What is the ruling on giving from zakah to a student of knowledge?

The Shaykh : To the point that Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allah have mercy on him), in the introduction to his *Al-Nuniyyah*, placed it ahead of jihad with weapons. This is because the Muslim community needs jihad through knowledge. Especially when innovators of bid'ah (religious innovations) and scattered opinions emerge. And when everyone starts speaking about what they do not know, or speaking about acts of worship according to their desires, following desire rather than guidance. If the community turns to this state, it is obligatory that some of its sons and youth learn knowledge from the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of His Messenger in a solid manner. Not superficial knowledge, for among people are those whose information is superficial; they gather from the words of scholars and are called authors, not scholars. If you discuss with them a matter outside of what they have gathered,
he is stuck, halts, and becomes confused. His benefit to the community is small. The community now needs scholars who are solid in knowledge, possessing solidity in knowledge, trustworthiness in it, and strength of argument and proof that can repel falsehood. Do not underestimate, my brother, the seeking of Islamic knowledge. The community needs the correction of its creed, the correction of its worship, the correction of its morals, and the correction of its transactions. Who corrects these matters? It is the solid scholars of knowledge. And it needs to defend its homelands because they are the abode of the Shari'ah. But knowledge is in need, but knowledge is the protection of the Shari'ah itself. So which is stronger: to strive to protect the place of the Shari'ah, or to protect the Shari'ah itself? Protecting the Shari'ah itself. So people are in great need in our time of seeking Islamic knowledge. Therefore, seeking Islamic knowledge is undoubtedly jihad in the path of Allah. The student of knowledge who devotes himself to seeking Islamic knowledge is given from zakah what suffices him for his needs in food, drink, clothing, shelter, and the books he needs. Even if he is capable of working and earning, but he wants to devote himself to seeking knowledge, we give him everything he needs. Now, if that leads to buying a library for him, do we buy him a library from zakah? Yes, because the library for the student of knowledge is like the weapon for the fighter, like the equipment for the fighter. So it falls under the path of Allah, fighting the enemies of Allah so that the word of Allah is the highest. Second, does seeking Islamic knowledge fall under this? Yes. Devotion. Yes, does devotion to worship fall under this?
Does it fall under seeking knowledge? I mean, a man says, "I am able to work, but I prefer to devote myself to worship, to dhikr (remembrance of Allah), to prayer, and the like." There is a difference between devoting oneself to seeking knowledge and devoting oneself to worship. Devoting oneself to worship is devoting oneself to a work whose benefit does not extend beyond its doer. Devoting oneself to seeking knowledge is devoting oneself to a work whose benefit extends beyond the doer. So there is a great difference between them. Now, building homes. Building homes or buying places for mosques. Does this fall under seeking knowledge?
Does it fall under jihad in the path of Allah? This is a point of dispute among people. Some scholars say that all avenues of good fall under the path of Allah, so if you spend your zakah in any work of the avenues of good, you have spent it in its proper place. But the majority of the community holds that jihad in the path of Allah does not include every charitable work. They said, and the evidence for this is: if the intended meaning of "in the path of Allah" were every charitable work, there would be no benefit to the restriction. Where is the restriction? "Indeed, alms are only for..." Because if it were for every charitable work, everything would fall under this, and at that time there would be no need for the restriction. Because the meaning of restriction is establishing the ruling for what is mentioned and negating it for others. So there must be something restricted and something from which it is restricted. If we make "in the path of Allah" inclusive, there would be no benefit to the restriction.
And this opinion is the stronger position. This opinion is the correct one: that it is specific to jihad in the path of Allah, whether it is jihad with weapons or jihad with knowledge. It remains to be said: what do you say if we buy a place to make it a library for seeking Islamic knowledge? Does it fall under this? It appears that it falls under it. It appears that it falls under it, just as if we bought tents for the mujahideen in the path of Allah with weapons, it is permissible from zakah, because all of it is in the path of Allah. As for mosques and ribats (fortresses) for conferences and the like, they are spent from another avenue, and works of righteousness and good are many.

The questioner : An Ismaili da'wah center.

The Shaykh : An Islamic da'wah center. It requires reflection. I will reflect, if Allah wills, and see if it falls under His saying: No? No, I do not think this falls under it. If they are poor, they are given for their poverty. Yes.