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Faith is stronger than fear

By - Oct 19, 2014 - Category Articles - Print Print
Ostad Elahi

In the execution of my duties as a judge, Ostad Elahi said, I would do things that no one else dared to do, for I was answerable to God, not to the Ministry, and was not afraid of anyone. The following anecdote—a translated excerpt from the collection of Ostad Elahi’s sayings (Words of Truth), who departed from this world just forty years ago on 19 October 1974—provides a concrete example of the above. It shows how sincere faith is also a source of boldness and unshakable trust.

In Kerman, there were two large and very influential families, named D and Z. In the days when I presided over the judiciary in that province, at the Ds’ instigation, a garden belonging to the Zs was set on fire and the trees in it were all uprooted.

A complaint was filed with the court. Having received a bribe of 24,000 tomans from the Ds to block the Zs’ case, the examining magistrate cleared the Ds by citing “insufficient evidence”. The Zs appealed the ruling and their file eventually reached my desk. In it I found clear proof of their claim. I reversed the ruling and had the file reopened.

On the day of the hearing, so many people from both parties descended on the court that my assistants were frightened. So, I decided to handle the proceedings personally. Finding the moment inappropriate for announcing the court’s ruling, I postponed it until the next day.

That evening, a certain Haji Sh., who was a dervish as well as a chanter of religious odes, came to me and said, “The Ds have asked me to tell you that apart from the 24,000 tomans already given to the examining magistrate, they are prepared to give you double that amount if you confirm the previous verdict. They say that if this offer is refused, they can make use of their connections with some high central authorities and also take action there.” I replied, “Tell them, I’m not afraid of either the Justice Department or of you. Do everything you can, and I will give what I consider to be a just verdict.” Haji Sh. went away and afterwards some people came to speak to me on behalf of the Zs. “We know about the answer you’ve given to the Ds,” they said, but, we’ll pay you more if you uphold justice. I told them to go away.

I learned later on, that the police department, having fears for my safety, had placed guards around my house the whole night. The next day I went to the courtroom. A big crowd, representing both parties was already present. My verdict overruled the decision of the examining magistrate. Ultimately, nothing came of the warning I had received, but the examining magistrate was subjected to a good deal of hectoring; they demanded their money back from him. I called him in and reprimanded him severely.

(Words of Truth, vol.I, chap. 24)


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6 comments

  1. Sean Oct 19, 2014 5:36 pm 1

    Thank you for sharing this article. It clearly shows the importance of sincere faith towards True Source which helps the individual to think and act according to Divine satisfaction.

  2. chat31 Oct 19, 2014 6:32 pm 2

    Thank you for this anecdote. Although Ostad Elahi is not part of this world anymore, one can feel his presence through his teachings and his music.

  3. Zero Oct 19, 2014 6:43 pm 3

    Thank you so much for such an instructive and inspiring article. I believe faith is the opposite side of fear which means the more faith one has in the Source and authentic divine truths, the less fearful she/he will be. All of one’s fears such as fear of death, losing job, losing beloved family members, loneliness, not having enough money are because of not having strong and true faith in the Source. I believe these are the good symptoms of evaluating and measuring one’s faith and the degree of its purity.

    I believe the only thing we should be afraid of is our end (destination, outcome) and how much our daily thoughts, intentions and acts are satisfying the Source.

    Any difficulty and crisis we encounter in our life is an opportunity to evaluate our faith to the Source and reinforce it. His hand is always stretched out toward us, it is our responsibility to hold it. As Bahram Elahi puts it, He is very generous and merciful.

  4. holly Oct 20, 2014 12:46 am 4

    Ostad Elahi’s faith , compassion and justice is simply beyond my imagination . It’s through reading such articles that I am once again reminded how to improve my faith and how to practice it in daily life .

  5. SG Oct 20, 2014 5:13 am 5

    Ostad Elahi’s life is full of stories about His sincere faith. Stories like this show us that with sincere faith in God we should have no fear of anyone or anything. Thank you for sharing this story on the 40th anniversary of Ostad Elahi’s departure from this world.

  6. FT Oct 20, 2014 6:17 pm 6

    This anecdote brings tears to my eyes! It’s really uplifting and demonstrates strong belief and trust in God! Who can be so confident as Ostad not to fear anyone or anything?? Thank you so much for sharing this.

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