sixteen days.(1) However, Shaykh al-Islam held that the reason for this was that Hebrew is close to Arabic, and so it was easy for Zayd ibn Thabit, may Allah be pleased with him. In any case, Shaykh al-Islam, may Allah have mercy on him, held that the statement of one upright person is sufficient for translation, and this is the correct view.

The author also teaches us that a person should learn the languages of others when there is a need to learn them. Thus, if a judge is among a people many of whom speak a language other than Arabic while he himself is Arab, he should learn their language so that he can understand their speech directly. For no matter how trustworthy a person may be, your trust in him can never equal your trust in yourself.

As for learning such a language without need, it is a waste of time; moreover, it may lead to an inclination toward those who speak that language. If one becomes accustomed to speaking it and neglects Arabic, then this is either disliked or forbidden. Thus, learning non-Arabic languages for a need is unobjectionable, whereas learning them without need is frivolous and a waste of time, and one fears that it may lead to affection for those who speak that language. If it is learned as a replacement for Arabic, then this is either disliked or forbidden.

The first case, which is permissible, may at times become obligatory, such as when learning this language