A person forgot to pay the zakah on his wealth, so he gave charity once to one of the poor, then he remembered his zakah and intended that charity to be his zakah. Does this suffice?
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The questioner : A person forgot to pay the zakah on his wealth, so he gave charity once to one of the poor. Then, after a period of time, he remembered that he had not paid the zakah, so he intended that charity to be his zakah. Does this suffice for him?
The Shaykh : This does not suffice for him because he paid the first amount with the intention of voluntary charity, and the zakah was not on his mind. It is well known that voluntary charity is a voluntary act, whereas zakah is an obligatory duty. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said:Sahih al-Bukhari 1 He must pay the obligatory zakah that he had previously forgotten.
The questioner : May Allah bless you.
The Shaykh : This does not suffice for him because he paid the first amount with the intention of voluntary charity, and the zakah was not on his mind. It is well known that voluntary charity is a voluntary act, whereas zakah is an obligatory duty. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said:
The reward of deeds depends upon the intentions and every person will get the reward according to what he has intended.
إنما الأعمال بالنيات، وإنما لكل امرئ ما نوىThe questioner : May Allah bless you.