[Machine] Imam Shafi'i, may Allah have mercy on him, said, "Perhaps the reason for Abu Bakr's command to refrain from cutting down fruit-bearing trees is because he heard the Prophet ﷺ inform that the lands of the Levant would be conquered by the Muslims. So, when it became permissible for him to cut down the trees and leave them, he chose to leave them due to the presence of Muslims, not because he considered it forbidden. This is because he witnessed the Prophet ﷺ burning them in Nadir, Khaybar, and Ta'if."  

قَالَ الشَّافِعِيُّ رَحِمَهُ اللهُ وَلَعَلَّ أَمْرَ أَبِي بَكْرٍ ؓ بِأَنْ يَكُفُّوا عَنْ أَنْ يَقْطَعُوا شَجَرًا مُثْمِرًا؛ إِنَّمَا هُوَ لِأَنَّهُ سَمِعَ النَّبِيَّ ﷺ يُخْبِرُ أَنَّ بِلَادَ الشَّامِ تُفْتَحُ عَلَى الْمُسْلِمِينَ فَلَمَّا كَانَ مُبَاحًا لَهُ أَنْ يَقْطَعَ وَيَتْرُكَ اخْتَارَ التَّرْكَ نَظَرًا لِلْمُسْلِمِينَ لَا لِأَنَّهُ رَآهُ مُحَرَّمًا؛ لِأَنَّهُ قَدْ حَضَرَ مَعَ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ تَحْرِيقَهُ بِالنَّضِيرِ وَخَيْبَرَ وَالطَّائِفِ