Seeking knowledge is a form of jihad in the path of Allah, so the student of knowledge is given from zakah.

The Shaykh : Is seeking Islamic knowledge a form of jihad in the path of Allah? Yes, seeking Islamic knowledge is a form of jihad in the path of Allah. In fact, it may be more obligatory and preferable than jihad with weapons, especially when the necks of religious innovations stretch out and the rabble appear in issuing fatwas, with every person inventing his own opinion even if he is deficient in knowledge. For this is a great calamity: that innovations begin to appear in the society and the innovator finds no one to deter him from his innovation with valid proof, or that fatwa after fatwa is issued either by one who is deficient or negligent—either deficient in his knowledge or negligent in investigating and seeking the truth. For some people hold onto a bit of knowledge while missing many things they do not know, so they issue a fatwa based on what they hold, but they miss a great deal. This causes confusion among people and a divergence of their positions, until people come to think that the Shari'ah is not a strong, solid law built on sound foundations, due to the branching out of opinions that were not built on correct knowledge. In such a situation as people are passing through, seeking knowledge becomes one of the most obligatory duties. We must have complete, firm knowledge with which to repel doubts and to establish the issues and rulings of the Shari'ah, so that the Shari'ah is not lost. If seeking Islamic knowledge is a form of jihad in the path of Allah, then suppose a man comes to us who has no money but is capable of earning a living—for example, he has a high school diploma and can get a job and earn a living—but he says, "I want to devote myself to seeking Islamic knowledge." Is it permissible for us to give him from the zakah and say, "Please, rest and seek Islamic knowledge, and we will provide for all your needs"? Is it permissible or not? It is permissible for us to give him from the zakah so that he has the time to do so. Perhaps some of you recall the phrase of the commentator of *Zad al-Mustaqn'*: "And if one who is capable of earning a living devotes himself to knowledge, not to worship, and it is difficult for him to combine them, he is given from the zakah". The scholars, may Allah have mercy on them, [ruled this way]. One man came to us and said, "I want to devote myself to worship. I have a high school diploma and I can get a job with it and support myself, but I would like to worship: sit in the mosque, pray, read, and remember Allah. You give me my maintenance." Another said, "No, I want to seek knowledge, so give me maintenance." Which of the two is the one we give from the zakah? The second one, the student of knowledge, because the student of knowledge is in reality a mujahid in the path of Allah. He learns in order to defend the religion of Allah the Exalted with argument and proof. He is like the one who manufactures weapons and practices shooting to fight the enemies of the Muslims. So we give him what suffices for his needs: clothing, food, drink, and shelter.