Combining Ibn 'Umar’s following of the Prophet’s locations with 'Umar’s cutting down of the tree

Question : We previously mentioned that our brother Sami al-'Uqayli said that following Ibn 'Umar in tracking the locations of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) is feared to be a means to shirk (associating partners with Allah), and we said, “No, his intention is to worship Allah.” He then asked, “How do we reconcile this with 'Umar cutting down the tree under which the Companions pledged allegiance to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him)?”

Answer : The reconciliation is that 'Umar saw people going to it, meaning to the tree, and he feared they would seek blessing from it, so he cut it down. Ibn 'Umar does not do this for the sake of seeking blessing, but rather out of his intense following of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him).