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ruling of Khums

Q:

I have a Khums related questions:
Since I and my wife have started working, all our combined income goes towards monthly Bills and expenses. Our expenses are just everyday essentials nothing extravagant but at the end of each month we don’t have anything left and we have to rely on credit card. We have some food items left in the house till the next payday. We have never paid khums to date because we’ve never had any Extra money left to pay khums.
We have 2 children and we were told recently that we are feeding our children ‘haram’ if we don’t pay khums.
What is the ruling of Khums for us?

A:

In the Name of Allah, the All-Beneficent, the All-Merciful.
Wa-Alaykum Assalam Wa Rahmtu-Allah,

If you do not have an overflowing excess wealth at the end of the year there is no khums payable for you.

Ruling 1769. Whenever a person acquires property by means of trade, industry, or any other form of earning – even if, for example, he performs the prayers (ṣalāh) and keeps the fasts (ṣawm) of a deceased person, and with the wages he receives from that he acquires some property – then, in the event that it exceeds his and his family’s annual living expenses, he must pay khums – i.e. one-fifth – of it in accordance with the instructions that will be mentioned later.

Khums
Regards,

Sayyid Samer Hakim