Arabic (Original)
حَدَّثَنَا سُلَيْمَانُ بْنُ دَاوُدَ حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنُ أَبِي الزِّنَادِ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنْ خَارِجَةَ بْنِ زَيْدٍ أَنَّ أَبَاهُ زَيْدًا أَخْبَرَهُ أَنَّهُ لَمَّا قَدِمَ النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ الْمَدِينَةَ قَالَ زَيْدٌ ذُهِبَ بِي إِلَى النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ فَأُعْجِبَ بِي فَقَالُوا يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ هَذَا غُلَامٌ مِنْ بَنِي النَّجَّارِ مَعَهُ مِمَّا أَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ عَلَيْكَ بِضْعَ عَشْرَةَ سُورَةً فَأَعْجَبَ ذَلِكَ النَّبِيَّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ وَقَالَ يَا زَيْدُ تَعَلَّمْ لِي كِتَابَ يَهُودَ فَإِنِّي وَاللَّهِ مَا آمَنُ يَهُودَ عَلَى كِتَابِي قَالَ زَيْدٌ فَتَعَلَّمْتُ كِتَابَهُمْ مَا مَرَّتْ بِي خَمْسَ عَشْرَةَ لَيْلَةً حَتَّى حَذَقْتُهُ وَكُنْتُ أَقْرَأُ لَهُ كُتُبَهُمْ إِذَا كَتَبُوا إِلَيْهِ وَأُجِيبُ عَنْهُ إِذَا كَتَبَ حَدَّثَنَا سُرَيْجُ بْنُ النُّعْمَانِ حَدَّثَنَا ابْنُ أَبِي الزِّنَادِ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنْ خَارِجَةَ بْنِ زَيْدٍ عَنْ زَيْدِ بْنِ ثَابِتٍ قَالَ أَتَى رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ مَقْدَمَهُ الْمَدِينَةَ فَذَكَرَ نَحْوَهُ.
English Translation
Sulayman ibn Dawud told us: Abd al-Rahman ibn Abi al-Zinad told us, from his father, from Kharija ibn Zayd, that his father Zayd informed him that when the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, arrived in Medina, Zayd said: "I was taken to the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, and he was pleased with me, and they said: 'O Messenger of Allah, this is a boy from Banu al-Najjar who has memorized more than ten surahs of what Allah has revealed to you.' The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, was pleased with that and said: 'O Zayd, learn for me the script of the Jews, for by Allah, I do not trust the Jews with my correspondence.'" Zayd said: "So I learned their script, and no more than fifteen nights passed before I had mastered it, and I would read their letters for him when they wrote to him, and reply on his behalf when he wrote." Surayj ibn al-Nu'man told us: Ibn Abi al-Zinad told us, from his father, from Kharija ibn Zayd, from Zayd ibn Thabit, who said: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, came at the time of his arrival in Medina, and he mentioned the like of it.