Mouood Mouood English Edition
The point which should be noticed before anything else in this discussion is that:
With little study in history and “teachings” of Islam it clears that this religion was not only series of moral and belief orders and rulings about the origin and afterlife, but it bring a governing system with itself which guarantied all needs of a pure and advanced society, and surely one of pillars of his government had been constituting the Bayt Al-Mal (house of wealth; bursary) for eliminate financial needs.
Islamic Bayt Al-Mal (also Baitulmal) which had been founded by entering Prophet (S) to Medina and establishing Islamic government was consisted of funds which were collected from several sources:
1- From “Zakat” (Islamic concept of tithing and alms)
2- From “Khums” (one fifth; a kind of Islamic tax)
3- From “Anfal” (Spoils and also public resources)
4- From “Kharaj” (Islamic tax on agricultural land)
5- From “Jizya” (tax taken from religious minorities) which any of them has an explained section in Islamic Fiqh and exclusive orders and rulings.
Here in this booklet, our purpose is not to discuss about all sources of income of Islamic Bayt Al-Mal and costs and usages, but we only want to talk about“Khums”, because some people protest that:
“Why Khums has been extended in Shi’aa and consists of any income, while firstly, Khums has been mentioned in holy Qur”an only for spoils and secondly, we have no historic record in which Prophet (S) or Ali (a.s.) or caliphs had took Khums from any source other than spoils while Shiite scholars and Faqihs insist that Khums means one fifth of surplus of income, and it is not limited to spoils of war but any income that can be made from agriculture or ranching, industry or business, working or any other sources.
A person should pay one fifth of his savings after subtracting costs for one year from any income that he had and pay it to Bayt Al-Mal in order to spend in defined usages, and they have no clear proof for this extending; and therefore Sunni scholars are not believed on Khums other than spoils of war and if we assume that Khums has some extending cases and advancements it is forgiven during the major absence of Imam Zaman (a.s.)!”
Here, some matters should be discussed accurately:
1-What is the “Purpose of the Objectors” from this much of brabble about the issue of Khums?
2- Is Khums exclusive to spoils of war in Qur’an?
3- Is Khums exclusive to spoils of war in cabbalas of Prophet (S)?
4- What do cabbalas of “Ahlul Bayt of Prophet (S)” say to us about this matter?
5- Has Khums been “forgiven” during the absence of Imam Zaman (a.s.)?
6- Had Khums been taken from people at the beginning of Islam according to history?
7- Is allocating Khums for Sadat (pl. of Sayyid) Discrimination?
Purpose of the Objectors
Some people try hard for proving two issues: one of them is the issue of unnecessity of Taqlid (following in religious rulings) and the other is the issue of unnecessity of Khums, and we can see clearly that matter has gone far from scientific discussions and has formed into brawling and demagoguism and we know that whenever a discussion goes far from the scientific form and enters into this kinds of paths, surly there are some news behind the curtains and other purposes has made that.
Evidences show that this group has began to fight with these two issues with a calculated plan, because they see that until spiritual leadership of society is performed by great Islamic scholars and Shiite Maraje’ (pl. of Marja’, person whom others follow him in rulings) and they have financial independence added to their deep influence in society, they are not capable of executing their evil plans for destroying the Islamic beliefs of people and nations, and at this moment they have chosen two sensitive points:
First point is the issue of Taqlid which according to that each Muslim should be either Mujahid (Islamic scholar who is engaged in several Islamic fields of knowledge) or refer to a Mujtahid in matters about Islamic rulings and follow his orders.
They assumed that if they cut this scientific and spiritual relationship between people and religious leaders by poisoning in the issue of Taqlid, they can easily destroy the thoughts of people and until this relationship is connected penetration of them is very hard.
Therefore, they invite people to disconnect this connection explicitly in some booklets, while we know that the issue of referring to knowledgeable persons is from self evident matters in all aspects of life and any person refers to knowledgeable persons in daily life in medical, architectural, pharmaceutical and other matters and also according to this fact if a person cannot understand Islamic matters from Qur”an and tradition by himself/herself, refers to a scholar.
But they have arisen against this self evident matter for providing their own profits and invite people to disconnect any scientific relation with their spiritual leaders.(It has been discussed about the issue of Taqlid and all objections about it in an individual explained booklet and all points about the matter have been cleared).
Another matter that they have chosen is the issue of Khums and how calculated and planned they have chosen that.
Because we know that the share of Imam which is half of Khums is the financial fund of Shiite seminaries and propagation plans and cultural activities and briefly any religious of scientific activity which needs money; If oppositions of Shi’aa can prevent people from paying Khums and share of Imam by their poisoning, then they can reach one of their goals which is weakening our seminaries or changing their path.
In more clear way, existence of this Islamic order and act of some Muslims to that caused the complete independence of spiritual seminaries and scientific and propagating programs, because we know that the first condition of independence of an organization is its financial independence and this matter executed well in the world of Shi’aa by this Islamic order while the society of Sunni scholar has missed its independence because of ignorance of this order.
Especially, on one great Sunni scholars from Syria who had visited Qom seminary and also other different religious institutions in other cities, had been amazed that how the costs of these programs are provided, and when he noticed to the issue of Khums and share of Imam in programs of Shi”aa, he impressed so much that in return to his country one of his advices to his friends was to pay the Khums.
It is wonderful that others wish to execute these programs and achieve this great privilege which is complete independence in religious programs by them, but obstinate despiteful persons insist on taking this privilege from us.
