Ruling on cutting down trees in graveyards

Also, his last question says: There are graveyards in Yemen, and on these graveyards are trees, which have been there for hundreds of years. No one takes from them because they claim them to be the right of the awliya (close friends of Allah) buried in these graveyards, and that whoever takes from them will be afflicted by a snake—meaning they intend by this a serpent—as they say. The question is whether it is permissible... or they say that it will bite him with its fang, and that it will come out at him from these trees on the graves. Is this true, and what is the extent of the validity of cutting down trees with the graves?
Answer: All of this is fine. It is fine to take the trees and cut them down, and it is fine to take from their fruits if they have fruit, such as sidr or the like. It is fine to cut them down and benefit from them if they are not owned by anyone and are not on land owned by anyone, but rather grew from the rain, for example. Then it is fine to cut them and benefit from them. However, if there is a fitnah (trial, discord or temptation) that occurs because of this, he should not proceed with this except by consulting the authorities so that no fitnah occurs between him and the people. The authorities have the authority to act; he should consult them about cutting them down for the benefit of the Muslims or the poor or something similar. But if no fitnah, fighting, or evil results from cutting them down, and a person wants to cut them down to benefit from them and make use of them, then there is no harm in that.
As for his statement here: for the sanctity of the graves, or for the karamah (a miracle granted to a righteous person) of the awliya, or for such and such, this has no basis. Or that whoever takes from them will be afflicted by a snake or such, this is the deception of the deceiver and has no basis for this matter. So it is fine to take them and cut them down, and it is fine to eat their fruits if they have fruit. But if cutting them down may result in some dispute between him and the people, or fighting, or some of the fitnah, he should not be hasty in matters until he consults the people of knowledge, the people of insight, the people of guidance and uprightness, and until he agrees with the authorities, whether the ruler of the country or the judge of the country, so that this is done with insight and so that no fitnah occurs between him and the people. Yes.