extraordinary exemption.