The legal injunction that is derived from this verse is that the destruction caused for the sake of military operations does not come under spreading disorder in the world. At this Allah sent down the command: Whatever trees you cut down, or whatever you left standing, your neither act was unlawful, but it had Allah’s permission.

At this the hypocrites of Al-Madinah and the Bani Quraizah, and the Bani an-Nadir themselves raised a clamor, saying that, on the one hand, Muhammad (peace be upon him) prohibited spreading disorder in the world, but, on the other hand, fruit trees were being cut down by his command, which amounted to spreading disorder in the world. The reference is to the fact that the Muslims cut down or burnt many of the palm-trees that stood in the oases around the settlement of the Bani an-Nadir in order to facilitate the siege, However, they left those trees standing which did not obstruct the military operations. (Allah granted you this leave) in order that He might humiliate the evil-doers. (59:5) The palm-trees that you cut down or those that you left standing on their roots, it was by Allah’s leave that you did so.

Surah hashr translation