in English, while he understands its meaning and the husband and the two witnesses also understand its meaning, then the stronger view is that the marriage is valid, since what matters is the meaning. However, he should be disciplined for concluding a marriage contract—which is a legal contract and among the finest and most important of contracts in the sacred law—in a language other than Arabic despite knowing Arabic. For this reason, the Commander of the Faithful, Umar ibn al-Khattab, may Allah be pleased with him, would strike those who spoke in foreign jargon (1).

Today, some of our Muslim brothers, because of the weakness of faith in their hearts and weakness of character within themselves, speak English. You find that when one of them speaks to his companion in English, and the latter responds to him in English, he swells with pride, as though he had gained the east and west of the earth, simply because he can speak English. At that point, he embodies the poet’s words:

“I am the son of a renowned man, one who scales lofty passes; whenever I put on the turban, you know me.”

This is because he knows how to speak English. I have even been told that some people—may Allah protect us—teach their young children English, and when they wish to bid them farewell or greet them, they greet them in English, abandoning, “Peace be upon you,” or, “And upon you be peace”! This is a disgrace and a shame. Even if the matter were not one of the sacred law, it ought at least to be a matter of national identity: should I turn to the language of another people when I possess Arabic?! Arabic is the most eloquent of languages, yet I turn to other languages?!

Therefore, in my view, one who teaches his child English from an early age will be held accountable for it on the Day of Resurrection, because it causes the child to love this language and prefer it over Arabic. Consequently, it leads to loving those among its people who speak it and to disdaining those who