Peace be upon you. If I give Zakat al-Fitr to an organization that has sufficient expertise in identifying the needy, or I give it to someone to pay on behalf of the needy, is it permissible for them to delay it until after noon on the day of Eid or to the days following Eid?
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1 Answer
Peace be upon you and God's mercy and blessings.
Grand Ayatollah Sayyid Khamenei (may God protect him):
Firstly, Zakat al-Fitr must be paid before the Eid prayer for those who perform it, or before noon for those who do not. Therefore, giving it to this organization to distribute after the prayer or after noon is problematic. Merely setting it aside with this organization is not sufficient; it must be paid directly to the needy if possible. However, if this organization has prior authorization from the needy to collect Zakat al-Fitr on their behalf, then there is no issue, as the payment to this organization would be considered payment to the needy.
Source: Official Website + Fiqh of the Guardian - Charity Rulings + Office of Sayyid Khamenei in Lebanon + Special Inquiry
Grand Ayatollah Sayyid Sistani (may God protect him):
Zakat al-Fitr must be paid before the Eid prayer for those who perform it, or before the prayer for those who do not. Merely setting it aside is not sufficient; however, it is adequate if one is waiting for a specific needy person or if this organization is more knowledgeable in identifying the needy. If this organization has prior authorization from the needy to collect Zakat al-Fitr on their behalf, then there is no issue, as the payment to this organization would be considered payment to the needy.
Source: Minhaj al-Salihin - Vol. 1 - Time of Obligation for Zakat al-Fitr + Remaining Rulings of Zakat - M1164 + Distribution of Zakat al-Fitr + Official Website
May you be successful in all good.