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Is it permissible for a Muslim to learn from a non-Muslim teacher?

1 min readAlso available in العربية

Knowledge is of two types: religious knowledge, which can only be acquired from trustworthy Muslims, and worldly knowledge (such as mathematics and physics), which may be acquired from Muslims and non-Muslims alike. The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, ransomed the prisoners of Badr in exchange for their teaching Muslims how to write. Likewise, Al-Shafi'i lamented the Muslims' loss of medical knowledge and their entrusting it to Jews and Christians. Officials must choose a Muslim teacher who will safeguard the youth.

Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026

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