I paid zakah on my worn gold in the first, second, and third years, then I became lazy about paying its zakah in the fourth year and thereafter, and I said
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The questioner : A woman asks: I paid zakah on my worn gold in the first, second, and third years, then I became lazy about paying its zakah in the fourth year and thereafter, and I said: There is a difference of opinion on this, so it is not obligatory for me. Do I have to pay the zakah on the worn gold for the years in which I did not pay it? — Your sister Umm 'Ikrimah?
The Shaykh : We say, O Umm 'Ikrimah: It is obligatory for you to pay the zakah for all the past years, because you paid it initially considering it obligatory and a fard (obligatory duty). So what stopped you the second time? Did you study the evidence and the matter became confused for you, in which case you are excused? Or did you merely hear that there is a difference of opinion? It is not permissible, merely because there is a difference of opinion, for a person to deviate from his initial opinion. She initially committed herself to paying the zakah, so what changed her? Did she review the evidence of those who said that zakah is obligatory and the evidence of those who said it is not obligatory? Or did she merely hear that there is a difference of opinion and say: "That's it, the disagreement of the Ummah is mercy"? This is a mistake. I say to our sister Umm 'Ikrimah: May Allah bless her. She must pay the zakah for the past years, and she and others must know that zakah is a gain, not a loss. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) informed us that every person will be in the shade of his charity on the Day of Resurrection. Does any of us stay with wealth forever? And is wealth eternal for us? How many rich people have become poor, and how many rich people have died in their youth? So we say to the sister: Seek help from Allah and leave stinginess:[Al-Baqarah 2:268] The scholars said: meaning, by stinginess: [Al-Baqarah 2:268] So be glad of forgiveness, favor, and immediate replacement, and pay the zakah on your jewelry, for the general texts in the Qur'an and the Sunnah, as well as the specific texts regarding jewelry itself, indicate the obligation of zakah on jewelry. Yes.
The Shaykh : We say, O Umm 'Ikrimah: It is obligatory for you to pay the zakah for all the past years, because you paid it initially considering it obligatory and a fard (obligatory duty). So what stopped you the second time? Did you study the evidence and the matter became confused for you, in which case you are excused? Or did you merely hear that there is a difference of opinion? It is not permissible, merely because there is a difference of opinion, for a person to deviate from his initial opinion. She initially committed herself to paying the zakah, so what changed her? Did she review the evidence of those who said that zakah is obligatory and the evidence of those who said it is not obligatory? Or did she merely hear that there is a difference of opinion and say: "That's it, the disagreement of the Ummah is mercy"? This is a mistake. I say to our sister Umm 'Ikrimah: May Allah bless her. She must pay the zakah for the past years, and she and others must know that zakah is a gain, not a loss. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) informed us that every person will be in the shade of his charity on the Day of Resurrection. Does any of us stay with wealth forever? And is wealth eternal for us? How many rich people have become poor, and how many rich people have died in their youth? So we say to the sister: Seek help from Allah and leave stinginess: