You wrote asking me who the khums is for

و كتبت تسألني عن الخمس لمن هو و إنا كنا نقول هو لنا فأبى علينا قومنا

You wrote asking me who the khums is for. We would say that it was for us. But our people denied us of it.

This is a portion of a lengthy narration. It is the letter of Ibn ‘Abbas to Najdat al Haruri.^[1]

Here again the Shia use the narration to prove the permissibility of taking khums from people. However, the context of the narration rejects this since it is dealing with khums of war booty. Evidence for this is his statement in the beginning of the narration:

كتبت تسألني هل كان رسول الله صلى الله عليه و سلم يغزو بالنساء و قد كان يغزو بهن فيداوين الجرحى و يحذين من الغنيمة

You wrote asking me if Rasulullah salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam would wage war accompanied by women. He would wage war with them. They would tend to the injured and take from the booty.

The next question is about the khums.

Al Nawawi says:

قوله كتبت تسألني هل كان رسول الله صلى الله عليه و سلم يغزو بالنساء و قد كان يغزو بهن فيداوين الجرحى و يحذين من الغنيمة معناه خمس خمس الغنيمة الذي جعله الله لذوي القربى و قد اختلف العلماء فيه فقال الشافعي مثل قول ابن عباس و هو أن خمس الخمس من الفيء و الغنيمة يكون لذوي القربى و هم عند الشافعي و الأكثرين بنو هاشم و بنو المطلب وقوله أبى علينا قومنا ذلك أي رأوا أنه لا يتعين صرفه إلينا بل يصرفونه في المصالح و أراد قومه ولاة الأمر من بني أمية و قد صرح في سنن أبي داود و في رواية له بأن سؤال نجدة لابن عباس عن هذه المسائل كان في فتنة ابن الزبير و كانت فتنة ابن الزبير بعد بضع و ستين سنة من الهجرة و قد قال الشافعي رحمه الله يجوز أن ابن عباس أراد بقوله أبى ذلك علينا قومنا من بعد الصحابة و هم يزيد ابن معاوية والله أعلم

His statement: “You wrote asking me who the khums is for. We would say that it was for us. But our people denied us of it.” He is referring to a fifth of the khums (fifth) of booty which Allah allocated for the relatives (of Rasulullah salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam). The ‘Ulama’ have a difference of opinion with regards to it. Al Shafi’i opts for the view of Ibn ‘Abbas, i.e. the fifth of khums from both Fay’ and booty will be for the relatives. And they are according to Shafi’i and majority the Banu Hashim and Banu al Muttalib.

And his statement: “But our people denied us of it,” i.e. they thought that it is not specifically for us. Rather it can be spent for other benefits. He intends by our people the authorities from the Banu Umayyah. It is clearly mentioned in Sunan Abi Dawood and a narration of his that Najdah’s question to Ibn ‘Abbas about these rulings was during the fitnah of Ibn al Zubair which took place 60 odd years after the hijrah. Al Shafi’i rahimahu Llah had said, “It is possible that Ibn ‘Abbas meant those after the Sahabah, i.e. Yazid ibn Muawiyah. And Allah knows best!”

Next⇒ And sufficient was Allah for the believers in battle with ‘Ali

[1] Sahih Muslim Hadith: 1812.

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