Is it permissible to send a poor person to collect money I lent to someone, with the intention of it being Zakat?

Remitting a debt and counting it as zakat is impermissible, as it does not fulfill the condition of transferring ownership to the poor person. For absolution is a remission, not a transfer of ownership.

However, if the scenario involves authorizing the poor person to collect their right from the debtor and counting that as zakat, then there is no objection to it, and it is sufficient.

If the poor person has not collected the debt, then zakat must be paid, because the obligation remains incumbent.