Chapter on Distinguishing the People of Khums and Those Entitled to It from Those Whom Allah Mentioned in the Quran

Sa'd ibn Abdullah, from Muhammad ibn Abd al-Jabbar, from Safwan ibn Yahya, from Abdullah ibn Muskan, who said: Zakariyya ibn Malik al-Ju'fi narrated to us, from Abu Abdillah عليه السلام, peace be upon him: He (narrator) asked Imam عليه السلام about ‘the saying of Allah سبحانه وتعالى, Mighty and Majestic: ‘Whatever thing you gain, then indeed for Allah سبحانه وتعالى is its fifth, and for Messenger صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم, and for the near relative, and the orphans, and the needy, and the wayfarer.’ (Surah Al-Anfal 8:41) Imam عليه السلام said: "As for the fifth of Allah سبحانه وتعالى, the Majestic, it is for the Messenger صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم; he places it in the way of Allah سبحانه وتعالى. As for the ‘fifth of the Messenger صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم’, it is for His صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم relatives. And the ‘fifth of those of near kin’, they are His صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم relatives. And the ‘orphans’ are the orphans of the people of His صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم household. So the Prophet صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم made these four into four shares among them. As for the needy and the wayfarer, you already know that we (Ahlul Bayt عليه السلام) do not eat charity, and it is not lawful for us, so it is for the needy and the wayfarers."

And from him, from Ahmad ibn al-Hasan ibn Ali ibn Faddal, from his father, from Abdullah ibn Bukayr, from some of his companions, from one of the two Imams عليه السلام, peace be upon them: (Imam عليه السلام was asked) regarding the saying of Allah سبحانه وتعالى, Exalted is He سبحانه وتعالى: ‘And know that whatever thing you gain, then indeed for Allah سبحانه وتعالى is its fifth, and for the Messenger صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم, and for the near relative, and the orphans, and the needy, and the wayfarer.’ (Surah Al-Anfal 8:41) Imam عليه السلام said: "The fifth of Allah سبحانه وتعالى and the fifth of the Messenger صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم are for the Imam عليه السلام, And the fifth of ‘near relative’ is for the relatives of Messenger صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم and the Imam عليه السلام, And the ‘orphans’ are the orphans of the family of the Messenger صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم, And the ‘needy’ are from them, and the ‘wayfarers’ are from them, so it is not taken out from them to others."

Ali ibn al-Hasan ibn Faddal, from Muhammad ibn Isma'il al-Za'farani, from Hammad ibn Isa, from Umar ibn Udhaynah, from Aban ibn Abi Ayyash, from Sulaym ibn Qays al-Hilali, from the Commander of the Believers عليه السلام, peace be upon him, who said: I (narrator) heard Imam Ali عليه السلام speaking many words, then Imam عليه السلام said: "And give them, from all of that, the share of the near relative. Allah سبحانه وتعالى, the Exalted, said: ‘If you have believed in Allah سبحانه وتعالى and what We revealed to Our servant on that decisive day when the two armies met (at Badr).’ (Surah Al-Anfal 8:41) We (Ahlul Bayt عليه السلام), by Allah سبحانه وتعالى, are those meant by the ‘near relative’, and they are those whom Allah سبحانه وتعالى joined with Himself سبحانه وتعالى and with His blessed Prophet صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم, may Allah سبحانه وتعالى bless him and his family.” Then Imam عليه السلام said: “Then indeed, for Allah سبحانه وتعالى is its fifth, and for the Messenger صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم, and for the near relative, and the orphans, and the needy, and the wayfarer, from us (Ahlul Bayt عليه السلام) specifically. And Allah سبحانه وتعالى did not appoint for us (Ahlul Bayt عليه السلام) any share in the share of charity. Allah سبحانه وتعالى honored His Prophet صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم and honored us by keeping us away from being fed from the filth of what is in the people's hands.”

Ali ibn al-Hasan, from Ahmad ibn al-Hasan, from Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Abi Nasr, from Abu al-Hasan عليه السلام, peace be upon him, who said: Ibrahim ibn Abi al-Bilad said to Imam عليه السلام: “Zakat has become obligatory upon you.” Imam عليه السلام said: “No, rather, we give extra and we give in this manner.” And Imam عليه السلام, peace be upon him, was asked about ‘the saying of Allah سبحانه وتعالى, the Exalted, ‘And know that whatever you gain of anything, then indeed, for Allah سبحانه وتعالى is one-fifth of it, and for the Messenger صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم, and for the near relative, and the orphans, and the needy.’ (Surah Al-Anfal 8:41) It was said to Imam عليه السلام: “Then that which belongs to Allah سبحانه وتعالى, to whom does it go?” Imam عليه السلام said: “It is for the Messenger صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم, and whatever belongs to the blessed Messenger صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم, then it belongs to the Imam عليه السلام.” It was said to Imam عليه السلام: “What is your view if one category is greater in number than another, while another category is fewer in number? How should it be dealt with?” Imam عليه السلام said: “That is left to the Imam عليه السلام. Do you not see how the blessed Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم, may Allah سبحانه وتعالى bless him and his family, acted? The Prophet صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم would only give according to what He صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم deemed appropriate. The Imam عليه السلام is likewise.”

Muhammad ibn al-Hasan al-Saffar, from Ahmad ibn Muhammad, who said: Some of our companions narrated to us, raising the hadith, saying: “The fifth (khums) is taken from five things: treasures (kunuz), minerals (ma‘adin), diving (ghaws), the booty (maghnam) over which fighting takes place, and he did not remember the fifth (category). And whatever comes from a conquest over which fighting did not take place, and against which neither horses nor riding camels were driven forward, except that our companions come to him and make a transaction with him concerning it, then whatever he makes a transaction with them upon, whether half, or a third, or a quarter, or whatever share is assigned specifically to him, then no one has any right in it except what he gives from it. And the depths of valleys, the tops of mountains, and every dead land, they belong to him. And this is the saying of Allah سبحانه وتعالى, the Exalted: ‘They ask you concerning the spoils (al-anfal),’ meaning that you should give them from it. (Surah Al-Anfal 8:1) He said: ‘Say: The spoils (al-anfal) belong to Allah سبحانه وتعالى and the Messenger صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم.’ And it is not: ‘They ask you about the spoils (al-anfal).’ And whatever belongs to the towns, and the inheritance of one who has no heir, then it belongs specifically to him. And this is the saying of Allah سبحانه وتعالى, Mighty and Majestic: ‘As for gains granted by Allah سبحانه وتعالى to His Messenger صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم from the people of (other) lands.’ (Surah Al-Hashr 59:7) As for the fifth (khums), it is divided into six shares: (Surah Al-Anfal 8:41) A share for Allah سبحانه وتعالى, A share for the Messenger صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم, may Allah سبحانه وتعالى bless him and his family, A share for the near relative, A share for the orphans, A share for the needy, And a share for the sons of the road (wayfarers). So that which belongs to Allah سبحانه وتعالى and to the Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم, may Allah سبحانه وتعالى bless him and his family, the Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم has the greatest right to it, and therefore it belongs specifically to him. And that which belongs to the Messenger صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم belongs to the near relative and the proof (al-hujjah) in his time; therefore, half belongs specifically to him, meaning the Imam عليه السلام. And the other half is for the orphans, the needy, and the sons of the road (wayfarers) from the family of Muhammad صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم, peace be upon them, those for whom charity and zakat are not lawful. Allah سبحانه وتعالى compensated them, in place of that, with the fifth (khums), so he gives it to them according to the measure of their sufficiency. If anything remains after their needs have been met, then it belongs to him. And if it falls short for them and does not suffice them, he completes it for them from himself. Just as the surplus belongs to him, likewise the shortfall becomes binding upon him.”