When I was the Public Prosecutor of Khorramabad, there were two brothers who were wealthy merchants. When one of them died and was survived by a wife and five children (four daughters and a son), the other brother took the two oldest daughters as brides for his own sons and married the widow. The remaining two daughters and one son, who were minors, were thus left without protection.

Whenever I was transferred to a new post, my first order of business was to tend to any cases involving minors. In reviewing this particular matter, I noticed that although my predecessors had also requested the file, no action had ever been taken. I reactivated the case and summoned the merchant, who was quite charismatic. When he appeared before me, he began using such flattering phrases as 'I am your humble servant' and 'I am at your service.' After going to great lengths to show his warmth and friendliness, he said: 'Your Honor, there is no need for any of this; there is nothing wrong with my guardianship.' I replied: 'It's been 12 years since you provided an accounting for the minors under your guardianship.' 'But sir, there is no need for an accounting,' he said, 'for my brother's widow is currently my wife, two of his daughters are my daughters-in-law, and the other children are like my own. But I will certainly comply with your order and bring you an accounting tomorrow.' He came back the following day with a large envelope full of cash. I asked: 'What's this?' He lowered his head and replied: 'Your Honor, this is merely an unworthy gift, and there is no one here but you and me.' 'You are mistaken,' I said, 'there is someone else here, and that is God.' Then I realized why the case had remained dormant till now.

As for the merchant, he used every means at his disposal—I even received a recommendation from the Ministry of Justice to drop the case, but I remained steadfast in demanding an accounting for the minors. Finally, I warned him that if he did not comply with my order and render an accounting within 24 hours, I would have him imprisoned. Once he realized there was no other alternative, he requested that we send a few officials to conduct an accounting. I sent four trustworthy clerks, and after a month of hard work they finally produced the records. The fortune the brother had amassed from the orphans' inheritance was astronomical, and that was only what the clerks had managed to account for. I immediately revoked his guardianship and returned the properties to the minors. But God only knows how much of their inheritance he had already spent.

In my opinion, an official who accepts a bribe to overlook an investigation commits a greater transgression than the solicitor of the bribe. (Words of Truth)

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When I presided over the courts in Kerman, there were two prominent and highly influential families, the 'D's and the 'Z's. The 'D's provoked the 'Z's by setting fire to one of their orchards, and a complaint was filed with the court. The 'D's paid a 24,000-toman bribe to the examining magistrate to clear them of any wrongdoing, who in turn dismissed the complaint on the basis of 'insufficient evidence.' The 'Zs' appealed the ruling and the case was brought before me. Since the evidence supporting their appeal was unequivocal, I annulled the magistrate's ruling and reopened the case.

On the day of the hearing, so many members from both families were present that my deputies were afraid to assume responsibility for the case; I told them I would personally handle the matter. Since it was not a suitable time to render my ruling, I postponed the announcement of the verdict until the following day.

That night a man by the name of Hadji 'S,' who was both a dervish and a panegyrist, came to see me and said: 'The 'D's have sent me to tell you that they paid the examining magistrate 24,000 tomans and are willing to pay your Honor twice that amount to uphold the prior ruling; otherwise, they not only have well-placed connections in the Ministry of Justice, but they can also invoke their local means.' I replied: 'Tell them that I am not afraid of them or the Ministry, and they can do whatever they please—I will render my own verdict.' After Hadji 'S' left, several others came on behalf of the 'Z's and said: 'We know what you told the 'D's. We will pay you even more if you render a just verdict.' I sent them away as well. The police, who were worried about this situation, had posted guards around my house the entire night without my knowledge.

The next day I went to the courthouse, where a large crowd had gathered from both sides. I cast my verdict and reversed the magistrate's ruling, and they were not able to do a thing about it. They did succeed in embarrassing the magistrate, however, by demanding that he repay their bribe. I summoned and severely reprimanded him. (Words of Truth)