So that was an oversimplification; Quran 9:60 specifies the eight recipients of Zakat, and one of them is “for the sake of God”, which has been interpreted by most (but not all) scholars to refer to providing supplies and arms to non-professional (conscripted or volunteer) soldiers during Jihad. Some scholars have been more expansive of their interpretation of this, but that’s the majority opinion. This might seem out of place, which is fair but consider a situation where a Muslim state has to go to war but doesn’t have the funds to raise an army and as a result loses territory. As far as I understand it’s basically a wartime “oh shit” button.
So that was an oversimplification; Quran 9:60 specifies the eight recipients of Zakat, and one of them is “for the sake of God”, which has been interpreted by most (but not all) scholars to refer to providing supplies and arms to non-professional (conscripted or volunteer) soldiers during Jihad. Some scholars have been more expansive of their interpretation of this, but that’s the majority opinion. This might seem out of place, which is fair but consider a situation where a Muslim state has to go to war but doesn’t have the funds to raise an army and as a result loses territory. As far as I understand it’s basically a wartime “oh shit” button.