What is the ruling on delaying the payment of zakah

Question : What is the ruling on delaying the giving of the zakah of wealth to those who are entitled to it, knowing that it has already been set aside from the wealth, but its payment was delayed in the hope that a needy relative from a faraway land would arrive, and he is poor? What is the ruling on that?

Answer : The scholars (may Allah have mercy on them) have stated that it is permissible to delay the payment of zakah for a benefit, such as extreme need or kinship, or something similar. However, if there is no benefit, it is obligatory to pay it immediately, because it is a debt that is obligatory, and a person must hasten to pay it. Who knows, perhaps he will die before he pays it, and it will remain a debt in his estate. Many heirs do not care about paying off the debts of the deceased. But if he wants to delay it for a benefit, either for the recipient or because he has not found anyone worthy of it, and he waits until he investigates and looks for who is worthy, then there is nothing wrong with that, provided that it should not be delayed for a long time, but rather for a month, a month and a half, or something similar.