The Price of Temptation: A Lesson in Justice and Mercy
A Tale Inspired by Islamic Teachings and Quranic Wisdom
In a humble village, a man was drawn by the irresistible aroma of bread roasting over an open fire. The smell was so enchanting, it seemed to promise paradise on his tongue. Though the bread was hard and coarse, the scent was a lure no one could resist.
At the roadside oven, a baker barked orders at a boy working for him, who was slicing the bread.
“Four… Five… No, that’s too generous,” the baker snapped.
“Slice them thinner, boy! Charcoal isn’t free. Better ashes in the pit than extra meat in a customer’s stomach. Profit first — flavor is only bait.”
As the man savored the smell, taking deep breaths to fill his empty belly with imagined satisfaction, he was caught by the baker, who demanded payment.
“That will be two silver coins,” the baker said firmly.
“Two coins? For what? I haven’t even tasted a morsel!” the man protested.
“That’s for the smell,” the baker replied.
“But I have no money. How can I pay for a smell?” the man pleaded.
“Come with me to the Judge,” the baker insisted. “You’ll settle your debt, or you’ll settle it behind bars.”
Before the Judge, the baker presented his case, puffing up his chest:
“This man devoured my grill with his lungs! He must pay two silver coins for the smell he stole.”
The poor man hung his head. “Please, I didn’t know. I have nothing to give. Not even a single coin.”
Then, a stranger stepped forward, moved by compassion.
“Don’t worry. I will pay for you,” he said.
The Judge watched silently as the man pulled out a pouch of silver and gently shook it, letting the clink of the coins ring out in the quiet room.
The Judge smiled knowingly and proclaimed,
“Yes — the sound of the coins is the payment for the smell of the bread.”
The baker’s face tightened in frustration. He had hoped for silver, but all he received was a sound — just as he had offered only a scent.
This story beautifully reflects the Qur’anic principle of justice balanced with mercy. Allah commands in Surah An-Nisa:
“Indeed, Allah commands you to render trusts to whom they are due and when you judge between people to judge with justice.” (Quran, Surah an-Nisa, Chapter 4, The Women, Verse 58)
The baker sought what he believed was justice — payment for what he perceived as stolen. Yet the Judge, in his wisdom, revealed a deeper truth: justice is not about greed, but fairness. The stranger’s act of mercy, offering to pay, echoes the Shia emphasis on compassion and intercession, just as the Imams intercede on behalf of the believers.
The tale reminds us that even intangible things — like the smell of bread — have value, but so too does mercy, wisdom, and the intention behind every action.
This is the essence of justice in Shia Islam: not just rigid enforcement, but a harmonious balance between the letter of the law and the spirit of compassion.