The Boy Who Learned Their Writing

Zayd ibn Thabit of the Banu al-Najjar was a boy of eleven or so when the Prophet ﷺ reached Madinah. His family brought him to the Prophet ﷺ, and reports say that he had already learned a number of surahs by heart. The Prophet ﷺ was impressed by his memory and by his ability to write.

The Prophet ﷺ then gave him a practical task. Zayd reports, "The Prophet ﷺ commanded me to learn the writing of the Jews, saying, 'By Allah, I do not trust the Jews with my letters.' Before half a month had passed I had learned it, and I used to write his letters to them and read their letters to him" (Jami' al-Tirmidhi 2715; Sunan Abi Dawud 3645). Some reports say he also learned Syriac.

So at an age when most boys were still learning to play, Zayd was already being trusted with the correspondence of the community's leader.