عَنِ الرِّضَا عَنْ آبَائِهِؑ فِيْ حَدِيثٍ طَوِيلٍ قَالَ قَالَ اَمِيرُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَؑ فِيْ كَلَامٍ لَهُمْ وَ اِنْ شِئْتُمْ اَخْبَرْتُكُمْ بِمَا هُوَ اَعْظَمُ مِنْ ذٰلِكَ قَالُوا فَافْعَلْ قَالَ كُنْتُ ذَاتَ لَيْلَةٍ تَحْتَ سَقِيفَةٍ مَعَ رَسُولِ اللهِ ص وَ اِنِّي لَاُحْصِي سِتًّا وَ سِتِّينَ وَطْاَةً مِنَ الْمَلَائِكَةِ كُلُّ وَطْاَةٍ مِنَ الْمَلَائِكَةِ اَعْرِفُهُمْ بِلُغَاتِهِمْ وَ صِفَاتِهِمْ وَ اَسْمَائِهِمْ وَ وَطْئِهِمْ
Imam Reza (peace be upon him) informs vide his forefathers (peace be upon him) in a lengthy narration that Ameerul Momineen (peace be upon him) said, “If you wish I can inform you of what is greater than that.”
They (the companions) requested, “Please do.”
He (peace be upon him) enlightened,
“One night I was under a porch with the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his holy progeny). I counted sixty-six steps of angels. I recognize each step from the angels with their languages, their attributes, their names and their steps.”
Notes:
1) The angels frequented the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his holy progeny) and the Imams (peace be upon them) to gain blessings from them
2) Like humans, the angels do have different languages. This should not be surprising because when humans with all their shortcomings and fallibility possess so many languages as a sign from Allah, then why the angels can’t have languages?
3) The narration also shows the various kinds of angels, having different names, attributes, etc.
References:
1. Behaar al-Anwaar, vol. 26, p. 85, H. 47
2. Al-Kharaaej wa al-Jaraaeh, vol. 1, p. 192