The Office of the Supreme Leader
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Practical Laws of Islam

    • Rules of Taqlīd
    • Rules on Purity
    • Prayer
    • Fasting
    • Khums
      • Gift, Present, Bank Prize, Dowry, and Inheritance
      • Loan, Monthly Salary, Insurance, and Retirement Pension
      • Selling a House, Means of Transportation, and Lands
      • Treasure, Mine, and Ḥalāl Mixed With Ḥarām Property
      • Ma’ūnah
      • Mudāwarah, Muṣālaḥah, and Khums Mixed with other Things
      • Capital
      • The Method of Calculating Khums
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        The Method of Calculating Khums
         
        Q 971: What is the ruling regarding postponement of paying khums from one year to the next?
        A: To delay the payment of khums to the next year is impermissible, although paying it at any time will free one’s debt.
         
        Q 972: I have some money, a part of which I have given to others as loans. At the same time, I owe to some people for the land I purchased to build a house on it for which I have a postdated check to be paid in a few months. Am I permitted to subtract the amount I owe for the land from the cash and loan and pay the khums on the balance? Furthermore, is khums applicable to the land which has been purchased for residential purposes?
        A: If you bought the land during the current khums year and after obtaining the first income, you can deduct the amount equivalent to the debt from the year's income. If you bought it before the current khums year, it is not subject to khums provided that you pay the debt by five days after the end of khums year; otherwise, it is not deducted from the income.

         

        Q 973: I am not yet married. Is it permitted for me to save money from my present income for my future needs?
        A: If the annual income is saved to be spent for necessary marriage expenses within several days, it is not subject to khums.
         
        Q 974: Each year, October 31 is the end of my khums year. Does the 10th month’s salary which I get at the end of it count in the khums of that year? Upon receiving my salary, I often give the remaining amount to my wife as a gift — which is usually saved every month — is this amount subject to khums?
        A: Khums applies to any amount of the salary which you receive before the khums date or is receivable before the end of the khums year provided that it remains as surplus over the annual expenses of the same year. What you give as a gift to your wife or any other person is not subject to khums unless it is formal, i.e. really you do not give it as a gift to your wife, or beyond your station according to the common view.
         
        Q 975: I spent some items and money on which khums had been paid. Is it permissible to exclude an amount of the annual earnings at the year’s end equal to the spent amount?
        A: If, you spend it after obtaining some income during the present khums year, you may deduct the same amount from khums account at the end of the khums year.

         

        Q 976: Some property that is not liable to khums, such as prize, is mixed with capital. At the end of the khums year is one permitted to exclude the equal amount from the actual capital and pay khums on the balance?
        A: There is no problem in excluding that amount.
         
        Q 977: Three years ago, I opened a shop with khums-paid money. My khums year ends with the end of the solar year. Until now, whenever the year ends, I see that my entire capital is in the form of loan which is lent out to people while I owe a large amount. I would be grateful if you could tell me what my duty is?
        A: You are not to pay khums if at the end of the khums year your actual capital and profit are not at your disposal or nothing is added to your capital. As for the profit created by what you sold to people on credit, if it is receivable at the end of the khums year, you should pay khums on it after subtracting the capital plus its inflation; otherwise, it will be counted as the income of the year of receipt. However, if a part of  the said credit is connected to the profit gained during the khums year which has been used to purchase goods that are sold on credit, its khums should be paid once it is received.
         
        Q 978: At the end of the khums year, it is difficult for us to determine the value of items in our shop. What should we do?
        A: To calculate annual income whose khums you should pay, it is obligatory to establish a value for the items in your shop in any way possible even through estimation.
         
        Q 979: What is the rule if I do not calculate my annual income for several years so that my cash and capital increase with intention to pay khums on all of my property with the exception of the original capital later on?
        A: At the end of the khums year, if there is any khums on your assets — no matter how little the amount is — then you have no right to delay its payment.
         
        Q 980: I hope you will explain the easiest way a shopkeeper may calculate and pay his annual khums?
        A: At the end of the khums year, the owner should calculate the value of the stock plus the cash money he has. Then compare it with the original capital investment (taking into consideration the inflation). If the calculated figure amounts to a value greater than the original capital investment, then the extra amount would be considered as the year’s profit on which khums should be paid.
         
        Q 981: Last year I have determined the first of the third month as the beginning of my khums year. On that day I also consulted at the bank to calculate the khums on the interest I gained on my bank account. Is it a right method to calculate khums of the year?
        A: Your khums year starts when you acquire some benefit or become able to receive it for the first time. It is not permissible for you to delay your year’s beginning beyond that time.
         
        Q 982: : If certain items essential for living like car, motorcycle, carpet, etc, on which khums is not paid, are sold, should their khums be paid immediately after sale?
        A: If the mentioned items were necessary for his life and he paid for them from the income of the current khums year and then sold them during the next khums year or later, the proceeds are not subject to khums. But if they were bought with the money on which the khums year had passed without paying its khums, he should pay khums on their purchase price (after taking the rate of decrease in the money value into consideration) even though he does not sell them. However, if the person has no yearly khums account for his assets and does not know as to whether the khums year has passed on what he spent on buying necessities of life or not, he, by obligatory caution, must make muṣālaḥah with one of our authorized representatives regarding the purchase price.
         
        Q 983: A person wants to have a home appliance, like a refrigerator but he cannot buy it all at once. The only way is to save an amount of money monthly and buy it when savings reach the appropriate amount. Now his khums year ended. Is the money put aside for the mentioned purpose liable to khums?
        A: If they saved money to buy the necessities of life in the near future, i.e. within several days, it is not subject to khums.
         
        Q 984: If someone lends a part of his income before the end of the khums year and retrieves it after a few months into the next one, how is khums to be calculated?
        A: As per the given situation, it is obligatory to immediately pay khums on the money whenever it is paid back to you.
         
        Q 985: What is the ruling regarding those things one buys during his khums year and sells after the khums year ends?
        A: If the mentioned items are considered part of one’s necessities of life and he bought them for his personal use, they are not subject to khums. But if he bought them with the yearly earnings for sale and it was possible to sell them before the end of the khums year, paying khums on the original amount and the gained profit is obligatory. Otherwise, as long as they are not sold, no khums applies to them and whenever they are sold, the profit gained from their sale is considered a part of the income of the year of sale.
         
        Q 986: Is khums obligatory for that income an employee receives in the new khums year but relates to the previous year?
        A: If one was able to acquire it before the end of his previous khums year, khums is obligatory for that amount even if he did not receive it then. Otherwise, it is considered part of the income of the year of receipt.
         
        Q 987: How does one account for the khums of gold coins which constantly fluctuate in value?
        A: If one wants to pay khums on their value, the standard is the value at the end of the khums year.
         
        Q 988: A person calculates his khums year account in gold value, e.g., if his entire capital equals the value of 100 gold coins (of certain type), he will pay an equivalent of 20 coins as khums to have 80 coins left as khums-paid capital. Then if in the next year gold coin’s value increases, but his capital is still equivalent to 80 coins, is it subject to khums? Is it obligatory for him to pay khums on the increment in value?
        A: If there is an appreciation and it is possible to sell them during the khums year, after deducting the inflation, paying its khums is obligatory.
      • Determining the Khums Year
      • The Authority in Charge of Khums
      • Sayyids’ Share and How to Be Considered as a Sayyid
      • Areas in which Khums Is Spent
      • Miscellaneous Issues Related to Khums
      • Anfāl
    • Jihad
    • Enjoining the Good and Forbidding Evil
    • Ḥarām Gains
    • Chess and Gambling Instruments
    • Music and Ghinā’
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    • Non-maḥrams’ Pictures and Films
    • Satellite Television Equipment
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    • Magic, Conjuring, and Evocation of Spirits and Jinn
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    • Lottery
    • Bribery
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    • Teaching, Learning and Their Proprieties
    • Copyrights
    • Dealing with non-Muslims
    • Working for Oppressive States
    • Rules on Clothing and Conspicuous ones
    • Treating the West
    • Smoking and Narcotics
    • Shaving the Beard
    • Attending Gatherings of Debauchery
    • Writing Supplications and Istikhārah
    • Religious Events
    • Hoarding and Extravagance
    • Buying and Selling
    • Miscellaneous Issues in Business
    • Rules Concerning Ribā
    • Right of Pre-emption
    • Hiring, Renting, and Lease
    • Surety
    • Pawning and Mortgaging
    • Partnership
    • Presents and Gifts
    • Debt and Loan
    • Ṣulḥ
    • Power of Attorney
    • Mustaḥabb Alms
    • Deposits and Loaned Properties
    • Leaving a Will
    • Usurpation
    • Placement under Guardianship and Signs of Maturity
    • Silent Partnership
    • Banking
    • State Property
    • Endowments
    • Rules Concerning Graveyards
    • Glossary
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