Learning Languages in the Light of Quran and Sunnah: Its Legitimacy, Importance and Humanitarian Effects

Abstract

The study of foreign languages ​​is one of the most problematic issues in this age. With the need for Muslims to familiarise themselves with the latest developments in science and human knowledge and to keep abreast of developments, different views have emerged regarding the necessity of learning foreign languages. This research arises from the importance of this problem in the modern age and the lack of research addressing the Islamic ruling and the views of the Quran and Sunnah on this topic. This research provides a brief account of the languages ​​of the world and the reasons as to why some have spread more than others. It explores the fatwas of scholars on the rule of learning foreign languages, then clarifies the vision of Islam on the topic and how the Quran and Sunnah deal with non-Arabic languages. The paper then highlights the humanitarian effects resulting from learning languages. This research is an attempt to fill the vacuum of the research in Arabic on this issue.

Key Words: Education, Languages, Quran, Sunnah, Jurisprudence, Archaeology.