Yahya related to me from Malik from Nafi that Abdullah ibn Umar used to send the zakat al-fitr to the one with whom it was collected together two or three days before the day of breaking the fast.  

أَنَّ عَبْدَ اللَّهِ بْنَ عُمَرَ كَانَ يَبْعَثُ بِزَكَاةِ الْفِطْرِ إِلَى الَّذِي تُجْمَعُ عِنْدَهُ قَبْلَ الْفِطْرِ بِيَوْمَيْنِ أَوْ ثَلاَثَةٍ  

Yahya related to me that Malik had seen that the people of knowledge used to like to pay the zakat al-fitr after dawn had broken on the day of the Fitr before they went to the place of prayer. Malik said, "There is leeway in this, if Allah wills, in that it can be paid either before setting out (for the prayer) on the day of Fitr or afterwards."  

مالِكٌ؛ أنَّهُ رَأى أهْلَ العِلْمِ يَسْتَحِبُّونَ أنْ يُخْرِجُوا زَكاةَ -[٤٠٦]- الفِطْرِ، إذا طَلَعَ الفَجْرُ مِن يَوْمِ الفِطْرِ، قَبْلَ أنْ يَغْدُوا إلى المُصَلّى.قالَ، قالَ مالِكٌ: وذلِكَ واسِعٌ، إنْ شاءَ اللهُ، أنْ يُؤَدُّوا قَبْلَ الغُدُوِّ مِن يَوْمِ الفِطْرِ و بَعْدَهُ.  

Yahya related to me that Malik said, "A man does not have to pay zakat for the slaves of his slaves, or for some one employed by him, or for his wife's slaves, except for anyone who serves him and whose services are indispensable to him, in which case he must pay zakat. He does not have to pay zakat for any of his slaves that are kafir and have not become muslim, whether they be for trade or otherwise."  

قالَ، قالَ مالِكٌ: لَيْسَ عَلى الرَّجُلِ فِي عَبِيدِ عَبِيدِهِ، ولاَ فِي أجِيرِهِ، ولاَ فِي رَقِيقِ امْرَأتِهِ، إلاَّ ما كانَ مِنهُمْ يَخْدُمُهُ، ولاَ بُدَّ لَهُ مِنهُ. ولَيْسَ عَلَيْهِ زَكاةٌ فِي أحَدٍ مِن رَقِيقِهِ، ما لَمْ يُسْلِمْ. لِتِجارَةٍ كانُوا، أوْ لِغَيْرِ تِجارَةٍ.