The ruling on spending zakah on the printing of religious books

Question : The questioner asks: What is the ruling on spending zakah on the printing of Islamic books?

Answer : I hold back on spending zakah on the printing of Islamic books. This is because Islamic books undoubtedly fall under jihad in the path of Allah, since jihad in the path of Allah includes jihad with weapons and jihad with knowledge. However, the difficulty for me, which causes me to hold back, is that these books may be of benefit or they may not be. Otherwise, if a poor student of knowledge were to ask us to buy him religious books that he would benefit from in his learning, there would be no harm in our buying them for him from the zakah. This is because it satisfies his need on one hand, and because it is spending on jihad in the path of Allah on the other hand. Therefore, what I see is that the money should not be spent, that the zakah should not be spent on the printing of religious books, because the default is that it is not spent on them. If it becomes clear to someone that the opposite of what I say is the case, and that it falls under jihad in the path of Allah, and that this cause which made me hold back—that it may be of benefit or it may not— is not the case, and that the correct view is the opposite of what I say, then it is obligatory for him to follow what he sees to be correct.
religious books that benefit him in his learning, then there is no harm in buying them for him from the zakah, because this satisfies his need on one hand, and because this is spending for jihad in the path of Allah on the other hand. Accordingly, what I see is that money should not be given, and that zakah should not be spent on printing religious books, because the default is that it is not to be spent on them. But if it becomes clear to someone that it is contrary to what I say, and that it falls under jihad in the path of Allah, and that the reason which made me hesitate—which is that they may or may not benefit from them—becomes clear to him as contrary to what I say, and that the correct view is contrary to what I say, then it is obligatory for him to follow what he sees to be correct.