Khums
/xʊms/noun
In Islamic law, especially Twelver Shia practice, a levy of one-fifth on certain forms of income, gain, or wealth.
Did you know?The term comes from the Arabic word for “five,” and Qur’an 8:41 discusses allocating one-fifth of certain spoils, while later Shia jurisprudence expanded its application to specified gains.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Semitic
Proto-Semitic
*ḫamš-
“Five; the reconstructed Semitic root associated with the number five.”
Classical Arabic
Arabic
khams
“Five; the basic numeral from which related forms are derived.”
Early Islamic period
Quranic Arabic
khums
“A fifth portion, especially one-fifth of specified spoils or property.”
Medieval Islamic jurisprudence
Arabic
al-khums
“A legally defined one-fifth levy, particularly prominent in Shia legal interpretation.”
19th–20th Century
English
khums
“An English loanword for the Islamic one-fifth levy, commonly discussed in Islamic finance and religious studies.”