What is obligatory for one who did not pay zakah for years and was ignorant of the ruling?

Question:
May Allah reward you, Honorable Shaykh. This questioner says: I did not pay the zakah on my wealth for more than three years because of my ignorance. What is obligatory for me now? Do I pay it out each year, or do I gather it all together?

Answer:
Do not gather it all together. Calculate it and pay it out immediately, without delay. Do not postpone it for three years. Your first year is sufficient. Ignorance does not drop the obligation; it does not drop the fard. Ignorance, yes, it drops the sin, but it does not drop the fard. If you did not know that there are five prayers, they are not dropped from you; no, you must make them up. So ignorance does not drop the fard, but it only drops the sin. Yes.