Shiites are attached to their Imams\nnot only by belief, but also by their strong emotional attachment. This is why in various situations, especially\nin times of hardship, Shiites turn to the Imams to pour out their hearts. But\nin order for this heartfelt connection to work, it is necessary to have mutual\nunderstanding between the Imam and his follower. Do differences in languages,\nall from English, French, Spanish, all through eastern languages of Farsi,\nHindi, and the like, and even local dialects affect the connection with the\ninfallible Imams (PBUT)?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ismael Sindi narrates, \u201cI was in India\nwhen I heard God\u2019s representative is among the Arabs, so I left my city to\nsearch for God\u2019s representative. I was introduced to Imam Reza (PBUH) and I\nwent to visit him. I went there while I could not speak Arabic and thus, I\ngreeted him with my local dialect; he fluently responded back and we started to\nconverse.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I asked Imam Reza (PBUH): I heard back\nin India that God\u2019s representative is amongst the Arab and so I came out\nsearching for him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Imam (PBUH) responded in my own\nlocal dialect, saying \u2018Indeed, I am the representative of God, so ask what you\nseek.\u20191<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I proceeded with my questions\u2026.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Sheikh Saduq narrates from Abu Al-Selt\nHeravi, \u201cImam Reza (PBUH) was speaking to some people in their own language,\nand by God he was the most fluent and knowledge of the people in any language\nand word. One day I asked the Imam, \u2018O\nson of the Messenger of Allah! I am astonished at how fluent you are in all\nlanguages, despite their differences and varieties.\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Imam responded, \u2018O father of Selt!\nI am Allah\u2019s representative among His servants, and Allah does not appoint a\nleader to a people, in which they cannot understand his language and words.\u20192\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Along these lines, the famous\nnarrator, Allameh Majlesi dedicated a whole chapter of his book Bihar ul-Anwar\nto the topic, \u201cThe Infallible Imams (PBUT) are fluent in all languages, and\nspeak in those tongues.\u201d3 In concluding his chapter, Allameh Majlesi writes,\n\u201cThat the Imams (PBUT) are aware of various languages is a known fact. The authenticity of the narrations is such\nthat when put along side the Sunni narrations, it does not leave much room for\ndoubt.\u201d4,5<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Indeed! It is divine miracle and\nblessing that the Imams are familiar with the various language and dialects of\ntheir followers. And when a Shia begins\nto pour his\/her heart out for his\/her Imam, in Farsi, European, Hindu, Turkish,\nvarious African dialects, American, and any other language across the world,\nthe Imam\u2019s kind focus and listening ear accepts the caller. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
(Selection taken\nfrom the book Lessons from the Life of Imam Reza (PBUH) by Dr. Hussein\nFereydoni, with minor changes)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
On behalf of Roshd Website, we send\nour condolences to all Muslims, especially you dear friend,<\/p>\n\n\n\n
on the last day of the month of Safar,\nthe martyrdom of the manifestation of Divine Mercy, holder of the Prophet\u2019s\nknowledge, and the eight Imam of the Shiites, Imam Ali ibn Musa al-Reza (Peace\nbe Upon Him)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Footnotes:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
1. \nAl-Kharaej wa al-Jaraeh, vol. 1, p.340<\/p>\n\n\n\n
2. \nUyun Akhbar al-Reza, ch.54, Hadith #3<\/p>\n\n\n\n
3. \nBihar ul-Anwar, vol. 26, p. 190<\/p>\n\n\n\n
4. \nBihar ul-Anwar, vol. 26, p. 192 and 193<\/p>\n\n\n\n
5. \nIn another example, Sheikh e Mufid has narrated\nthat Imam Saqiq (PBUH) had a non-Arab servant, to whom he told, \u201cSpeak in any\nlanguage you desire, I understand that,\u201d (Ikhtisas, p.290)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Shiites are attached to their Imams not only by belief, but also by their strong emotional attachment. This is why in various situations, especially in times of hardship, Shiites turn to the Imams to pour out their hearts. But in order for this heartfelt connection to work, it is necessary to have mutual understanding between […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[28248],"tags":[22475,18056,22476,22474,18656,22163,22477,19804,18418,22478],"class_list":["post-4553","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-occasional-letters","tag-2016-11-30","tag-belief","tag-differences","tag-fluent-in-every-language","tag-heart","tag-imam-reza","tag-languages","tag-necessary","tag-occasion-letters","tag-sheikh-saduq"],"yoast_head":"\n