Is it permissible to delay the distribution of zakah by a committee entrusted with distributing it for the benefit of the poor?

The questioner : The issue I raised regarding zakah now: if we assume that we are dealing with zakah outside of the official regulations and laws, is there any sin or disobedience in the process of distributing this money to the poor on a monthly salary basis, such that this money, which the wealthy owner of the wealth entrusted me to pay out on his behalf, is delayed? In other words, is it obligatory for me to distribute the entire amount to the poor families all at once, or is it permissible for me to delay the money and distribute it according to the interest I see, or the committee sees, rather than the poor person?

The Shaykh : There is no doubt that I see no objection to the delay, or let us call it organization; yes, organization is better than delay if this delay results from an organization that considers only the interests of the poor and the needy. However, I must mention a condition: this is if the wealthy person does not distinguish between expediting and delaying. But if he conditions expediting, then it must be carried out. Yes, because I imagine that this committee, or this trustworthy and pious person, takes the place of the Bayt al-Mal (Treasury) of the Muslims, where the zakahs are available, as you know, except for the zakah of gold and silver, which are collected in the Bayt al-Mal of the Muslims, and the Caliph or his deputy distributes them according to the interests. Therefore, the distribution must be delayed after the receipt of these zakahs; this is very natural. But if the wealthy person, as we said earlier, conditions expediting, then expediting is necessary.

Another questioner : By Allah... few people condition expediting... the rest remain silent about it... in Ramadan, what is on people's minds is that zakah is paid out in Ramadan, and the rest of Ramadan comes, then the months of winter arrive with nothing...

The Shaykh: There is nothing wrong with it.