Khums: Do Religious Dues Like Khums and Zakāt Fall Under Government Authority?

Practical Laws of Islam as per the teachings of Imam Khamenei

Khums: Do Religious Dues Like Khums and Zakāt Fall Under Government Authority?

English:

Question #1015:

Do religious tithes (e.g. khums, repaying al-maẓālim and zakāt) fall under the jurisdiction of the government? Can a person liable to religious tithes give the sayyids’ share of khums, al-maẓālim and zakāt to the deserving persons?

Answer #1015:

As far as zakāt and al-maẓālim are concerned, he himself is allowed to give it to any needy individual who is religious and modest, although there is a caution to give it with the permission of ḥākim of shar‘. As for the khums, it is obligatory to give it to one of our offices or to one of our authorized attorneys to use it in an area allocated by shar‘. Otherwise, one should ask permission for giving it to deserving persons.

-Imam Khamenei, Practical Laws of Islam, Importance and Conditions of Khums