In Farid al-Din Attar's The Conference of the Birds (Manteq-ot-Teyr), the story of the idolater whose call is answered by God highlights a core Sufi concept of divine mercy. When the idolater mistakenly or out of habit calls upon his idol, yet does so with absolute sincerity and desperation, God responds to his cry. Attar uses this narrative to illustrate that God's grace and compassion are not bound by theological correctness or outward belief; rather, the Divine responds to the genuine, heartfelt pain and vulnerability of the seeker, emphasizing that God's mercy transcends all human barriers.