Narrated Zayd ibn Thabit: The Messenger of Allah ﷺ ordered me (to learn the writing of the Jews), so I learnt for him the writing of the Jews. He said: I swear by Allah, I do not trust Jews in respect of writing for me. So I learnt it, and only a fortnight passed that. I mastered it. I would write for him when he wrote (to them), and read to him when something was written to him.
Explanation & Benefits
Shaykh Umar Farooq Saeedi
Benefits and Issues:
➊
Acquiring knowledge of any language or script of non-Muslims, for religious or worldly purposes, is not impermissible.
However, making it a part of one’s own culture is impermissible.
And when this knowledge is acquired for religious purposes, there is reward in it as well.
➋
And these languages should be taught to those individuals among the Muslims who have a need for them.
Otherwise, making it a general part of the curriculum and declaring it compulsory is a great injustice both religiously and worldly.
Source: Sunan Abu Dawood – Commentary by Shaykh Umar Farooq Saeedi, Page: 3645