80. Can inferior goods be given away to others?

In this verse (2:267) of the Quran, we find a message ‘those of you who would not prefer to receive things with your eyes closed, do not expend such goods on others’.

When viewed superficially this verse may seem to convey, we should not give other goods used by us.

But the historical background at which the verse was revealed offers the right explanation.

During the period of Prophet Muhammad some who came to Madina as refugees started staying in prophet’s masjid. At the time when palm dates are harvested the Ansar (comrades of Prophet Muhammad from Madina origin) would bring some bunches of these fruits and place them in the masjid.

The needy and comrades of Prophet Muhammad who migrated from Makkah, would consume these whenever required.

There were some people in Madina who did not spend on virtuous deeds, these people would at the time of harvest of palm dates would dump these fruits that are unfit for human consumption at Prophet Muhammad’s masjid. The above cited verse was revealed to reprimand such people. Refer Hadith Book: Tirmidhi.

We should not give things to others that we ourselves would hesitate to consume and give to charity things that we consider as fit for ourselves.

To know more about this please refer to explanation point No;78.