What Are the Avenues for Spending Khums by the Religious Leadership?
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Generally, the jurists have mentioned in their practical treatises numerous areas for spending khums, including:
- Supporting Islamic seminaries, scholars, and centers for religious studies and research.
- Supporting religious centers, schools, and institutes aimed at nurturing righteous Muslims.
- Supporting charitable projects in the field of general humanitarian services, such as orphan institutions and others.
- Supporting intellectual, cultural, and media projects that assist in achieving Islamic objectives.
- Supporting everything that would strengthen Islam and Muslims, repel the animosity of enemies, and protect and safeguard the sanctities of society, and similar matters. On the authority of Imam al-Rida (p), “…and what we spend and purchase [with it is] to protect our honor from those whose tyranny we fear…”87
It is appropriate here to mention some of the services performed by the offices of the religious leadership in this respect, which are not necessarily well-known or famous. This is because religious entities usually refrain from publicizing their work because they do not want that to be interpreted as a promotional or public relations stance. Instead, they are merely performing their religious and humanitarian duty, and nothing else.
Were you aware O’ fellow believer:
- That the religious authority undertakes the payment of baseline monthly maintenance allowances to more than 200,000 students of religious knowledge, the majority of whom support dependents, who live across various cities worldwide, foremost among them being the students of the Islamic seminary in Najaf al-Ashraf and holy Qum?
- That the stipend of a student of religious knowledge does not suffice for their monthly needs, so they supplement it through funds from wages for performing lapsed prayers and fasts on behalf of the deceased, or from the revenues of other academic and missionary activities, such as research, authorship, and delivering lectures, for instance, or simple commercial work by which they meet their needs and the needs of their dependents?
- That the percentage of those who systematically pay khums may not exceed 5% of the general body of believers, based on multiple statistical surveys? And this is nothing but a matter of procrastination and neglect in discharging their religious duty.
- That the scholars of religion endure the cold and heat in their homes and refrain from any renovation or refurnishing, and that this is done for no reason other than emulating the Commander of the Faithful (p), who used to say regarding the condition of the poor and needy, “Should I content myself with being called ‘Commander of the Faithful’ while I do not share with them the adversities of time?” and “Perhaps in the Hijaz or Yamamah there is someone who has no expectation of being filled.”88
- That the religious leadership rejects government endowments or gifts from monarchs and global financiers, practicing self-restraint and refraining from them for no reason other than to maintain the absolute independent integrity of the seminary from any influences that such endowments and gifts might impose? Instead, it relies solely on what reaches it from khums, even if it is a modest amount that covers only a portion of its essential needs.
Where does I.M.A.M. spend religious funds?
The Almighty Has said, “… and proclaim the blessings of your Lord.” [93:11]
I.M.A.M. receives various religious dues, charitable donations, unconditional gifts, nongovernmental contributions, and other financial allocations throughout the year. However, these funds are not fixed; they fluctuate from time to time depending on the economic conditions of the country, the circumstances of the believers, and their financial and economic situations. In any case, the association’s management deems it important to inform all donors, supporters, and even the general believers who are interested in an overview of how it is used and allocates its financial resources.
There are a number of expenditures that the association’s management prioritizes for spending, and sometimes these priorities change depending on economic conditions and urgent situations. Among these expenditures are:
1. Specific Expenditures: There are some religious dues that cannot be used except for their specific purposes, such as fidya (expiation), kaffarat (penalties) for feeding the needy, and fees for qada (past religious obligations), like prayers and fasting on behalf of the deceased. Such dues are allocated entirely for their purposes.
2. Orphan funds: This includes khums. These funds are directed entirely to orphans. They are sent through officially registered institutions and organizations in the United States to six countries: Lebanon, Iraq, Yemen, Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, and of course the United States, although the number in the latter is very limited. I.M.A.M. bears the full cost and management of this category.
3. Approximately 50% of khums are directed to Islamic centers and schools across the United States, including those authorized by the Religious Authority to collect and spend khums, or those facing crises or critical situations that require immediate assistance. I.M.A.M. funds them so that they can remain open and continue to provide services to the believers.
4. Half of the khums collected through active scholars involved in preaching and community service is used to cover some of their activity expenses and basic needs.
5. Assistance is provided to needy individuals within and outside the state of Michigan to relieve them and help cover some of their essential needs such as medical bills, surgeries, necessary car repairs, food vouchers, and clothing.
6. Contributing to relief missions and helping in urgent and unexpected hardships.
7. Supporting projects for training religious preachers in their respective languages, such as the Mufid Seminary, as well as intellectual, religious heritage projects like the Online Shi’a Encyclopedia (work in progress).
8. Supporting educational and religious programs and initiatives carried out by believing youth in different places, especially in universities, academies, and colleges. This includes the preparation, printing, and distribution of religious, jurisprudential, and intellectual books needed by the new Muslim generation, as well as non-Muslims.
9. Covering or supporting important intellectual, religious, and social conferences, seminars, and events that contribute to strengthening unity in the Shi’a community and promoting Shi’ism in the West.
10. Maintaining the project of digital Shi’a religious awareness with advanced search capabilities to provide up-to-date information to those seeking religious knowledge. This is done by offering articles, blogs, data, books, booklets, and sources. I.M.A.M.’s website is among the advanced websites in this field, known for its advanced technical capabilities, seamless services, and accessibility to necessary information. This project involves a network of sub-sites and social media platforms, continuously updated with accurate and error-free content, along with artistic, Islamic-styled details. The project is supported by a full team of experienced and creative individuals.
11. Covering the expenses of religious and intellectual trips for religious scholars and academics, including scholars from religious seminaries, to meet believers in various states, institutions, universities, and religious and denominational representatives. This also applies to Western intellectuals who visit religious seminaries and places in Iraq to correct their understanding of Shi’ism for the Western world and beyond.
12. Covering the salaries and dues of full-time religious scholars who dedicate their time to teaching, educating, and answering religious questions through various means, including phone calls, emails, letters from prisons, and office visits. These services are provided in four languages: English, Arabic, Persian, and Urdu.
13. Covering the salaries and dues of religious scholars who spend substantial time and effort, sometimes months, resolving family and social disputes, providing advice, counseling, and mediation services, in four languages: English, Arabic, Persian, and Urdu.
14. Covering the necessary expenses of the association, including employee and contractor salaries, volunteer appreciation gifts, utility bills (electricity, gas, water, cleaning, and maintenance), non-exempt taxes, insurance, legal matters, and more.
Note: I.M.A.M. does not conduct annual or semi-annual fundraisers, as is common in other Islamic centers, schools, and associations, out of respect for the religious authority and the religious seminary. Additionally, I.M.A.M. does not provide excessive amounts of food and hospitality in its public events, but only to the extent customary for hospitality. Esteemed guests and dignitaries are hosted through resources and donations that are other than those of religious dues.