Is it permissible to pay Zakat al-Mal (Zakat on wealth) to charitable organizations such as the Children's Cancer Hospital and the Egyptian Food Bank?

The issue of giving zakat to an entity that buys food with it and distributes it to the poor depends on the ruling regarding the permissibility of paying zakat with its monetary value. The majority of scholars hold that paying zakat with its monetary value is not permissible, while the Hanafis permitted it, and Al-Bukhari agreed with them. Sheikh Al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah took a middle ground, permitting it if the poor person chose it or if it was in their best interest. It is preferable not to give zakat to such an entity, out of consideration for the opinion of the majority and to avoid disagreement, as the basic principle is that zakat should be disbursed from the same type of wealth upon which it was due.