One who delays paying his debts until a year has passed: is zakah obligatory on him?

The questioner : There is a very important point we have not touched on, Shaykh. Some debts exist with some...

Another questioner : The liquidity at the end of the year, we calculate it.

The questioner : I say, Shaykh: some of our shops may have debts on credit, but a year has passed on the amount he has, yet this debt has not yet been settled with the merchants or paid off?

The Shaykh : Zakah is obligatory on him.

The questioner : Zakah is obligatory on him?

The Shaykh : Yes, and this obligation is so that he pays his debts to people, if he has not...

The questioner : Pardon me, I mean on him?

The Shaykh : On him, on this money that is with him, meaning if he paid it out to settle his debts, he would not owe zakah, correct?

The questioner : ... This, Shaykh, both parties pay zakah on the capital.

The Shaykh : That is a second discussion. What I understood from you is that perhaps a merchant has debts on credit:

The questioner : Owed to him or owed by him?

The Shaykh : No, he has debts on credit, and he has liquidity as you say, so he is able to pay these debts, but he did not, and a year has passed on this money he has. I say it is obligatory for him to pay zakah. This is, as it were, from the wisdom of the wise Shari'ah: why are you delaying in paying your debts? Pay this money to the people and be rid of the zakah, and that is...

The questioner : Glory be to Allah, one is not reassured that the answers do not differ, meaning... this question and this detail is presented... literally.

The Shaykh : Glory be to Allah.

The questioner : We used to know previously that I have a debt with people... people... so this detail... that you are now encouraging the person to pay his debt before the year passes, and also what is now being raised is that I currently have cash, and this cash... is merchandise, it is not from the perspective of a legal stratagem to buy merchandise before the year passes, meaning to hasten the matter so that I do not keep cash, because I originally...