Musannaf Ibn Abi Shaybah

Hazrat Umar ibn Abi Bakr’s father narrates that once the Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) came to the mosque and bunches of dates were hanging in the mosque, and among them, one bunch had some spoiled dates. The Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) had a stick with him; he struck that bunch with it and said, “Who has brought this?” People informed him that a certain man had brought it. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: “Woe to those people who withhold their charity at first.” (The meaning of the last part of the hadith is not clear even to the researcher Muhammad ‘Awwamah; see the footnote of Musannaf Ibn Abi Shaybah, vol. 7, p. 79)

Hazrat Abu Umamah bin Sahl narrates that people used to give the worst of their wealth in charity, then this verse was revealed { وَلَا تَیَمَّمُوا الْخَبِیْثَ مِنْہُ تُنْفِقُوْنَ وَ لَسْتُمْ بِاٰخِذِیْہِ اِلَّآ اَنْ تُغْمِضُوْا فِیْہِ }. (Abu Dawood 1603. Ibn Khuzaymah 2313)

It is narrated from Hazrat Ibn Sirin that Hazrat Ubaidah was asked why the revelation of Allah's command { وَلَا تَیَمَّمُوا الْخَبِیْثَ مِنْہُ تُنْفِقُوْنَ وَ لَسْتُمْ بِاٰخِذِیْہ } was sent down. He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: It was revealed regarding Zakat.

Hasan says that Allah's statement { وَلَا تَیَمَّمُوا الْخَبِیْثَ مِنْہُ تُنْفِقُوْنَ } was revealed concerning the person who gives inferior and worthless goods as charity (zakat) in the way of Allah.

Hazrat Bara’ says that { وَلَا تَیَمَّمُوا الْخَبِیْثَ مِنْہُ تُنْفِقُوْنَ } was revealed about us. Our people were those with date palms. Each of us would bring dates according to his means, some bringing a little, some a lot. Someone would bring one bunch, another two bunches, and hang them in the mosque. The people of Suffa had nothing to eat; one of them would come and strike the bunch of dates with a stick, causing both dry and fresh dates to fall, which he would then eat. Some among us were not inclined towards good deeds; they would bring bunches of bad and spoiled dates and hang them in the mosque. Allah Almighty revealed the verse of the Holy Qur’an { وَلَا تَیَمَّمُوا الْخَبِیْثَ مِنْہُ تُنْفِقُوْنَ وَ لَسْتُمْ بِاٰخِذِیْہِ اِلَّآ اَنْ تُغْمِضُوْا فِیْہ }. And He said: If any of you were given the like of what he gives (in charity) as a gift, he would accept it only with his eyes closed out of shame, considering it insignificant. The narrator says that after this, each of us would give only good and excellent wealth in charity.