"Sayyeds", a bidah?

It is an extremely common religious practice among the Shia communities, that the descendents of the Prophet (pbuh) through his daughter Fatima and her husband Imam Ali (as), are regarded as a special class and are called "sayyeds" (i.e. master/leader, in Arabic). 

However, is there any Islamic basis for this concept? The proponents of this practice argue by bringing forward the  Shia fiqhi (jurisprudential) view of zakat (obligatory charity) being haram on "Sayyeds", and khums being halal on them instead, to prove that the "sayyeds" are a special category. 

We shall now examine if our classical fiqh sources actually support this claim.

الهداية - الشيخ الصدوق - الصفحة ١٧٦

Al Hidayah by Shaikh Sadooq, Page 176

وقد فضل الله بني هاشم بتحريم الزكاة عليهم

And Allah (swt) has graced the Bani Hashim with zakat being haram for them.

المقنعة - الشيخ المفيد - الصفحة ٢٤٣

Al Muqniah by Shaikh Mufid, Page 243

وتحرم الزكاة الواجبة علي بني هاشم جميعا من ولد أمير المؤمنين علي بن أبي طالب عليه السلام، وجعفر، وعقيل، والعباس رضي الله عنهم

Zakat is haram for all the Bani Hashim, from the progeny of Imam Ali (as), Ja'far b. abi Talib, Aqil b. abi Talib, and Abbas b. Abdul Muttalib, may Allah (swt) be pleased with them.

مختلف الشيعة - العلامة الحلي - ج ٣ - الصفحة ٢١٨

Mukhtalif al Shia by Allama Hilli, Volume 3 Page 218

وفي المبسوط: الصدقة المفروضة محرمة على النبي - صلى الله عليه وآله - وآله وهم ولد هاشم، ولا يوجد هاشمي إلا من ولد أبي طالب العلويين والعقيليين والجعفريين، ومن ولد عباس بن عبد المطلب، ومن أولاد الحارث بن عبد المطلب، ويوجد من أولاد أبي لهب أيضا,  وهذا الأخير أصوب

Shaikh Tusi wrote in al Mabsoot (Volume 1 Page 259): "Zakat is haram for the Prophet (pbuh) and his family, which is the progeny of Hashim. The Hashimids (the progeny of Hashim) are not found but among the progeny of Abu Talib, which includes the progeny of Imam Ali (as), Aqil b. abi Talib, and Ja'far b. abi Talib, and the progeny of Abbas b. Abdul Muttalib, as well as the descendents of Harith b.Abdul Muttalib. The descendents of Abu Lahab* are also included." And this is the most correct view.

*Translator's note: As can be seen, the prohibition of zakat is for all the Bani Hashim (the progeny of Hashim), including the progeny of Abu Lahab, and there is no special category for the progeny of Imam Ali (as) exclusively through Fatima only. Also, as can be seen, the Bani Hashim have not been denoted any special title such as "Sayyed" (master/leader) in our fiqh texts.

The above texts have covered the issue of zakat, now let us see the issue of khums.

مختلف الشيعة - العلامة الحلي - ج ٣ - الصفحة ٣٣٠

Mukhtalif al Shia by Allama Hilli, Volume 3 Page330

مسألة: المشهور أن المراد باليتامى والمساكين وابن السبيل في آية الخمس من قرابة النبي - صلى الله عليه وآله - من بني هاشم خاصة، ذهب إليه الشيخان، وابن أبي عقيل، وأبو الصلاح، وباقي فقهائنا

It is popular among our scholars that what is meant by the orphans, the poor ones, and the wayfarer, in the verse of khums (8:41), among the kindred of the Prophet (pbuh), are those exclusively from the Bani Hashim. Among those who advocated this view are Shaikh Mufid, Shaikh Tusi, ibn abi Aqil, Abu Salah, and other scholars.

*Translator's note: As can seen, the ruling is the same with regards to khums as well, in that the ruling applies to all the Bani Hashim, not just the children of Fatima, and neither is any special title (such as Sayyed) denoted for the Bani Hashim.