Khums
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Khums (خمس) is the Arabic word for One Fifth (1/5). According to Shia Islamic legal terminology, it means "one-fifth of certain items which a person acquires as wealth, and which must be paid as an Islamic tax"Khums (The Islamic Tax)
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[edit] Note on Citations from the Quran and the arabic language
The Items eligible for khums are referred to as Ghanima →"الْغَنيمَة" in the Quran. The Arabic word Ghanima has two meanings
1. "spoils of war" or "war booty"
2. gain or profit
The Sunni translate this word exclusively as "war booty" or "spoils of war" [1]. The shia hold the view that the word Ghanima has two meanings as mentioned above, the second meaning is illustrated by the common use of the Islamic banking term "al-ghunm bil-ghurm" meaning "gains accompany liability for loss or risk" Glossary of Islamic Banking Terms ...Challenges Facing Islamic Banking by Ibrahim F I Shihata
also in a famous supplication, the supplication after the noon prayer, the person asks God to bestow on him His favors, one of those favors which the person asks is the benefit or gain from every act of righteousness, the word used here is "al-ghanima" →"وَالْغَنيمَةَ مِنْ كُلِّ بِر" The Keys to Paradise, chapter 1, section 2 title "special prayers" this is in accordance with the second meaning of the word.
[edit] Khums
[edit] The Shia view
The evidence for khums comes directly from the Quran and the prophetic tradition.
| The Quran 8:41 |
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| And know ye (O believers) that whatever of a thing ye acquire (غَنِمْتُم/ghanimtum) a fifth of it is for God, and for the Apostle and for the (Apostle's) near relatives and the orphans and the needy and the way farer ......English translation by Mir Ahmed Ali |
as per the verse above, the Khums goes to six entities as follows.
1. Allah
2. Muhammad
3. The near relative of Muhammad (Ahlul-Bayt)
4. Orphans
5. needy
6. the person who has fallen away from his home-town (and has no money to come back to his own place).
The shia view is that "ghanimtum" the plural verb taken from the word الْغَنيمَة means wealth or profit (see the note on citation above)
Historically, the first 3 portions were paid to Muhammad, after he died, this was paid to his successors the 12 imams. Since we do not have access to the 12th imam, a religious scholar will receive the first three portions (which will be half of total Khums) who will spend it on behalf of Allah, Muhammad, and his relatives in the path of Allah (like spending it on the theological schools or any other things that they feel necessary in religious matters)The Shia Encyclopedia - Khums (one fifth)
Further evidence from the Hadith (al-bukhari)
Narrated Ibn 'Abbas:
The delegates of the tribe of 'Abdul-Qais came and said, "O Allah's Apostle! We are from the tribe of Rabi'a, and there is the infidels of the tribe of Mudar intervening between you and us, so we cannot come to you except in the Sacred Months. So please order us some instructions that we may apply it to ourselves and also invite our people whom we left behind us to observe as well." The Prophet said, "I order you (to do) four (things) and forbid you (to do) four: I order you to believe in Allah, that is, to testify that None has the right to be worshiped but Allah (the Prophet pointed with his hand); to offer prayers perfectly; to pay Zakat; to fast the month of Ramadan, and to pay the Khumus (i.e. one-fifth) of the ghanima → غَنِمْتُم (see the note on citation above)to Allah and I forbid you to use Ad-dubba', An-Naqir, Al-Hantam and Al-Muzaffat (i.e. utensils used for preparing alcoholic drinks)." (See Hadith No. 50, Vol. 1).- Translation of Sahih Bukhari Volume 4, Book 53, Number 327 Hadith Bukhari in Arabic Hadit #2864
Considering the facts that they travelled in the haram months ( when the warfare ) was forbidden, the circumstances of the Bani Abdul Qays who were weak and small in numbers ( evident from their travelling in the haram months ), it leaves no room for interpreting the application of khums in the above hadith on the spoils of war exclusively!
[edit] The Sunni View
As per mainstream Islamists, the Sunnis, the only Allah-imposed form of tax is the "Zakat". Accordingly, Khums is considered to be a "bida'ah" (any thing from a creation from nonexistence to innovation). The reason why Sunnis consider Khums as a Bida'a is that it is not part of the Sunnah, a claim which has no evidence whatsoever from the Koran (the Word of Allah), the Sunnah (the observed ways of living and sayings of Muhammad), Ijma' (consensus) or Qiyas (analogous reasoning).
8.41 "And know that out of all the booty that ye may acquire (in war) a fifth share is assigned to Allah and to the apostle and to near relatives orphans the needy and the wayfarer if ye do believe in Allah and in the revelation We sent down to Our servant on the day of testing the day of the meeting of the two forces. For Allah hath power over all things."
- Translation by Yousuf ali
- Please note the word (in war) as the context is 'ghazva-e-badar'
This is the reason why sunni's limit khums to war booty only.
The Author who has written the "Shia view" of Khums has provided a link to Hadith# 327 from Sahih Bukhari but unfortunately, the author himself has excluded the words "war-booty" from the Hadith. The same can be verified from any copy of Sahih Bukhari or other online sources.
[edit] External links
- Khums (The Islamic Tax) by Syed Muhammad Rizvi
- Chapter on Khums from Islamic Laws by Ayatullah Ali al-Sistaniar:خمس
fa:خمس sv:Khums
