47/3. Chapter:
Jami at-Tirmidhi 2987 — Give From What Is Good
Regarding Surat Al-Baqarah
Hadith About Giving Good Charity, Not Bad Dates
Jami at-Tirmidhi : 2987
Jami at-TirmidhiHadith Number 2987
حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ، أَخْبَرَنَا عُبَيْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ مُوسَى، عَنْ إِسْرَائِيلَ، عَنِ السُّدِّيِّ، عَنْ أَبِي مَالِكٍ، عَنِ الْبَرَاءِ: (وَلاَ تَيَمَّمُوا الْخَبِيثَ مِنْهُ تُنْفِقُونَ ) قَالَ نَزَلَتْ فِينَا مَعْشَرَ الأَنْصَارِ كُنَّا أَصْحَابَ نَخْلٍ فَكَانَ الرَّجُلُ يَأْتِي مِنْ نَخْلِهِ عَلَى قَدْرِ كَثْرَتِهِ وَقِلَّتِهِ وَكَانَ الرَّجُلُ يَأْتِي بِالْقِنْوِ وَالْقِنْوَيْنِ فَيُعَلِّقُهُ فِي الْمَسْجِدِ وَكَانَ أَهْلُ الصُّفَّةِ لَيْسَ لَهُمْ طَعَامٌ فَكَانَ أَحَدُهُمْ إِذَا جَاعَ أَتَى الْقِنْوَ فَضَرَبَهُ بِعَصَاهُ فَيَسْقُطُ مِنَ الْبُسْرِ وَالتَّمْرِ فَيَأْكُلُ وَكَانَ نَاسٌ مِمَّنْ لاَ يَرْغَبُ فِي الْخَيْرِ يَأْتِي الرَّجُلُ بِالْقِنْوِ فِيهِ الشِّيصُ وَالْحَشَفُ وَبِالْقِنْوِ قَدِ انْكَسَرَ فَيُعَلِّقُهُ فَأَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى : (يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا أَنْفِقُوا مِنْ طَيِّبَاتِ مَا كَسَبْتُمْ وَمِمَّا أَخْرَجْنَا لَكُمْ مِنَ الأَرْضِ وَلاَ تَيَمَّمُوا الْخَبِيثَ مِنْهُ تُنْفِقُونَ وَلَسْتُمْ بِآخِذِيهِ إِلاَّ أَنْ تُغْمِضُوا فِيهِ ) قَالُوا لَوْ أَنَّ أَحَدَكُمْ أُهْدِيَ إِلَيْهِ مِثْلُ مَا أَعْطَى لَمْ يَأْخُذْهُ إِلاَّ عَلَى إِغْمَاضٍ وَحَيَاءٍ قَالَ فَكُنَّا بَعْدَ ذَلِكَ يَأْتِي أَحَدُنَا بِصَالِحِ مَا عِنْدَهُ . قَالَ أَبُو عِيسَى هَذَا حَدِيثٌ حَسَنٌ غَرِيبٌ صَحِيحٌ وَأَبُو مَالِكٍ هُوَ الْغِفَارِيُّ وَيُقَالُ اسْمُهُ غَزْوَانُ وَقَدْ رَوَى سُفْيَانُ عَنِ السُّدِّيِّ شَيْئًا مِنْ هَذَا .
Al-Bara Narrated from:
Narrated Abu Malik: From Al-Bara (Regarding): And Do Not Aim At That Which Is Bad To Spend From It (2:267) - He Said: "It Was Revealed About Us, The People Of The Ansar Who Were Date-Palm Owners. A Man Would Bring The Amount Of Dates That He Would From His Date-Palms, Either A Lot Or A Little. A Man Would Bring A Cluster Or Two And Hang It In The Masjid.The People Of As-Suffah Did Not Have Food, So One Of Them Would Go Up To The Cluster And Hit It With His Stick, And Unripe And Ripe Dates Would Fall, And He Would Eat. Some People Did Not Hope For Good, So A Man Would Bring A Cluster With Pitless And Hard Dates, And A Cluster With Damaged Dates, And Hang It.So Allah, Blessed And Most High, Revealed: O You Who Believe! Spend Of The Good Things Which You Have Earned, And Of That Which We Have Produced From The Earth For You, And Do Not Aim At That Which Is Bad To Spend From It (2:267).They Said: 'If One Of You Were Given Similar To What He Gave, He Would Take It Except Bashfully With Your Eyes Closed.' So After That, One Of Us Would Bring The Best That We Had."
Reference : Jami` at-Tirmidhi 2987In-book reference : Book 47, Hadith 39English translation : Vol. 5, Book 44, Hadith 2987
Summary of Jami at-Tirmidhi Hadith 2987
This hadith about giving good charity explains the background of the verse, "Do not aim at that which is bad to spend from it." Al-Bara said it was revealed about the Ansar, who owned date palms. Some people would bring clusters of dates to the masjid so the people of As-Suffah, who had no food, could eat from them. But some brought poor quality clusters, damaged dates, hard dates, or dates they themselves would only accept with shame. After the verse was revealed, the people began bringing the best of what they had. The message is very practical: charity should not be a way to dispose of what we dislike. It should come from what is sound and acceptable.
What we learn from this hadith
- Charity should come from good things, not from damaged or unwanted items.
- A giver should think whether he would accept the same gift himself.
- The Ansar changed their giving after the verse was revealed.
- Helping the needy should be done with care and respect.
