Sayyiduna Jabir (may Allah be pleased with him) relates: The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) gave permission to cut down date palms, then was strict with them in this regard (about not cutting them). The people came to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and said: O Messenger of Allah! Will we incur sin for the trees we have cut down, or for those we have left? So Allah Almighty revealed this verse: "Whatever palm trees you cut down, or left standing upon their roots, it was by Allah's permission."
Abu Ya'la recorded it from his teacher Sufyan bin Waki', who is da'if (weak).
Hadith Referenceمجمع الزوائد ومنبع الفوائد / كتاب التفسير / 11409