Grand Ayatollah Shirazi explains important Khums ruling during daily scholarly session

The daily scholarly meeting of Grand Ayatollah Seyyed Sadiq al-Hosseini al-Shirazi was held on Tuesday, the 15th of Rabi’ al-Thani. In this session, like the previous meetings, the Marja answered the questions of the attendees about various jurisprudential issues.

Grand Ayatollah Shirazi discussed the ruling on money and property that the Shiites receive from non-Shiites, non-Muslims and those who do not believe in Khums, and said: According to the narrations we have from the Infallibles, peace be upon them, if one of the Shiites receives money and property from a person who does not believe in Khums, even though that person has not paid khums on that money and property, and that khums applies to the same amount, the Infallibles, peace be upon them, have waived the corresponding Khums.

His Eminence further said: Waiving and remission of khums was not a general practice, and under other circumstances, the immaculate Imams received khums. They have even emphasized that if someone does not pay khums, even in the amount of one dirham, he/she has committed haram. However, in the case of waiving and remission of khums regarding the money that comes from non-Shias to Shias, sometimes the expression “until the Day of Judgment” has been used, that is, the Shias have been permanently exempted from paying khums in such cases.

It should be noted that “Ibahah” or waiving/remission of khums is a permission given by Shia Imams (peace be upon them) to their followers for not paying khums, according to some hadiths under the same title. Most Shia jurists consider waiving or remission of khums to apply only to money whose khums has not been paid and is transferred from non-Shia to Shia.

However, there are narrations that emphasize the necessity of paying khums, and the dissatisfaction of the Ahl al-Bayt (peace be upon them) with regard to using the money or property whose khums has not been paid.