Document Type : Academicm and Research
Authors
1 Assistant Professor, Faculty of Quran and Hadith Sciences, Shahid Mahallati Institute of Higher Education, Qom, Iran
2 Independent Researcher, Isfahan, Iran
Abstract
Highlights
Abstract
One of the verses that have been subject to varying understandings and interpretations due to differences in exegetical foundations and approaches is verse 41 of the al-Anfal Chapter, commonly known as the “Verse of Khums.” This verse addresses the subject of khums (the one-fifth levy) and its designated allocations:
Know that whatever thing you may come by, a fifth of it is for Allah and the Apostle, for the relatives and the orphans, for the needy and the traveller, if you have faith in Allah and what We sent down to Our servant on the Day of Separation, the day when the two hosts met; and Allah has power over all things.
Among the disputed aspects in the interpretation of this verse are the instances of khums allocation. An examination of Shiite exegetical opinions from the fifth Islamic century to the present reveals that the orphans, needy, and stranded travelers refer specifically to the sādāt (those who trace their lineage through their father to Hashim, the grandfather of the Prophet). However, among later exegetes, some can be found who have presented opposing views, considering this interpretation a form of discrimination and injustice. Given that this interpretive disagreement is not merely theoretical but could significantly impact even the jurisprudential rulings related to khums, the present study aims to conduct a comparative evaluation of the views of two exegetes, Tabatabaii and Sadeqi Tehrani, given their scholarly and exegetic position in Tafsīr al-Mizān (as a representative of the mainstream view) and in Tafsīr al-Furqān (as a representative of the view opposing the mainstream one) respectively as well as the similarity in their exegetic methods (Quran, sunnah, and reason).
Tabatabaii’s View on the Allocation of Khums
The Meaning of “Dhīl Qurbā”: Tabatabaii (1982) considers “dhīl qurbā” (near relatives) to refer to a specific number of the kin of the infallible Imam (AS) as the successor of the Messenger of God. He holds that three shares of the khums, two shares belonging to God and His Messenger, and one share to the Imam himself, are allocated to them (1982, vol. 9, pp. 103–104).
The Meaning of the Orphans, Needy, and Stranded Travelers: Tabatabaii (1982) interprets orphans, needy, and stranded travelers as referring specifically to the Prophet’s (PBUH) relatives, defining kinship as patrilineal descent from Abd al-Muṭṭalib. He considers the narrations transmitted from the Imams (AS)—which state that khums is exclusively allocated to God, the Messenger, the Imam from the Ahlulbayt, and the orphans, needy, and stranded travelers among the sādāt, and is not given to others—as mutawātir (mass-transmitted). He explains this exclusivity as a means of respecting the Prophet (PBUH) and his lineage, so that while they are prohibited from receiving zakat ,which is tainted by people’s hands, they may instead sustain themselves through khums (1982, vol. 9, pp. 103–104).
Sadeqi Tehrani’s View on the Allocation of Khums
The Meaning of “Dhīl Qurbā”: According to Sadeqi Tehrani (2009), the instances of khums allocation are divided into two categories: The first category comprises three shares (Allah, the Messenger, and the close relatives), where dhīl qurbā refers to those closest to the Prophet (PBUH) among all Muslims. Which is limited in two dimensions, genealogical (nasabī) and spiritual/moral distinction (ḥasabī), to the other thirteen Infallibles, and beyond their blood relation, they are also the closest to the Messenger of God (PBUH) in embodying the spiritual aspect of his mission. The first portion of these three shares must be expended in the path of calling toward God, the second portion for fostering devotion to the prophetic mission, and the final portion should be spent to facilitate access to the gates of the Prophet’s knowledge, whose guardians are the infallible protectors of the apostleship, namely the Infallible Imams and Lady Fatimah (AS). In summary, these three portions must be utilized for the elevation of the spirituality and faith of the Muslims. According to Sadeqi Tehrani, during the occultation of the Infallible Imam (AS), these first three shares must be placed under the authority of a qualified Islamic ruler (vol. 2, p. 289).
The Meaning of Orphans, Needy, and Stranded Travelers. Sadeqi Tehrani (2009) has extended the scope of the second portion of the khums share and considers it to include all orphans, the needy, and stranded travelers. He rejects restricting it exclusively to the orphans, needy, and stranded travelers among the descendants of the Prophet (sādāt) for the following reasons: the comprehensive definite articles, alif and lām, in “al-yatāmā” (the orphans) and “al-masākīn” (the needy), the incompatibility with divine justice, contradiction with the absence of material compensation for the prophetic mission, problems in the basis for determining sādāt, and the weakness of the narrations stating that charity/zakat is the impurity of people’s hands (2009, vol. 2, pp. 234-287; see also Sadeqi Tehrani, 1986, vol. 12, pp. 216-241).
Points of Agreement
Both exegetes agree that the term “dhīl qurbā” refers exclusively to the Infallible Imams (AS), who, in addition to their own share as close kin, also have authority over the shares of God and the Messenger for the purpose of promoting the religion.
Points of Disagreement
Tabatabaii considers the three secondary shares mentioned in the verse (the needy, orphans, and stranded travelers) to refer specifically to the sādāt, whom he defines as those who trace their patrilineal descent to Hashim, the grandfather of God’s Messenger (PBUH). Relying on the narrations stating “charity/zakat is the impurity of people's hands,” he maintains that khums substitutes zakat for the sādāt in order to preserve their dignity. In contrast, Sadeqi Tehrani, by weakening the reliability of these impurity narrations, considers the restriction of khums to the sādāt incorrect and interprets the three secondary shares in the verse as applying to the needy, orphans, and stranded travelers in general. Furthermore, he also rejects the prohibition of zakat for the sādāt, counting it as permissible for all the needy, etc., whether sādāt or non-sādāt.
A comparative examination of the exegetical views of Tabatabaii and Sadeqi Tehrani regarding the instances of khums allocation in verse 41 of the al-Anfal Chapter reveals numerous points of agreement and disagreement. Both interpreters consider “dhīl qurbā” (close kin) to refer to the Infallible Imams (AS), who, in addition to their own share as close kin, also have authority over the two shares belonging to God and His Messenger for the propagation of the religion. The point of divergence between them lies in the interpretation of the three remaining shares (the orphans, the needy, and the stranded travelers).
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