Hadith 3645

حَدَّثَنَا أَحْمَدُ بْنُ يُونُسَ ، حَدَّثَنَا ابْنُ أَبِي الزِّنَادِ ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ ، عَنْ خَارِجَةَ يَعْنِي ابْنَ زَيْدِ بْنِ ثَابِتٍ ، قَالَ : قَالَ زَيْدُ بْنُ ثَابِتٍ : " أَمَرَنِي رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ فَتَعَلَّمْتُ لَهُ كِتَابَ يَهُودَ ، وَقَالَ : " إِنِّي وَاللَّهِ مَا آمَنُ يَهُودَ عَلَى كِتَابِي ، فَتَعَلَّمْتُهُ ، فَلَمْ يَمُرَّ بِي إِلَّا نِصْفُ شَهْرٍ حَتَّى حَذَقْتُهُ ، فَكُنْتُ أَكْتُبُ لَهُ إِذَا كَتَبَ ، وَأَقْرَأُ لَهُ إِذَا كُتِبَ إِلَيْهِ " .
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.
Hadith Reference سنن ابي داود / كتاب العلم / 3645
Hadith Grading الألبانی: حسن صحيح  |  زبیر علی زئی: إسناده حسن, أخرجه الترمذي (2715 وسنده حسن)
Hadith Takhrij « صحیح البخاری/ الأحکام 40 (7195 تعلیقًا)، سنن الترمذی/الاستئذان 22 (2715)، (تحفة الأشراف: 3702)، وقد أخرجہ: مسند احمد (5/186) (حسن صحیح) »
Explanation & Benefits
Shaykh Umar Farooq Saeedi
Benefits and Issues:

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.


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