Mustadrak al-Hakim — Hadith 3164

It is narrated from Sayyiduna al-Bara bin Azib (may Allah be pleased with him) concerning this saying of Allah, the Mighty and Majestic: "and from what We have brought forth for you from the earth, and do not aim for the inferior part of it to spend"; he said: This verse was revealed about the Ansar. It was the practice of the Ansar that when the time came for the dates in their orchards to ripen, they would bring out bunches of half-ripe dates and hang them between two pillars of the Prophet's Mosque, so that the poor among the Muhajirun could eat from them. Then one of them, thinking that among so many bunches this one too would pass, would also hang a bunch of poor, dried-up dates (hashaf). So this verse was revealed about that act: "And do not aim for the inferior part of it to spend", meaning: do not deliberately set out to give what is poor and inferior; "while you yourselves would not take it except with your eyes closed to it", meaning: if this very thing were given to you as a gift, you would accept it only reluctantly, out of shyness before the giver and out of annoyance that he had sent you something he himself had no need for; "And know that Allah is Free of need" of your charity, "Praiseworthy" [Surah al-Baqarah: 267].
This hadith is sahih (authentic) on the condition of Muslim, and the two Shaykhs (Bukhari and Muslim) did not record it.