Personal Scribe of the Holy Prophet(sa) and Learning Hebrew

The scope of the correspondence of the Holy Prophet(sa) was now expanding and it was felt that a faithful Companion of the Holy Prophet(sa) should gain knowledge of Hebrew as well. In this manner, correspondence and the drafting of treaties, etc., with the Jews could be facilitated and the risk of deceit could also be removed. For this purpose, the Holy Prophet(sa) instructed a young Companion by the name of Zaid bin Thābit Anṣārī(ra), who had learned to read and write Arabic from the captives of the battle of Badr, and who was the personal scribe or private secretary of the Holy Prophet(sa), to learn how to read and write Hebrew as well. Hence, Zaid(ra), who was remarkably intelligent, managed to learn Hebrew in an effort of merely fifteen days.1 It is also worthy to note that this is the very same Zaid bin Thābit(ra), who collected and copied the Holy Qur’ān in the form of a manuscript or book, in the era of Ḥaḍrat Abū Bakr(ra), upon his instruction.2