Mouood Mouood English Edition
But, they should know that lots of people have informed about this conspiracy and have known about their evil purposes, and accordingly it seems so unlikely that they can achieve their goals, and their fiasco can be predicted by now, and their plan is like a drawing on the water!
Is Khums Exclusive to Spoils in Qur’an?
The issue of Khums has only been mentioned once in holy Qur”an (and also it is not only Khums which has been mentioned in one verse, but there are lots of rulings of Qur”an which have been mentioned only once in Qur”an and there is no doubt that, this one time expression is enough). And that is verse 41 of Sura Anfal:
And know that out of all the booty that ye may acquire (in war), a fifth share is assigned to Allah,- and to the Messenger, and to near relatives, orphans, the needy, and the wayfarer,- if ye do believe in Allah and in the revelation We sent down to Our servant on the Day of Testing,- the Day of the meeting of the two forces. For Allah hath power over all things. (8:41)
Important matter which should be noticed in this verse and in fact all the issue concentrates on it is that does the advantage which has been mentioned in this verse only consist of spoils of war or expands to any kind of income.
In the first form, this verse only expresses the spoils of war and for Khums of other things we should use tradition, news and correct and reliable cabbalas and there is no problem in that Qur”an points to a part of ruling in proportion and other parts express in tradition.
For example, quintet daily prayer has been mentioned explicitly in holy Qur’an, and also it has been pointed to the prayer of Tawaf (circumambulate the Ka’ba) which is one of obligatory prayers, but nothing has been mentioned about Ayaat (signs) prayer which is agreed by all Muslim, Shiites and Sonnies, and Ghazaa prayer and like them; and we cannot find anyone who says because Ayaat prayer has not been mentioned in Qur’an and it is only available in tradition of Prophet (S) should not be performed, or because it has been pointed to some Ghusls (full ablution) in Qur”an and nothing has been said about some other Ghusls, therefore we should abstain from them. This is a logic which no Muslim accepts.
Therefore, there is no problem that Qur”an has expressed only a part of cases of Khums and has leaved the others to tradition, and there are lots of issues like this in Islamic Fiqh and those who know even a little about issue of Fiqh have understood this matter completely; but we should find that what the meaning of advantage (غنیمت) literally and in commonsense is.
Indeed, is it exclusive to spoils of war or it consists of any kind of income?
The definition which derives from dictionaries is that in the literal root of this word there is nothing about war or the things which is gained from enemy, but it consists of any kind of income. We refer to some parts of famous dictionaries as evidence which are all accepted by Arab scientist and litterateurs:
We read in the book “Lisan Al-Arab” (Tongue of Arab), vol. 12:
و الغنم: الفوز بالشّىء من غیر مشقّة و… الغنم،الغنیمة و المغنم، الفىء… و فى الحدیث الرّهن لمن رهنه له غنمه و علیه غرمه، غنمه زیادته و نمائه و فاضل قیمته… و غنم الشّىء غنما:فاز به
“غنم” means gaining a thing without any hardship and “غنم”, “غنیمت” (advantage) and “مغنم” are all in the meaning of “فیء” (and also “فیء” has been meant literally as the things which reach a person without labor …) and it has been said in Hadith that pawn is for the person who has taken that pawn and its advantage (غنیمت) and benefit is for him, and also its compensation and loss is for him, and “غنم” means the excess, growth and surplus of the price … he take that as an advantage (غنیمت) means that he gained that …
And we read in the book “Taj Al-Arous” (the bride’s brown), vol. 9:
Advantage (غنیمت) is the thing that person gains without hardship!
And also in the book “Al-Qamoos” it has been mentioned with the same meaning.
And in the book “Mufradat” by Ragheb “غنیمت” has been said to be derived from the root “غنم” in the meaning of “sheep” and then it says:
Then it has been used in all things which person gains from enemy or non-enemy.
Even persons who consider one of the definitions of “غنیمت” as spoils of war do not deny that its main meaning is more expanded which implies to all things that a person can gain without hardship.
In common use advantage “غنیمت” is used against Fine “غرامت” and as the meaning of fine is an expanded meaning and consists of any kind of fine, also advantage “غنیمت” has an expanded meaning and implies to any kind of notable income.
This word has been used in many cases in “Nahjul Balagha”:
We read in sermon 76:
Take advantage from opportunities.
And we read in sermon 120:
Person who acts as the religion of Allah finds happiness and takes advantages.
And he says in letter 53 to Malik Ashtar:
Do not be like a cruel animal against people of Egypt in the way that consider eating them as an advantage غنیمت” and a kind of income for yourself!
And he says in letter 45 to Osman ibn Hanif:
I swear to Allah that I did reserve no gold from your world, and I did no saving from its advantages or incomes!
And it is in quotes, in sentence 331:
Indeed pure Allah has made obedience as advantage and benefit of tactful people.
And we read in letter 31:
If a person asks you for a loan when you are rich, consider this as an advantage “غنیمت “
And there are lots of expressions like these.
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Opinion of Commentators
Lots of commentators who have discussed about this verse explicitly confessed that Advantage (غنیمت) has mainly a vast meaning and consists of spoils of war and other than them and generally all that a person could gain without hardship. Even those who consider this verse exclusive to spoils of war confess that there is no such a limitation in its main meaning, but for another reason its meaning has been limited.
“Ghartabi”, famous Sunni commentator, writes below this verse in his interpretation:
“Literally, “advantage” (غنیمت) is the thing that a person or a group of people gain with endeavor … and know that the consensus (of Sunni scholars) is that the meaning of advantage (غنیمت) in the verse “ وَ اعْلَمُوا اَنَّما غَنِمْتُمْ” is assets which reach Muslims by fight and victory over infidels, but it should be considered that this limitation is not in its literal meaning as we said before, but this bond has been set in the common law of religion”.
“Fakhr Raazi1” affirms in his interpretation that: “ الغنم الفوز بالشیء (advantage is that a person gains something”.And then after expressing this vast literal meaning adds: “Religious meaning of advantage (غنیمت) (in opinion of Sunni scholars) is spoils of war”.
And also in “Al-Manar2” interpretation, the definition of advantage (غنیمت) has been expressed in its vast meaning and it has not been limited to spoils of war, although author believes that according to religious bond the vast meaning of this verse should be limited to spoils of war.
Also it has been mentioned in the interpretation of “Rooh Al-Ma’aani” written by Aloosi, famous Sunni commentator, that:
“Mainly, “غنم” (three word root of غنیمت in Arabic) means any kind of interest and benefit”.3
And in “Majma’ Al-Bayan” interpretation first advantage has been interpreted in the meaning of spoils of war, but during the explanation of the meaning of the verse it says:
قال اصحابنا انّ الخمس واجب فى کلّ فائدة تحصل للانسان من المکاسب و ارباح التّجارات، و فى الکنوز و المعادن و الغوص و غیرذلک ممّا هو مذکور فى الکتب، و یمکن ان یستدلّ على ذلک بهذه الایة فانّ فى عرف اللّغة یطلق على جمیع ذلک اسم الغنم و الغنیمة
Shiite scholars believe that Khums is obligatory in any benefit that a person would gain, consisting of it is from business, or from treasure or mine and anything that derives from the sea by diving, and other jobs that has been mentioned in Fiqh books, and it is possible to ratiocinate with this claim about this verse because advantage (غنیمت) implies to all of these in its common meaning”.4
It is amazing that some partial persons who seems to have a special mission for poisoning the common thoughts, have tried a funny falsification in their book which have written about Khums in the expression of Majma’ Al-Bayan interpretation; they have mentioned the first part of the expression which guaranties the interpretation of advantage (غنیمت) in the meaning of spoils of war (according to the opinion of some commentators), but they have ignored the explanation about the generality of literal meaning of the word and the meaning of the verse completely and have ascribed a false matter to this great Islamic commentator, maybe they thought they are the only persons who have the book“Majma’ Al-Bayan” and nobody will read that book in order to reveal their lie to everyone and it is strange that they did not perform this betrayal only about this matter, but in other cases anything that might have benefit has been mentioned and anything that might be the opposite direction has been ignored.
Also it has been affirmed in Al-Mizan interpretation according to the words of scientists of literature that advantage (غنیمت) is any benefit that person gains from business, working or the war and although the point for descending of the verse is spoils of war but we know that never the point particularizes the generality of definition.5
It is concluded from all that has been said:
The verse of advantage (غنیمت) has a vast meaning and consists of any kind of income, interest and benefit, because literal meaning of this word has a vast meaning and there is no clear proof about particularizing it in hand.
The only thing that some of Sunni commentators refer to, is that the verses before and after this verse are about Jihad and this matter shows that the verse of advantage (غنیمت) points to spoils of war in proportion.
While we know that the reasons of descending or the direction of discussion in Suras never particularize the generality of a verse; and in more clear way, there is no problem in that the meaning of the verse to be a general and overall definition while the reason of descending the verse is one sample of that general and overall concept.
For example, we read in verse 7 of Sura Hashr:
… So take what the Messenger assigns to you, and deny yourselves that which he withholds from you. (59:7)
This verse says a general order about the necessity of obeying Prophet (S), while the case for descending was assets which has been taken under the ownership of Muslims from enemies without war (and the term “فیء” is used for them).
And also in verse 233 of Sura Baqara:
no soul shall have imposed upon it a duty but to the extent of its capacity; .. (2:233)
has been mentioned as a general rule while the case for descending was about paying women who feeding babied and it has been ordered to the father of infant to pay according to his ability; but can reference of the verse to this special matter prevent the generality of this rule (not to do more than the ability)?!
Briefly, this verse has been said among the verses of Jihad but it says: Pay one fifth (Khums) of any income that you gain from any source (which one of them is spoils of war). Specially the relative word ” (any) and the word “شیء” (thing) which are two general and without any bond or condition words emphasize this matter.
1. Fakhr Raazi interpretation, vol. 15, page 164.
2. Al-Manar interpretation, vol. 10, pages 3-7.
3. Rooh Al-Ma’aani, vol. 10, page 2.
4. Majma’ Al-Bayan interpretation, vol. 4, pages 543 &544.
5. Al-Mizan interpretation, vol. 9, page 89.
Khums in Sunni and Shia Ahadith
By: Ayatullah al-Uzma Naser Makarim Shirazi
Some people say that in none of Islamic cabbalas Khums has been mentioned in a case other than spoils of war and in cabbalas it has been talk about Khums exclusively for spoils of war.
This claim is one of baseless claims and is a sign of ignorance of the person who has said this about Islamic Ahadith, because Khums in other than spoils of war has been mentioned in Sunni cabbalas and also Shiite cabbalas (but in Sunni cabbalas only some parts of Khums have been mentioned, while in Shiite cabbalas all of them have been expressed).
First, we point to a part of Sunni cabbalas which explicitly proves Khums of things other than spoils of war.
These cabbalas have been chosen from famous resources of Ahlul Sunnah which are acceptable for all of them.
A) It has been quoted in “Sunan of Beihaghi1” from Abu Harira that Prophet (S) said:
There is Khums in Rekaz, a person who was there asked: What is Rekaz? Prophet (S) answered: “Mines of gold and silver which Allah has been created on earth from the beginning day.
