What is the ruling on giving a poor person money as zakat al-fitr if this is more beneficial for him, on the condition that he commits to buying food with it?

The questioner : Yesterday we were in a meeting with the charity committees to collect funds so we could buy the zakat al-fitr and so on. One of the brothers made a suggestion. He said: We are now going to buy rice, and most of the poor people, or all the poor people here, receive coupons. When we buy the rice for them at thirty-four cents per kilo, whereas if we gave them the money, they would buy the kilo with their coupon for only seventeen cents. So he said: We are taking from the poor person’s right. He thinks we should give the poor person the money, and take his commitment to buy food with this money. What is your opinion on this, O Shaykh?

The Shaykh : Yes, my opinion is that if this is carried out, there is no doubt that it is the correct view. But where is the guarantee that it will be carried out? The matter of taking a commitment today, unfortunately, most Muslims have no commitment.

The questioner : Yes.