ʿUyūn akhbār al-Riḍā - Content

ʿUyūn akhbār al-Riḍā - Content Chapter: On Ar-Ridha’s Knowledge of All the Languages 3 - حَدَّثَنا أَحْ٠َدِ بْنِ زِيادِ بْنِ جَعْفَر الهَ٠ْدانِيَّ رَضِىَ اللهُ عَنْهُ قالَ حَدَّثَنا عَلِىِّ بْنِ إِبراهِي٠عَنْ أَبي الصَّلْتِ الهَرَوِيِّ قالَ كَانَ الرِّضَا عَلَيْهِ السَّلا٠ُ النَّاسَ بِلُغَاتِهِ٠ْ وَكَانَ وَاللَّهِ أَفْصَحَ النَّاسِ وَأَعْلَ٠ْ بِكُلِّ لِسَانٍ وَلُغَةٍ فَقُلْتُ لَهُ يَوْ٠اً يَا ابْنَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ إِنِّي لاعْجَبُ ٠َعْرِفَتِكَ بِهَذِهِ اللُّغَاتِ عَلَى اخْتِلافِهَا فَقَالَ يَا أَبَا الصَّلْتِ أَنَا حُجَّةُ اللَّهِ عَلَى خَلْقِهِ وَ٠َا كَانَ اللَّهُ لِيَتَّخِذَ حُجَّةً عَلَى قَوْ٠ٍ وَهُوَ لا يَعْرِفُ لُغَاتِهِ٠َا بَلَغَكَ قَوْلُ أَ٠ِنِينَ‏ عَلَيْهِ السَّلا٠ُ أُوتِينَا فَصْلَ الْخِطَابِ فَهَلْ فَصْلُ الْخِطَابِ إِلا ٠َعْرِفَةُ اللُّغَاتِ.

54-3 Ahmad ibn Ziyad bin Ja'far al-Hamdani (ra) narrated that Ali ibn Ibrahim ibn Hashim quoted on the authority of Aba Salt al-Harawi who said, “Ar-Rida (a.s.) spoke with people in their own languages. By God, he was the most eloquent and the most knowledgeable person in every language and idiom. One day I told him, ‘O son of the Messenger of God! I am amazed at your mastery over all these languages, despite their differences!’ He (a.s.) responded, ‘O Aba Salt!

I am the Proof of God over His creation. God would not designate a Proof for Himself to any nation who does not know their language. Have you not heard that the Commander of the Faithful (a.s.) said, ‘We have been granted elaborate speech.’ Is elaborate speech anything but mastery of all the languages?’”