Is it true that the best alms are those given to poor students of knowledge, and is it permissible to give them a portion of the Zakat on wealth?

The best recipients of charity are needy relatives whom the giver is not obligated to support, as this combines the reward of charity with maintaining kinship ties. The neediest should be prioritized if found. As for poor students of Islamic knowledge, it is permissible to give them from Zakat due to their poverty, even if they are capable of earning a living, because it is usually difficult to combine seeking knowledge with earning if they are bright and show promise in acquiring knowledge.