3 – The Hadeeth only refers to the graves of the Polytheists...
3 – The Hadeeth only refers to the graves of the Polytheists and whatever pictures, statues which were upon these, and the palm trees which were cut down, so not it does not justify the cutting down of all palm trees, based upon the false Wahabi argument. 4 – Clearly the land had to be levelled so that construction could take place.
And the second Hadeeth they base their argument upon it this one: – حَدَّثَنَا يَحْيَى بْنُ يَحْيَى، وَأَبُو بَكْرِ بْنُ أَبِي شَيْبَةَ وَزُهَيْرُ بْنُ حَرْبٍ قَالَ يَحْيَى أَخْبَرَنَا وَقَالَ الآخَرَانِ، حَدَّثَنَا وَكِيعٌ، عَنْ سُفْيَانَ، عَنْ حَبِيبِ بْنِ أَبِي ثَابِتٍ، عَنْ أَبِي وَائِلٍ، عَنْ أَبِي، الْهَيَّاجِ الأَسَدِيِّ قَالَ قَالَ لِي عَلِيُّ بْنُ أَبِي طَالِبٍ أَلاَّ أَبْعَثُكَ عَلَى مَا بَعَثَنِي عَلَيْهِ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم أَنْ لاَ تَدَعَ تِمْثَالاً إِلاَّ طَمَسْتَهُ وَلاَ قَبْرًا مُشْرِفًا إِلاَّ سَوَّيْتَهُ . It is narrated to us by Yahya Bin Yahya, and Abu Bakr Aby Shayba and Zuheyr Bin Harb who said, ‘Yahya informed us and other said, ‘It is narrated to us by Wakie, from Sufyan, from Habeeb Bin Abu Sabit, from Abu Wa’il, from Abu Al-Hayaj Al-Asady who said, ‘Ali -asws Bin Abu Talib -asws said to me: ‘Shall I -asws not send you to what Rasool-Allah -saww , may the Salawaat of Allah -azwj (s.w.t.) and Greetings be upon him -saww had sent me -asws to, that you shall not leave any statue except obliterate it nor any overlooking (high) grave except level it?’ وَحَدَّثَنِيهِ أَبُو بَكْرِ بْنُ خَلاَّدٍ الْبَاهِلِيُّ، حَدَّثَنَا يَحْيَى، – وَهُوَ الْقَطَّانُ – حَدَّثَنَا سُفْيَانُ، حَدَّثَنِي حَبِيبٌ، بِهَذَا الإِسْنَادِ وَقَالَ وَلاَ صُورَةً إِلاَّ طَمَسْتَهَا And Abu Bakr Bin Khallad Al-Bahily narrated it, ‘It is narrated to us by Yahya, and he is Al-Qattam, ‘It is narrated to us by Sufyan, ‘It is narrated to me by Habeeb with this chain and he -asws said: ‘Nor any image except obliterate it’’.
[24] Comments: 1 – First of all it is not clear what time period it relates to, or whether the order was general to the whole world or to a specific location, or whether it was for the same incident as the first Hadeeth above.
2 – Since the wordings are: ‘Shall I -asws not send you to what Rasool-Allah -saww , may the Salawaat of Allah -azwj and Greetings be upon him -saww had sent me -asws to’ – and since Rasool-Allah -saww only ever issued one such order, it seems to be referring to the same incident. More research is required into this before applying it to the whole world.