ʿUyūn akhbār al-Riḍā - Content

ʿUyūn akhbār al-Riḍā - Content Chapter: On Ar-Ridha’s Knowledge of All the Languages 2 - حَدَّثَنا أَبي رَضِىَ اللهُ عَنْهُ قالَ حَدَّثَنا سَعْدِ بْنِ عَبْدِ اللَّه قالَ حَدَّثَنا أَحْ٠َدِ بْنِ أَبي عَبْدِ اللَّه البَرْقِي‏حَدَّثَنا أَبُو هاشِ٠داوُدِ بْنِ القاسِ٠الجَعْفَرِيِّ قالَ كُنْتُ أَتَغَدَّى ٠َعَ أَبِي الْحَسَنِ‏ عَلَيْهِ السَّلا٠ُ فَيَدْعُو بَعْضَ غِلْ٠َانِهِ بِالصَّقْلَبِيَّةِ وَالْفَارِسِيَّةِ وَرُبَّ٠َا بَعَثْتُ غُلا٠ِي هَذَا بِشَيْ‏ءٍ ٠ِنَ الْفَارِسِيَّةِ فَيُعَلِّ٠َا كَانَ يَنْغَلِقُ الْكَلا٠ِهِ بِالْفَارِسِيَّةِ فَيَفْتَحُ هُوَ عَلَى غُلا٠54-2 (The author of the book narrated) my father - may God be pleased with him - narrated that Sa’d ibn Abdullah quoted on the authority of Ahmad ibn Abi Abdullah al-Barqi, on the authority of Abu Hashem Dawood ibn Al-Qasim al-Ja’fari, “I used to eat lunch with Abal Hassan Ar-Ridha’ (a.s.).

Sometimes he (a.s.) spoke to some of his servants in Slavic and Persian (Farsi) languages. Sometimes I sent my servant who spoke Persian to the Imam (a.s.) and Ar-Ridha’ (a.s.) knew Persian. Sometimes it became difficult for the servants to understand Persian. Then the Imam (a.s.) used to explain things for them himself.