Is it permissible to postpone the payment of Zakat on wealth with the intention of building a general charitable project for the people of the town, along with the intention of donating more than the amount of Zakat, and if the project is not completed due to problems, is it permissible to donate the value of the Zakat to another entity that carries out a similar project, and is it a condition that the project be in the same town?

Zakat must be given out immediately when it becomes due, and it is not permissible to delay it when one has the ability to do so. This is because it is a right for those who are entitled to it, whom Allah Almighty mentioned in the verse: "Indeed, [prescribed] charities are only for the poor..." Delay is permissible in cases of verified harm, or to deliver it to relatives or those in dire need, or due to the absence of eligible recipients from the eight categories. It should also be known that "fi sabilillah (in the way of Allah)" refers to those striving in His cause, and it is not permissible to spend Zakat on charitable projects such as mosques or hospitals; rather, voluntary sadaqat (charitable donations) are for these purposes.