Is the reward for charity attained merely by its disbursement, or upon its reaching the needy? And does the reward differ between giving it to charitable organizations and delivering it by hand? And does spending on oneself and one's family carry the same reward as charity given to the poor and needy? And how can "who among you has fed a needy person today?" be applied?

Firstly: Giving charity to an agent does not secure the reward until the poor person receives it, because the agent is in the position of the principal, and the principal has the right to reclaim the charity as long as the poor person has not received it. However, for governmental charitable society funds, their receipt is considered equivalent to the poor person's receipt, because they act in place of those who collect and distribute charities.

Secondly: It is preferable for the donor to distribute their charity and give it to the poor themselves if possible.

Thirdly: Spending on oneself and one's family to keep them chaste (or self-sufficient) carries a greater reward than mere charity, due to the Prophet's (peace be upon him) saying: "The greatest in reward is that which you spend on your family," and his saying: "Begin with yourself and give charity to it. If anything remains, then for your family. If anything remains from your family, then for your relatives. If anything remains from your relatives, then so and so."

Fourthly: The reward from feeding the needy is obtained through direct feeding, whether by inviting them to eat or by giving food to them. Giving money is not considered feeding.