Q1: If I had $1000 at the end of a year after expenses and paid khums leaving $800 then during the year out the $800 remaining I consumed $200 but then at the end of the year I saved and extra $400 after expenses must I pay khumus on $200 or $400?
In other words can I borrow money from my Mukhammas - the 80% of the original amount after 20% khums was paid - money of $800 (in our example it was $200 which was borrowed) and replace it before the end of the year without having to pay khumus on what I replaced (the $200)?

A: You should pay the Khums on $200 (which comes to $40). Then you add the $160 remaining to the 80% of the original amount after khums was paid. Thus the $800 would become $960. At the end of the next year, you would pay khums on the amount exceeding the $960.

Q2: Is there any Khums (20%) payable on books giving to me by someone as a gift if it stay in my personal library for a period of a year?

A: You should calculate the fifth of the monies that exceeds your needs and you should then pass the calculated funds to the just scholar that reached the level of ijtihad or his trustworthy appointed agent.

Q3: If I have started employment and am earning my own income how do I give khums? Do I give 20% of my salary each time it enters my bank account? Do I wait a year and then give 20% of what I have left?

A: You can pay the khums from whatever you deposited in the bank account from your salary but you do not have to as you can wait for a year and then pay 20% of what is left from your employment income after paying your expenses.

Q4: I am a salaried person and spending all expanses among the salary. I have a Chequing Account with one of banks in Canada. I availed the option of Maintain-Balance of $1500/- yearly into the account and may have an unlimited transactions with no interest against it. Please advise that the Khums (20%) on the balance of $1500/- is wajab (payable) on me.

A: If the said amount was maintained for one full year then khums becomes payable.

Q5: I just began to pay khums this year, but I have been a Muslim for over 5 years. How do I calculate how much khums to pay if I do not know how much money I made in the past 5 years?

A: May Allah accept from you this sincere intention in upholding His teachings and obligations.
Khums is a godly obligation which is the fifth of the yearly profits that is not spent. So you should calculate the fifth of all the monies that you presently own plus the fifth of the worth of the items that were unused for a year.
This khums amount is divided into two equal amounts: the first one is to be given to people in need amongst the clan of hashim (the great grandfather of the prophet (peace be upon him). The second one is to be given to the religious just merje3 that is able to spend it in the ways that satisfy the twelve imam (peace be upon him).

Q6: My father is a businessman and regular pays his Khums obligation. I and my husband both work and also pay Khums on our income. Recently my father gifted me a car worth US $ 34,850/ I expressly asked him if Khums had been paid on the money that car was purchased with. His reply was yes, Khums had been paid. However, a couple of my acquaintances are saying that I need to pay Khums on the car. ?

A: If you used the car for your personal need then there is no khums needed on it but if you did not use it till the end of your khums fiscal year, then you have to pay the khums on it.

Q7: How to pay Qaza or Kaffara for khums if one has not payed it for many years??

A: There is no special keffara to pay for delaying the khums payment. It is obligatory in the said case to pay the fifth of your earnings that you did not pay khums from them by calculating the monies that you have and detecting what have you used in your needs and pay the fifth of the balance.

Q8: Prior to the recent death of my Christian grandfather, he gave me $5,000. This would have been money I inherited, but he did not leave it to me in his will, to avoid having to pay taxes to the government on it. Must I pay khums on this money?

A: If your grandfather has given you the mentioned amount of money as a grant while he is alive, then it is a profit and has the laws of profit with respect to khums. If the money was given to you as a trust that you will own after his death, then it is an inheritance that is not subject to khums.

Q9: My husband is Sunni, while I belong to a shia family. How should I pay the khums?

A: You should pay the fifth - khums of the yearly profit that you personally own from plus pay if on unused material during the year.

Q10: I understand that the khums that I give goes to my marja taqleed, is it permissable for me without asking him to give it to my relatives (Sayyids) abroad that are very poor or orphans or widows as they do not have enough income? What about the Share of the Imam (peace be upon him)?

A: The share of sayyids from the khums is payable to the needy devotee sayyid(s). His eminence the Grand Ayatollah Sayyid Alhakeem has given his permission to the devotees to spend the said share on the needy devotees amongst the sayyids. Orphans and needy people who are not sayyid are not to be given from the share of sayyids.
The share of the Imam from the khums is to be given to the merja that you follow throughout his network of appointed agents or to be spent with his permission.

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