A man guaranteed a debt owed by a third party to another, but the debtor became unable to pay. Is it permissible for the guarantor to pay the guaranteed debt from his zakah?

The questioner : May Allah forgive you: A man guaranteed a debt owed by a third party to another, but the debtor became unable to pay. Is it permissible for the guarantor to pay the guaranteed debt from his zakah?

The Shaykh : Yes.
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
The issue is clearly defined:
A man guaranteed a debt for a person, meaning he said, “I guarantee it.” Then the debtor became unable to pay. Is it permissible for the guarantor to pay the debt of the guaranteed person from his zakah?
The answer is: Yes, this is permissible, because it falls under the general meaning of the statement of Allah the Exalted: . The guarantor says, “I did not pay the debt for myself, but rather I paid it for the debtor, and I cleared his liability. I know that if I pay it from my own wealth, the debt will remain in the liability of the creditor. In that case, my paying it from my zakah is a clearing of the creditor’s liability, and it falls under the general meaning of the verse.”