Praise be to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon the Messenger of Allah.
There is nothing wrong with learning foreign languages. It may even be recommended when it serves a beneficial purpose, such as calling people to Allah, acquiring useful knowledge, or fulfilling a legitimate need. However, a Muslim should not use the distorted Bible as a means of learning English if doing so exposes them to doubts or makes them vulnerable to Christian missionary influence or false beliefs.
Learning foreign languages is permissible in principle and may be a beneficial act for which a Muslim is rewarded if the intention is sound, such as communicating with non-Muslims, inviting them to Islam, or acquiring useful knowledge.
Therefore, the issue is not learning English itself, but the means used to learn it.
There is an important distinction between incidental reading of a passage for language practice and studying the Bible as a religious or educational text.
Studying the Bible currently in circulation is not permissible for a person who lacks sufficient Islamic knowledge to distinguish between truth and falsehood in it, especially if the study may lead to religious doubts or Christian influence.
As for qualified scholars, they may examine the books of the People of the Book when necessary to identify their distortions and respond to them, not for religious guidance or instruction.
It was narrated that Umar ibn al-Khattab brought the Prophet ﷺ a book he had received from some of the People of the Book. The Prophet ﷺ became angry and said:
“Are you confused by it, O son of al-Khattab? By the One in Whose Hand is my soul, I have brought you a clear and pure message. By the One in Whose Hand is my soul, if Moses were alive, he would have no choice but to follow me.”
Narrated by Ahmad (14736); al-Albani regarded it as hasan in Irwa’ al-Ghalil (6/34).
Thus, a Muslim has been given sufficient guidance through the revelation brought by the Prophet ﷺ and should not make altered scriptures a source of religious guidance or expose themselves unnecessarily to doubts.
If the English course uses the Bible and its program goes beyond language instruction to teaching Christian beliefs, influencing Muslims, or promoting conversion to Christianity, one should avoid participating in it.
Allah تعالى says:
“They will continue fighting you until they turn you away from your religion, if they are able.” [Al-Baqarah 2:217]
This does not mean that every institution or English course using religious texts is necessarily intended for missionary purposes. Rather, the ruling depends on the actual content, purpose, and nature of the program.
English can be learned through many alternatives that avoid these concerns, including:
Specialized language courses.
Neutral educational books and curricula.
Conversation and practice with qualified teachers.
Educational applications and websites.
Learning materials that do not promote beliefs contrary to Islam.
These alternatives achieve the intended purpose of learning the language without exposing the Muslim to material that could harm their faith.
Learning English is permissible and may be beneficial and rewardable depending on the intention and purpose. However, a Muslim should not make the altered Bible a means of learning English, especially when this exposes them to religious doubts or when the program uses language education as a means of Christian missionary activity.
It is preferable to choose educational materials independent of altered religious scriptures, since there are many accessible ways to learn English and no need to expose oneself to material that could harm one's faith.
And Allah knows best.