Is Learning Arabic Necessary for Religious Knowledge?

Question

Zayd says that knowledge of fiqh and Arabic is an individual obligation (fard ‘ayn) upon every Muslim, and that one who [only] reads the Holy Qur’an and Urdu books of masa’il is unacquainted with religious knowledge. Bakr says that religious knowledge is obligatory upon every Muslim, and that religious knowledge means knowing the masa’il of the Holy Qur’an and the five pillars called the foundation of Islam — not learning Persian or Arabic.

Answer

There is agreement on the obligation of learning religious knowledge itself; the only remaining question is that of language — in which language it should be learned. The Sacred Law has not given any particular language special status in teaching; rather, one should learn in whichever language serves this purpose and is easily understood.

Source: Fatawa Mahmudiyya

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