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Shiavault - a Vault of Shia Islamic Books Jurisprudence Made Easy Dialogue on Khums Clutching a copy of the Holy Qur’an, my father went into the room where we usually conduct these dialogues. His expression suggested reverence and serenity. No sooner had he sat, he bent and kissed The Book, lifting it with both his hands and giving it to me. Receiving it with both hands, I was overwhelmed by a sense of dignity and sublimity.

My father then asked me to open The Qur’an and recite some verses, starting with part ten. * I opened The Book and recited, “And know that whatever thing you gain, a fifth of it is for Allah, the Messenger, the near of kin, the orphans, the needy, and the wayfarer, if you believe in Allah and in that which We revealed to Our servant, on the day of distinction, the day on which the two parties met; and Allah has power over all things”. (8/41).

My father interrupted me, saying: - Could you repeat what you have just recited? * I repeated part of the verse. - Thus far is sufficient. I could hear him murmur, as though he was talking to himself, “And know that whatever thing you gain, a fifth of it is for Allah…”. He raised his head and addressed me. Do you know that khums is wajib? * Confidently, I said, yes, yes I know. He stood up and gave me a volume of a book entitled, “Al-Wasa’il”, The Means.

The author is Mohammad bin al-Hassan al-Hur al-Aamili. He asked me to open the book and read from the chapter of “al-Khums”. * I read for him a number of hadiths related from the Prophet (s.a.w.), Imams Ali, al-Baqir, as-Sadiq, and al-Kadhim (a.s.) on the subject of Khums. Among the traditions, I read was one related on the authority of Imran bin Mousa. He was quoted as saying, “In the audience of Imam Mousa bin Ja’far - al-Kadhim (a.s.), I recited the verse of Khums.

He retorted, “Whatever was Allah’s is His Apostle’s; and whatever was the Apostle’s is ours”. He, the Imam, added, “By Allah Almighty! if Allah has made the believers’ sustenance easily available with, say, five Dirhams, they should set aside one Dirham, that is Allah’s share, and take ownership of four pure (halal) ones”.

I also read a hadith transmitted on the authority of Mohammad bin al-Hassan al-Ash’ari, “Some of our companions wrote to Abu Ja’far ath-Thani, al-Jawad (a.s.): Could you tell us about khums? Is it deductible from all types of earnings, be they little or plenty, and how?