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Shiavault - a Vault of Shia Islamic Books A Brief of Islamic Law Khums Khums is obligatory on the several things, of which we explain here two more important items, i.e. profit or gain from earning and amalgamation ofHalal (allowed) wealth with Halal (allowed); and other things like minerals and treasuretrove are explained in detailed books.

If a person earns by means of trade, industry or any other ways of earning, like earning some money by offering prayers and fasting on behalf of a dead person or if someone gives him a gift, providing that it exceeds the annual expenses for maintaining himself and his family, he should pay Khums (i.e. one fifth) or the surplus, in accordance with the rules which will be explained later.

There is no Khums liability on ?idàq (marriage settlement) which a wife receives, nor on the property which a husband gets in exchange of divorcing his wife by way of Khul nor on Diyah (blood money) received by someone; and the same rule applies to the property which one inherits.

If a Shi'ite, however, inherits inherits from a source which is not accepted in our Islamic laws, like inheriting from a distant relative despite his heirs being present (Tasib), it will be considered a gain, and Khums will have to be paid from it. Similarly, if a person inherits from an unexpected source, neither from his father nor from his son, then as an obligatory precaution, he will pay Khums from that inheritance if it exceeds his annual expenses.

If a person inherits some property and knows that the person from whom he has inherited did not pay Khums from it, he (the heir) should pay its Khums. And if that property is itself not liable for Khums, but the heir knows that the person from the deceased’s estate. But in both the cases, if the person from whom he inherits did not believe in Khums, or never paid, it, then it is not necessary for the heir to pay off the Khums owed by the dead.

If a person purchases a commidity, and after the transaction, pays its price from the money from which Khums has not been paid by him, the tranaction will be in order, but he will be indebted to those who deserve to receive Khums, for the sum he has paid to the seller. If a Shi'ite (Ithna Ashariyyah) person purchases something on which Khums has not been paid, the Khums will be the liability of the seller, and the buyer is not responsible for anything.