In Persian Sufi literature, the perfume seller (attar) is a recurring motif for spiritual purity and grace, yet Sanai and Attar employ it to highlight different spiritual truths. In Section 9 of Sanai's Hadiqat al-Haqiqah, the perfume seller symbolizes the passive, universally positive influence of a virtuous companion whose fragrance benefits all nearby. Conversely, in Section 7 of Attar's Asrar Nameh, a scavenger habituated to filth faints when exposed to the perfume seller's scent. While Sanai emphasizes the radiating benefit of keeping good company, Attar complicates the motif to show that a spiritually unrefined soul may be entirely incapable of tolerating divine grace.