The alms given at the end of Ramadan follows the person, and the zakah on wealth follows the wealth

Question : Honorable Shaykh, we are residents of the city of Riyadh, and we appointed someone to pay our alms given at the end of Ramadan in the city of Riyadh. Is this sufficient, or should we pay it in Makkah al-Mukarramah?

Answer : We should know a principle, which is that the alms given at the end of Ramadan follows the person, and the zakah on wealth follows the wealth. Accordingly, if you are in Makkah on the day of the festival, pay your alms in Makkah, and your family pays their alms in our country. This is especially so because we all know that charity in Makkah is better than charity in another country, and that the poor in Makkah are in greater need than the poor in another country. So, for the one who is performing the lesser pilgrimage and remains until the festival, three things converge in his case: first, that the alms became obligatory upon him while he was there; second, that Makkah is better than other places; and third, that the poor there are in greater need than others.