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Khoms and Zakat – Al-Shia https://en.al-shia.org The al-Shia Scientific, Cultural, and Doctrinal Website Wed, 13 Sep 2023 11:41:27 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.9.1 https://en.al-shia.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/cropped-cropped-FIcon-32x32.png Khoms and Zakat – Al-Shia https://en.al-shia.org 32 32 Is the Allocation of One-Half of Khums for Bani Hashim Favouritism?

https://en.al-shia.org/allocation-one-half-khums-bani-hashim-favoritism/ https://en.al-shia.org/allocation-one-half-khums-bani-hashim-favoritism/#respond Mon, 14 Nov 2022 10:30:53 +0000 https://neweng.al-shia.org/?p=910 Some people are of the impression that this Islamic tax, which covers twenty percent of most wealth and one-half of which has been apportioned for the Sadat ,(1) in Khums is a kind of familial distinction and smells of nepotism and favouritism – an aspect that is incongruous with the universal nature of Islam and its spirit of social justice.

Those who harbour such views have not studied the conditions and peculiarities of this ruling completely, for the answer to this objection, in its entirety, lies in them. Firstly, one-half of the Khums associated with the descendants of the Noble Prophet (s.a.w) and the Bani Hashim must be given exclusively to the impoverished ones from amongst them and that too, only in the measure sufficient to fulfil their needs for one year (not more)!

Thus, the only ones who can utilize it are those, who are either sick and cannot work, or infant orphans and those who, due to certain reasons, cannot make both ends meet. Therefore, those who are capable of working (in actuality or in potential) and are able to procure an earning, sufficient for leading their lives, do not have the right to make use of this portion of the Khums.

It follows that the commonly held view among the general masses that the descendants of the Noble Prophet (s.a.w.a) can utilize Khums, however well off they might be, is improper and totally baseless and unfounded. Secondly, the impoverished and the underprivileged ones from amongst the Sadat and the Bani Hashim do not have the right to use Zakat; instead, they can only utilize this portion of Khums (2).

Thirdly, if the share of the Sadat , which is one-half of the khums, happens to exceed the needs of the Sadat actually present, this surplus should be put into the public treasury to be put to other uses.