Languages of the Imam

Question:

Which languages does the Imam (a.) speak?

Answer:

Ali Ibn Ibrahim reported that Abu As-Salt Al-Harawi said: “Imam Ar-Rida (a.) used to speak to people in their languages and by God, he was the most eloquent and knowledgeable of people in tongue and language. I said to him one day: “O Son of the Messenger of God, I am overwhelmed by your knowledge of these languages despite their differences!” He said: “O Abu As-Salt, I am the proof of God for His creation, and God does not make use of any proof of a people who cannot speak their languages, or did the statement of the Commander of the Faithful (a.) not come to your ears: “We have been blessed with the eloquence?” Is then the eloquence something other than being able to speak languages?” [Uyun-ul-Akhbar of As-Saduq, Volume 2, page 251 Hadith 3]

حدثنا أحمد بن زياد بن جعفر الهمداني رضي الله عنه قال: حدثنا علي بن إبراهيم بن هاشم عن أبي الصلت الهروي قال: كان الرضا عليه السلام يكلم الناس بلغاتهم وكان والله أفصح الناس وأعلمهم بكل لسان ولغة فقلت له يوما: يا بن رسول الله إني لاعجب من معرفتك بهذه اللغات على اختلافها! فقال: يا أبا الصلت أنا حجة الله على خلقه وما كان الله ليتخذ حجة على قوم وهو لا يعرف لغاتهم أو ما بلغك قول أمير المؤمنين عليه السلام: أوتينا فصل الخطاب؟! فهل فصل الخطاب إلا معرفة اللغات