It clearly shows that intercession works as a supplement to the cause...

It clearly shows that intercession works

as a supplement to the cause; it is not an independent cause. The

effect of an intercessor's words depends on one or the other factor,

which may have some influence upon the concerned authority; in other

words, intercession must have solid ground to stand upon. The

intercessor endeavors to find a way to the heart of the authority

concerned, in order that the said authority may give the reward to, or

release the servant from his servitude; nor does he plead with him to

refrain from laying down the rules and regulations for his servants or to

abrogate his commandments (either generally or especially in that one

case), in order to save the wrongdoer from the due consequences nor

does he ask him to discard the canon of reward and punishment,

(either generally or in that particular case). In short, intercession can

interfere with neither the institution of mastership and servantship, nor

the master's authority to lay down the rules; nor can affect the system

of reward and punishment. These three factors are beyond the

What an intercessor dose is this: He accepts the inviolability of the

above-mentioned three aspects. Then he looks at one or more of the

following factors and builds his intercession on that basis:

a. He appeals to such attributes of the master as give rise to

mercy and pardon, e.g., his wretchedness, poverty, low status and

c. He puts at stake his own prestige and honor in the eyes of the

Thus, the import of intercession is like this: I cannot and do not say

that you should forget your mastership over your servant or abrogate

you are magnanimous and generous, and because no harm would

come to you if you forgive his sins; and/or because your servant is a

wretched creature of low status and steeped in misery; and it is

befitting of a master like you to forgive and pardon him in honor of my

The intercessor, in this way, bestows precedence on the factors of