The Source of Traditions on Imam al-Riḍā (Vol 2) · Hadith 526 (#Ḥadīth #3)

3 - حَدَّثَنا أَحْمَدِ بْنِ زِيادِ بْنِ جَعْفَر الهَمْدانِيَّ رَضِىَ اللهُ عَنْهُ قالَ حَدَّثَنا عَلِىِّ بْنِ إِبراهِيمِ بْنِ هاشِم عَنْ أَبي الصَّلْتِ الهَرَوِيِّ قالَ كَانَ الرِّضَا a.sُ يُكَلِّمُ النَّاسَ بِلُغَاتِهِمْ وَكَانَ وَاللَّهِ أَفْصَحَ النَّاسِ وَأَعْلَمَهُمْ بِكُلِّ لِسَانٍ وَلُغَةٍ فَقُلْتُ لَهُ يَوْماً يَا ابْنَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ إِنِّي لاعْجَبُ مِنْ مَعْرِفَتِكَ بِهَذِهِ اللُّغَاتِ عَلَى اخْتِلافِهَا فَقَالَ يَا أَبَا الصَّلْتِ أَنَا حُجَّةُ اللَّهِ عَلَى خَلْقِهِ وَمَا كَانَ اللَّهُ لِيَتَّخِذَ حُجَّةً عَلَى قَوْمٍ وَهُوَ لا يَعْرِفُ لُغَاتِهِمْ أَوَمَا بَلَغَكَ قَوْلُ أَمِيرِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ a.sُ أُوتِينَا فَصْلَ الْخِطَابِ فَهَلْ فَصْلُ الْخِطَابِ إِلا مَعْرِفَةُ اللُّغَاتِ.

54-3 Ahmad ibn Ziyad bin Ja'far al-Hamdani narrated that Ali ibn Ibrahim ibn Hashim quoted on the authority of Aba Salt al-Harawi who said, “Ar-Rida 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 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 said, ‘We have been granted elaborate speech.’ Is elaborate speech anything but mastery of all the languages?’”

Gradings are classical jarḥ-wa-taʿdīl, name-matched to a rijāl index (not individually re-verified).