In Section 16 of Jami's Baharestan, a condemned sinner appeals to the caliph by drawing a precise ethical distinction: exacting retribution for a crime is justice (adl), while pardoning it is grace or supererogatory bounty (fadl). He argues that the caliph's lofty aspiration (himmat) is too elevated to stoop from the higher station of grace down to the lower station of mere justice. Persuaded, the caliph forgives him.

Key points:

1. Justice (adl) vs. Grace (fadl): Punishment matches the deed and is only just; forgiveness exceeds the deed and ranks above justice.
2. Hierarchy of Aspiration (himmat): The tale frames grace as the higher station and justice as the lower one, so a person of exalted aspiration chooses the higher.
3. Rhetorical Persuasion: The sinner secures pardon not by denying guilt but by appealing to the ruler's self-image as one whose magnanimity transcends bare justice.