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KHUMS
In The Light Of Quran

Referrence:
Surah Anfal - Quran
www.al-islam.org
www.wikipedia.com

Shujaat Hussain Bhatti

 Type of Quran Tafaseer’s Mar 20 11, 2010

Table of Contents

Table of Contents...................................................................................2

What does Quran says about KHUMS?.....................................................3

What is the methodology behind KHUMS?...............................................4

How to Calculate KHUMS?

.............................................................................................................5

To whom KHUMS should we pay?............................................................5

Conclusion:............................................................................................5

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 Type of Quran Tafaseer’s Mar 20 11, 2010

What does Quran says about KHUMS?

Surah Anfal (08) : Verse # 1

‫حوا‬ُ ِ ‫صل‬
َ
َ ‫قوا الّلـ‬
ْ ‫ه وَأ‬ ُ ّ ‫لۖ َفات‬ ُ ‫ل ل ِّلـهِ َوالّر‬
ِ ‫سو‬ ُ ‫فا‬ َ ْ ‫فالۖ قُل ا‬
َ ‫لن‬ ِ
َ
ِ َ ‫ن اْلن‬ َ َ ‫سأ َُلون‬
ِ َ‫ك ع‬ ْ َ‫ي‬
َ
‫طيُعوا‬ ِ ‫مۖ وَأ‬ْ ُ ‫ت ب َي ْن ِك‬
َ ‫َذا‬
‫ن‬ ِ ْ ‫مؤ‬
َ ‫مِني‬ ّ ‫كنُتم‬ ُ َ ‫سول‬
ُ ‫ه ِإن‬ َ ‫الّلـ‬
ُ ‫ه وََر‬

They ask you, [O Muhammad], about the bounties [of war]. Say, "The
[decision concerning] bounties is for Allah and the Messenger." So fear Allah
and amend that which is between you and obey Allah and His Messenger, if
you should be believers.

Surah Anfal (08) : Verse # 41

ُ ْ ‫ذي ال‬ َ َ
‫قْرب َ ٰى‬ ِ ِ ‫ل وَل‬ ِ ‫سو‬ُ ‫ه وَِللّر‬ ُ ‫س‬ َ ‫م‬ ُ ‫خ‬ُ ِ‫ن ل ِّلـه‬ّ ‫يٍء فَأ‬ ْ ‫ش‬ َ ‫من‬ ّ ‫مُتم‬ ْ ِ ‫ما غ َن‬ َ ّ ‫موا أن‬ ُ َ ‫َواع ْل‬
‫ما َأنَزل َْنا ع َل َ ٰى‬ َ َ‫منُتم ِبالّلـهِ و‬ َ ‫مآ‬ ُ ‫ل ِإن‬
ْ ُ ‫كنت‬ ِ ‫سِبي‬ ّ ‫ن ال‬ ِ ْ ‫ن َواب‬ِ ‫كي‬ِ ‫سا‬ َ ‫م‬ َ ْ ‫م ٰى َوال‬ َ ‫َوال ْي ََتا‬
ِ َ‫يٍء ق‬
‫ديٌر‬ ْ ‫ش‬ َ ‫ل‬ ّ ُ ‫ه ع َل َ ٰى ك‬ ُ ‫والّلـ‬َۗ ‫ن‬ِ ‫مَعا‬ َ ْ ‫قى ال‬
ْ ‫ج‬ َ َ ‫م ال ْت‬
َ ْ‫ن ي َو‬ ِ ‫فْرَقا‬ُ ْ ‫م ال‬ َ ْ‫ع َب ْد َِنا ي َو‬
And know that anything you obtain of war booty - then indeed, for Allah is
one fifth of it and for the Messenger and for [his] near relatives and the
orphans, the needy, and the [stranded] traveler, if you have believed in Allah
and in that which We sent down to Our Servant on the day of criterion - the
day when the two armies met. And Allah, over all things, is competent.

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 Type of Quran Tafaseer’s Mar 20 11, 2010

What is the methodology behind KHUMS?

If we studied the above mentioned Quran Verses, we will understand that the
1/5 of surplus or gain money from WAR (Mall-e-khanimat) should be shared
for Allah, His Messenger, His Messanger Muhammad SAW family, Orphans,
Needy and Traveller.

By the word to word meaning we will understand that the 1/5 of surplus or
money/treasure from war must be shared with above mentioned. One thing
which clearly mark my mind is Khums is a speciallized area of income which
must be dedicated to the mentioned ones.

If we compare it with zakat, it means zakat is payable by every muslim in the

ratio of 2.5% of his total savings in the year where as Khums is payable by
those who earn surplus from their business, investment, war etc specifically
to the mentioned ones.

Ummah and their Mualims still are on disagreement on the concept of Zakat
and Khums from last hundreds decads so it restricted to different groups
within islam such sunni and shia.

Sunni’s are agreed upon Zakat but not on khums where as Shia’s strictly follow
khums by overwhelming Zakat.

If I consolidate the methodology of khums, I would say:

Khums (literally one fifth of gain) should be further distributed into 6 people:

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 Type of Quran Tafaseer’s Mar 20 11, 2010

How to Calculate KHUMS?

1/5 OR 20% Of:

1. The profit or the surplus of income

2. The legitimate wealth which is mixed with the illegitimate
Wealth
3. Mines and minerals
4. The precious stones obtained from sea by diving
5. Treasures
6. The land which a dhimmi kafir buys from a muslim
7. The spoils of war.

To whom KHUMS should we pay?

20% as Khums should distributed amongst below mentioned 6 people by the Imam
of that particular time.

1. Allah
2. His Messenger
3. The near relative of the Messenger (Ahlul-Bayt)
4. Orphan
5. Needy
6. the person who has fallen away from his home-town (and has no money to
Comeback to his own place).

Conclusion:
To conclude, we can say that the word Ghanima was never treated as being
Confined to the spoils of war by any Islamic school; and as far as our
Imams are concerned; it meant many things besides the spoils of war right
From the day of Imam Ali (RA), as many authentic Traditions show.

What has been quoted above is substantiated from the practice of the Holy
Prophet (PBUH) as well. For example when the Prophet (PBUH&HF) sent Amr
bin Hazm to Yemen, he wrote instructions in which, among many other
things,
he says ' ... to gather khums of Allah from the gains [ of Yemenis ].
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Please refer to

* Ibn Khaldun, Tarikh Volume 2 part II p54 ( Beirut 1971 )

* Ibn Kathir, al-Bidayah wan Nihayah Volume 5 p76-77 ( Beirut 1966 )
* Ibn Hisham, Sirah Volume 4 p179 ( Beirut 1975 )

And when the tribe of Bani Kilal of Yemen sent Khums to the Prophet, the
later acknowledges it by saying, ' Your messenger has returned and you
have
paid the khums of Allah from the gains ( al-ghanaim ). ' Please refer to

* Abu Ubayd, al-Amwal p13 ( Beirut 1981 )

* al-Hakim, al-Mustadrak Volume 1 p395 ( Hyderabad 1340 A.H )
* Jafar Murtada al-Amili, al-Sahih fi Sirat al-Nabi Volume 3 p309
( Qum 1983 )

It is very interesting to note that the Bani Kilal obeyed Prophet's order
and sent the khums of gains to him while no war had taken place between
the
muslims and the un-believers. This is a clear indication that khums was not
Restricted by the Prophet (PBUH) to the Spoils of War!

The importance given by the Prophet (PBUH&HF) to the issue of Khums can
also be seen in his advice to the delegation of Bani Abdul Qays. It seems
that Bani Abdul Qays ( which was a branch of Rabiah ) was not a very strong
tribe. More over in order to travel to Medina, they had to cross an area
inhabited by the Muzar tribe, which was against the muslims. Consequently,
the Bani Abdul Qays could not travel safely to Medina except during the
months in which war fare was forbidden according to the Arab custom.

Sahih al-Bukhari Hadith: 4.327 (pages 212-213)

Narrated Ibn Abbas:

The delegates of the tribe of Abdul Qais came and said: `O Allah's
Apostle! We are from the tribe of Rabia and between us and you stand the
infidels of the tribe of Mudar, so we cannot come to you except in the Haram
Months. So please order us some instructions that we may apply it to
ourselves and also invite our people left behind us to observe as well. ' The
Prophet (PBUH) said: `I order you to do four (4) things and forbid you to do
four (4): I order you to believe in Allah, that is, to testify that None has the
right to be worshipped but Allah (the Prophet (PBUH) pointed with his hand) ;

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to offer prayers perfectly, to pay Zakat, to fast the month of Ramadhan, and
to pay the Khums.

Considering the facts that they travelled in the haram months ( when the war
fare ) 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! Please refer for the
above hadith to
* Sahih Bukhari Volume 4 pp 212-213 ( Beirut )
* Abu Ubayd, al-Amwal p13 ( Beirut 1981 )

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