Why Do Some Believers Pay Khums While Others Do Not?

While someone might hesitate to fulfill khums for various reasons, people are far more likely to practice it when:

• They are certain that the wealth they possess is all from Allah Almighty and it is a trust and a gift bestowed upon them.
• They know that winning the hearts of the deprived is more important than gaining wealth.
• They are reassured that the prayers of the poor will be a means to solve their crises, dilemmas, and problems.
• They consider it within the realm of possibility that they may one day be deprived and expect what is in the hands of others [to help them].
• They are reassured that the joy of an orphan is a reason for the continuity of their own blessings and ensures their paradise.
• They are confident that what they give in the way of Allah will be compensated by Allah with even more.
• They realize that assisting a needy person will be a bridge to Paradise on the Day of Judgment.
• They feel comfort and tranquility in their heart by feeding the hungry and the needy.
• They are certain that their righteous deeds will come to them in the grave in the best form and will comfort them in their loneliness.
• They reflect that contributing to support of religious projects and the needs of the faithful community is support for the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh&hp) and support for the Imam of our time (p).
• They know that ignoring the suffering of society may lead to worsening the conditions of the wealthy.
• They realize that they will be a reason for encouraging others who look up to them as a good example.
• They pay attention to what they possess and say, “This is from the bounty of my Lord to test me whether I will be grateful or ungrateful. And whoever is grateful, their gratitude is only for the benefit of themself. And whoever is ungrateful, then indeed, my Lord is Free of need and Generous.”⁵¹
• They are aware of what is narrated from Imam al-Sadiq (p) saying: “Know that whoever does not spend in the obedience of Allah will be tested with spending in disobedience to Allah.”⁵²
• They are aware of the proper channels for disbursing the religious dues, and understand how and where jurists (fuqaha), their authorized representatives, offices, and affiliated institutions allocate and distribute them. This will be addressed in Chapter Three, where we will discuss the approved areas of expenditure for khums and the proper manner of handling and disbursing it.

Remember what Imam Ali bin Mousa al-Rida (p) said: “Indeed, khums is a support for us in our religion, so do not deprive us of it, and do not deprive yourselves of our supplication.”⁵³

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51. The Holy Qur’an, 27:40. ↩
52. al-Majlisi, “Bihar al-Anwar”: v. 96, p. 130. ↩
53. ​​al-Bahrani, “Al-Hada’iq al-Nadhira”: v. 12, p. 426. ↩