The Mercy of Allah · Chapter
VI: Al-Wukalá, or “The Lawyers” explained
Mahmoud recounts his ill-fated attempt to seek legal redress against the king after the loss of his salt tax fortune.
What happens
Mahmoud recounts his ill-fated attempt to seek legal redress against the king after the loss of his salt tax fortune. Encouraged by a wealthy acquaintance learned in law, he is persuaded to bring his case before the impartial judges of Izmat. He hires a scrivener, pays fees for opinions from eminent pleaders, and endures a lengthy court proceeding where the opposing counsel argues the case's complexity. Despite initial hope, the process reveals itself as a costly and labyrinthine ordeal, foreshadowing further disappointment.
Themes in this chapter
Social Inequality and Greed
The legal system exploits Mahmoud's misfortune, with lawyers and pleaders profiting from the lengthy case while the poor plaintiff bears the cost.
Suffering and Redemption
Mahmoud's hope for justice through the courts leads to further financial and emotional suffering, highlighting the theme of enduring hardship.
Characters to notice
- Mahmoud
The narrator and plaintiff, who reluctantly pursues legal action against the king after losing his salt tax fortune.
- The judge
Presides over the court, sits on the charter, and is addressed as 'Your Holiness and Voice of God.'
- The stranger
A wealthy acquaintance learned in law who persuades Mahmoud to bring his case to court.
Key passages
“Our judges, as you know, stand above all mortal frailty and are, as we devoutly and firmly believe, filled with the spirit of God Himself.”
The judges are considered divinely inspired and incorruptible.
The acquaintance extols the impartiality of Izmat's judiciary to persuade Mahmoud.
“My own fee,' said he, 'is fixed by statute, and I must ask you for ten dinars—a nominal matter.'”
The scrivener demands a statutory fee of ten dinars, calling it trivial.
Mahmoud reluctantly pays the first of many legal costs.
“I claim that this charter gives me the right to the original revenue from the state in full.”
Mahmoud asserts his charter entitles him to the full salt tax revenue.
Mahmoud states his case in court, relying on the charter's terms.