Muslim

Hadith Commentary:

Benefits and Issues:
The scholars have written that since the pledge of Ridwan (Bay‘at al-Ridwan) took place under this tree, and goodness, blessing, and tranquility descended there, if this tree had remained specified and known, there was a risk that people, gradually, in their reverence and veneration, would fall into excess and eventually begin to worship it. Then, considering it as beneficial or harmful, they would turn it into a place of festivity, as is confirmed by this narration in Sahih al-Bukhari.

Tariq bin ‘Abd al-Rahman rahimahullah narrates:
I went for Hajj and saw some people praying at a certain place. I asked, “Which mosque is this?” They replied, “This is the tree under which the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam took the pledge of Ridwan.” Upon this, Sa‘id bin al-Musayyib said, “My father was present at that pledge, but even he could not locate the tree the following year. So how did these people come to know of it?” It is as if people, considering a certain tree to be that tree, made it into a mosque. In this way, a danger arose. Therefore, ‘Umar radi Allahu anhu had that tree cut down, so that the door to shirk and innovation would not be opened through it.