Dear respected Shaykh, assalamu alaikum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh. Is it permissible to give Zakat to a television channel which calls to Islam? دفع الزكاة لقناة تلفزيونية تدعو للإسلام

Praise be to Allah, and may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon the Messenger of Allah, his family and his companions. Wa alaikum assalam wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh. As to what follows: In response to your question, we say: Allah the Exalted indicated the recipients of Zakat in His statement: “Zakat expenditures are only for the poor and for the needy and for those employed to collect [Zakat] and for bringing hearts together [for Islam] and for freeing captives [or slaves] and for those in debt and for the cause of Allah and for the [stranded] traveler - an obligation [imposed] by Allah . And Allah is Knowing and Wise” [at-Tawbah 9: 60]. Thus there are eight categories of Zakat recipients, and it is not permissible to give Zakat to anyone who is outside these categories. Some scholars interpreted Allah’s statement “and for the cause of Allah” in a wide sense, and said, “it covers all types of good deeds”. The majority of the scholars are of the view that this phrase means fighting in Allah’s cause (jihad).  These scholars then differed on the interpretation of jihad and whether striving by knowledge is part of jihad or not. What is apparent is that striving by knowledge, which is explaining the Shari’ah and calling to Allah is included in the phrase “and for the cause of Allah”. Therefore, it is permissible to give Zakat to this channel, station or any means of calling to Allah the Exalted. Thus if you have ascertained that the channel disseminates programs of Islamic knowledge  and calling to Allah, then it is permissible to give Zakat to it in support of its activities, and the Zakat will be valid.