187 – “Learn the script of the Jews, for I do not trust them with regard to our Book.”

It was narrated by Abū Dāwūd (3645), al-Tirmidhī (2/119), and al-Ḥākim (1/75) — who declared it authentic — as well as by Aḥmad (5/186) and al-Fākihī in his Ḥadīth collection (1/14/2), and this is his wording. All of them transmit it through ʿAbd al-Raḥmān ibn Abī al-Zinād, from his father, from Khārijah ibn Zayd, from his father, who said: “When the Prophet ﷺ arrived in Madīnah I was brought to him and I recited to him. He then said to me…” — and he mentioned the statement. He continued: “No more than fifteen days had passed before I had mastered it; after that I used to write for the Prophet ﷺ and read their letters to him.”

Al-Tirmidhī said: “A ḥadīth that is ḥasan ṣaḥīḥ.”

I say: Its chain is ḥasan. Al-Tirmidhī only judged it authentic because it has another route, and after quoting the ḥadīth he said:

“It has also been transmitted through a different path from Zayd ibn Thābit. Al-Aʿmash related it from Thābit ibn ʿUbayd al-Anṣārī, from Zayd ibn Thābit, who said: ‘The Messenger of Allah ﷺ commanded me to learn Syriac.’”

I say: Aḥmad (5/182) and al-Ḥākim (3/422) provided a connected chain for this report through Jarīr, from al-Aʿmash, with the wording:

“The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said to me, ‘Do you know Syriac?’ I replied, ‘No.’ He said, ‘Then learn it, for documents reach us.’ So I learned it in seventeen days.”

Al-Ḥākim added:

“Al-Aʿmash said: Documents used to come to him, and he disliked anyone to see them except someone he trusted.”

And he said: