A man has wealth and has not paid its zakah for four years; should he pay it for the four years or only for the current year, and how does he pay the zakah from it?
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The questioner : The third question says: I have a sum of money that I have accumulated over several years, and it increases year after year. However, I have not paid its zakah for four years, and I want to pay it now. Should I pay it for the past years or only for the current year? And how much do I pay as zakah from it?
The Shaykh : If you have cash that has been in your possession for several years without you paying its zakah, then you have sinned by delaying the zakah, because it is obligatory for a person to pay the zakah as soon as it becomes due and not to delay it, because the principle regarding obligations is that they must be performed immediately. Accordingly, you have sinned by this delay, so you must repent to Allah (Mighty and Majestic) from this sin, and you must hasten now to pay the zakah for all the years that have passed. Nothing of this zakah is waived from you; rather, you must repent and hasten to pay it so that you are not affected by the delay or so that you do not increase in sin by your delay.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : Yes.
The Shaykh : If you have cash that has been in your possession for several years without you paying its zakah, then you have sinned by delaying the zakah, because it is obligatory for a person to pay the zakah as soon as it becomes due and not to delay it, because the principle regarding obligations is that they must be performed immediately. Accordingly, you have sinned by this delay, so you must repent to Allah (Mighty and Majestic) from this sin, and you must hasten now to pay the zakah for all the years that have passed. Nothing of this zakah is waived from you; rather, you must repent and hasten to pay it so that you are not affected by the delay or so that you do not increase in sin by your delay.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : Yes.