Is it permissible to support dawah-oriented pages on social media platforms with Zakat funds, given that the propagation reaches a larger number of followers?

The categories of Zakat (definition) expenditures were clarified by Allah in Surat At-Tawbah (definition) (9:60), and "in the cause of Allah" (fi sabilillah) is one of these categories. Scholars have agreed that warriors (ghuzat) are included therein, but they have differed on what else it encompasses. One opinion is that "in the cause of Allah" includes jihad in its general sense (jihad of the hand, wealth, and tongue), which is fighting and inviting to Allah. This is also the resolution of the Islamic Fiqh Council in Mecca. The evidence for this opinion is that jihad is not limited to military combat, and that inviting to Allah, even if not explicitly mentioned, can be included by analogy.

Although some scholars have expanded it to include academic jihad, this expansion should not be so broad as to waste Zakat funds. Not every page or book fulfills the meaning of legitimate jihad. Rather, it is confined to Qur'anic schools, the education of Muslim children (especially in poor countries), the dedication of preachers, and specialized, clearly beneficial scholarly and da'wah (invitation to Islam) websites, all with piety and trustworthiness. This does not apply to promoting social media pages that publish information available elsewhere; rather, it applies to scholarly pages that support Islam, refute misconceptions, and fill a needed void for people.