Ruling on waiving a debt from a person in financial difficulty with the intention of zakah

Q: I lent a person a sum of money, but due to his financial circumstances and his inability to pay, he could not settle it. I wanted to count that with Allah and not demand the amount from him, but rather treat this loan as if it were zakah that I gave him. Is it permissible to consider this amount as zakah? I hope you will inform me. May Allah reward you with good.

A: If a right is due to you from a person, it is not permissible for you to waive it and intend it as zakah, because in that you are preserving your wealth. You have taken the waiving of this money, which you did not receive, as zakah from your wealth, while keeping the zakah that is obligatory for you to pay as your property. And success is from Allah.