Spending The Money Before Paying Khums
Question :

If I have £100 on which khums is due on, and I put aside £20 from it as khums to pay it at the end of the year, am I not allowed to spend the remaining £80 before the £20 is paid?

Answer :

When it is possible to pay the khums to whoever deserves it or to the agent, one should hasten to do so. One can use the rest of the money whether he paid the khums or not.

Going to Hajj without Paying Khums
Question :

If a person has not paid Khums yet, and meanwhile he performs obligatory Hajj, will his Hajj be valid?

Answer :

His pilgrimage is valid. He must hasten to pay Khums.

Denying the Obligation of Khums
Question :

If someone says that khums is not obligatory, is that person out of Islam?

Answer :

If denying the obligation of khums means a denial of its obligation on the unused amount of the yearly income, then this does not affect the person being regarded as a Muslim. However, denying the khums in an absolute way is a clear rejection to the Quranic verses and the traditions of the Prophet (peace be upon him and his holy progeny).

Not Paying Khums
Question :

If a person has not paid khums, can we eat or use something from his earnings?

Answer :

Yes, it is permissible to do so. The religious responsibility of paying the khums is on the owner of the money and it is not on the person that makes use of it or benefits from it.

Kaffarah for Not Paying khums
Question :

Is there a Kaffarah for Khums if one has not paid it for many years?

Answer :

There is no special Kaffarah to pay for delaying the khums payment. It is obligatory in the said case to pay the fifth of your net income that you did not pay khums from, by calculating the monies that you have and deducting what have you used in your needs and pay the fifth of the balance.

Sunni Husband
Question :

My husband is Sunni, while I am Shia. How should I pay the khums?

Answer :

You should pay the fifth of the yearly net income that you personally own after accounting for the expenses, plus the khums of any items that you own which remain unused during the year.

The Payer of Khums
Question :

Is it relevant if the payer of khums to your office is Sayyid or not?

Answer :

It is obligatory on the Sayyids and the non-Sayyids alike to pay the khums. The qualified Marji has the authority over the disposal of khums. It does not matter if the payer is Sayyid or not.

Khums and Ziyara
Question :

I want to go to Karbala for Ziyara, for which I saved up for, but there is an amount of Khums that I am due to pay. If I pay that, I do not have enough to go for Ziyara. Can I still go for Ziyara without paying the Khums?

Answer :

You should pay the khums first, as paying the khums is an obligatory duty and going for Ziyara is not. You can recite the Ziyara from where you are, and you shall be rewarded for it a great reward. Bear in mind that paying the khums is one of the causes of blessing in one’s income.

Paying Khums in Instalments
Question :

Can I pay khums in instalments?

Answer :

Yes, it is possible after you consult that with the qualified mujtahid, the marji' or his agent, and he agrees to it.

Using Items before Khums
Question :

If an item is subject to khums, can one use it before making the khums payment?

Answer :

It is not permissible to use it before making the khums payment or getting permission to delay the payment from the Marji' or his authorized agent.

Paying khums
Question :

Now that Grand Ayatollah Sayyid Mohammed S. al Hakeem (may Allah bless his soul) has passed away, who should somebody who did his taqleed refer to now to pay their khums? Do we still pay to one of his agents?

Answer :

One can refer to one of the contemporary maraja or his agents, whom he completely trusts and give him the khums.

Paying Behalf of the Wife
Question :

My wife doesn’t work. If she is due to pay khums on any savings or possessions, should I pay for her?

Answer :

You are not obligated to pay her khums liabilities, as the obligation is her own. Even if she doesn’t work, she must pay the khums on saved money and unused items.

Khums on Daily expenses
Question :

Is Khums applied on the things that we spend for daily needs like food and clothing? Is it also applied on profits of trading?

Answer :

Khums is not obligatory on a person’s expenses, like food or clothes, if they were reasonable for him.
It is obligatory to pay khums on trade and business revenue if it remains unspent at the khums year-end.