In several places in the hadith literature, one finds indications that the Imams understood and spoke Persian. On one occasion, one of the Imams hears something said in Persian and shows no sign of being unable to understand what was said; another answers an Iranian man in Persian (although) what he said is not recorded). Another imam’s use of Persian expressions has been accurately recorded by the transmitters of hadith. To sum up, Persian expressions, turns of phrase and vocabulary have found their way into the traditions. The writer has first of all tried to collect all these Persian elements and then attempted to debate the degree of their authenticity. Although the analysis of various readings is not the central focus of this paper, I have also touched upon it.
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