Answer
Wa `alaykum as-Salamu wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.
In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.
All praise and thanks are due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon His Messenger.
In thsi fatwa:
Forgetting to pay Zakat Al-Fitr does not remove the obligation. It remains a debt until paid. Scholars agree that fulfilling it promptly is necessary. Similarly, paying Zakat on gold above 85 grams is encouraged to ensure full compliance. Delayed Zakat Al-Fitr should be paid as soon as possible.
Responding to your question, Dr. Salah Al-Sawy, the President of the Shari`ah Academy and the Secretary General for the Assembly of Muslim Jurists in America, states:
You are obliged to pay the Zakat al-Fitr that you did not give out last year, and the fact that you forgot lifts from you the sin of not meeting your obligation.
However, it remains a debt upon you. You will not be relieved of the responsibility until you pay it, so do that promptly, and may Allah bless you.
As for paying Zakah on permissible adornment, this is a point of disagreement among the scholars. The opinion that it must be paid is more certain to clear you of your obligation and more cautious in terms of your faith.
So, if the amount of gold has reached the legal threshold (nisab), which is 85 grams, you have to pay the Zakah for it, for that is better in terms of meeting your obligation and more pleasing to your Allah.
We ask Allah to grant success to us and to you. And Allah Almighty is the Most High, and He knows best.
The following fatwas offer more clarity on the matter:
Rules and Significance of Zakat Al-Fitr
Can Zakat al-Fitr Be Paid in Cash?
Allah Almighty knows best.
Editor’s note: This fatwa is from Ask the Scholar’s archive and was originally published at an earlier date.
Source: www.amjaonline.com
