The Imams (a.s.) hear from the angels as Muhaddathun and are of Perfect Understanding

“Abu Ja‘far (a.s.) sent (message) to Zurara to inform al-Hakam ibn ‘Utayba that the executors of the will of Muhammad (s.a.) (are Muhaddathun) hear from the angels.” al-Hakam ibn ’Utaybah (al-Kindi al-Kufi [50/670 - 115/ 733], one of the tab‘un [those who knew the companions of the Holy Prophet and famous narrators of hadith)

“One day I went to see Ali ibn al-Husayn (a.s.).” He said, “O Hakam do you know the verse (of the Holy Quran) from which Ali ibn abu Talib had learned who his assassin was and the extremely great matters of which he would speak to people? “ Al-Hakam has said that I said to myself in my mind, “ I have now a chance to learn of the knowledge of Ali ibn al-Husayn (a.s.) with which I will learn of those extremely great matters.” The narrator has said that he replied the Imam (a.s.), “No, O son of the Messenger of Allah, I do not know.” He has said that he then said, “Please tell me, O son of the Messenger of Allah, which verse is it?” the Imam (a.s.) said, “It, I swear by Allah, is the words of Allah, Majestic is Whose mention, “We have not sent any messenger or prophet before you (or a Muhahhdath) one who hears from the angels. (22:52) Ali ibn abu Talib (a.s.) was a Muhaddath. At this point a man called ‘Abdallah ibn Zayd who was a brother of Ali from his mother’s side said, “Glory belongs to Allah. A Muhaddath1!” It seemed as if he did not believe it. Abu Ja‘far (a.s.) then turned to us and said, “Do not have any doubts, I swear by Allah, that the son of your mother after all did have knowledge of this fact.” The narrator has said that when the Imam (a.s.) said so the man kept silent. The Imam (a.s.) then said, “This is the issue in which abu al-Khattab perished. He never learned what was the explanation of the prophet and a Muhaddath.”

I heard abu al-Hassan (a.s.) say the following. “The Imams (a.s.) are scholar, truthful people, have perfect understanding and Muhaddathum hear from the angels.”

“Once Muhaddath was mentioned in the presence of abu ‘Abdallah (a.s.) and he said, “He, Muhaddath, hears the voice but does not see the persons of the angels.” I then said to him, “May Allah take my soul in service for your cause, how he would come to know that the voice and words are from the angels?” The Imam (a.s.) said, “He is given the serenity and dignity to the level that he learns about its being the speech of the angels.”

abu Ja‘far (a.s.) has said the following. “Ali (a.s.) was a Muhaddath.” I then returned to my associates and said, “I have brought you a very strange news.” They asked, “What is it?” I then said that I heard abu Ja‘far (a.s.) say that Ali (a.s.) was a Muhaddath. They then said, “What did you do?” Would that you had asked him as to who would speak to him (Ali (a.s.) I then went back to abu Ja‘far (a.s.) and said to him, “I went to my associates and told them about what you had told me and they said, “What did you do? Would that you had asked him as to who would speak to him (Ali (a.s.)” The Imam (a.s.) said to me, “The angel would speak to him.” I then asked, “Do you say that he was a prophet?” He has said, “He moved his hand like this. Or like the companion of Solomon, or the companion of Moses or like Dhul Qarnayn. Have not heard that he has said, “Among there one like him.” (A hadith of the Holy Prophet (s.a.) says that Ali (a.s.) is the Dhul Qarnay of this Umma)