Muntakhab al-tawarikh 43.3.1

43.3.1

Verse. Of all the people of the world, although most of them Are gone astray, and few of them are in the right path, Do thou so live that when thou diest thou mayest escape (punishment), Not so that when thou diest the people may escape (thy tyranny). They relate an extraordinary story of one of the irregular acts of the Sultan which was that he kept such strict watch over all matters involving punishment, that he used to keep four Muftis to whom he allotted quarters in the precincts of his own palace, and used to see that they kept to their appointed places, so that when any one who was arrested upon any charge, he might in the first place argue with the Muftis about his due punishment, so far as he was able, and had said, Be very careful that you do not fail in the slightest degree by defect in speaking that which you consider right, because if any one should be put to death wrongfully and the oversight should have been on your side, the blood of that man will be upon your head. Then if after long discussion they convicted (the prisoner), even though it were midnight he would pass orders for his execution, and if he himself found for conviction he would refer it to another meeting, and would endeavour to find a means of upsetting their arguments, and would come and make a speech, and when the Muftis were at a loss for a further argument, he would put (the prisoner) to death on the instant or else release him on the spot.