Question : A question was asked regarding [the validity of] learning a foreign language.

Fatwa in Brief: If there is no legal necessity to learn a foreign language, then doing so is disliked (makruh).

Permanent Committee, 12/133

Response:

Mastering a language is permitted. Those who do so gain valuable knowledge and rewards (thawab), as long as their purpose for doing so is good, and their use of this language agrees with [the principles and demands of] the law.

Commentary:

Among Muslims, there should be those with knowledge of foreign languages. This is specifically the case for those who wish to call [non-Muslims] to Islam. [But] It is also important in terms of coexisting with other countries. No authoritative text forbids this; while there are reasons for us to encourage it [second language acquisition among Muslims]. Al-Bukhari includes a hadith, attributed to Zaid ibn Thabit, in which the Prophet (upon him be peace) ordered Zaid to learn to write Hebrew. Zayd did so accordingly: “I would write for him when he wrote (to them), and read to him when something was written to him”. Likewise, Abu Jamra remarked that: “I used to translate for Ibn ‘Abbas and the people, and some of the people said: A ruler should have translators”.

The Prophet (upon him be peace) was fond of Zayd because he had memorized much of the Holy Book. So the Prophet (upon him be peace) asked Zayd to learn the language of the Jews, as he did not trust the Jews to record the Qur’an in their language accurately. [It is said that] Zayd took half a month to learn Hebrew, and, subsequently, wrote for the Prophet when he [the Prophet] wished to address the Jews; similarly, when they wrote to him [the Prophet], Zaid translated what had been written. Thus, Zayd learnt Hebrew and/or Syriac by order of the Prophet, and because they was a need for this. The scholars spoke about mastering a language, so that [foreign] witnesses may, for instance, be trusted in court. This shows that mastering a foreign language is permitted; and that the one who does so gains valuable knowledge and rewards (thawab), providing that his/her intentions are pure, and that his/her use of language remains within the parameters of the law.[1]

In the Fatwa Centre, under the supervision of Dr. ‘Abdullah al-Faqih:

There is no prohibition against people learning foreign languages, such as English. Indeed, learning these languages could be obligatory on some members of society, if there were sufficient benefits depending upon this. And God knows best.[2]

Dr. Yassir ‘Abd al-‘Azim