The ruling on appointing an agent to purchase and distribute the alms given at the end of Ramadan outside the country?

Question : This man says that he appointed a person to buy the alms given at the end of Ramadan in Afghanistan and distribute it to the poor there.

Answer : Regarding this issue, the well-known position in the Hanbali school of jurisprudence is that it is not permissible, because it is not permissible to transfer the zakah from the place where it is obligatory except if there are no eligible recipients in that place. In that case, it is distributed in the nearest country. Accordingly, if there are poor people in a country, it is not distributed in another country, because the people of his country have more right to it than others. However, if there are no poor people with him, there is no harm in transferring it to other countries. Likewise, according to the stronger position, if there is a public benefit in transferring it, such as transferring it to those in greater need. But the alms given at the end of Ramadan is not like the zakah on wealth, because the time for the zakah on wealth is broader, whereas the alms given at the end of Ramadan is specific to the two days before the festival until the Friday prayer.