In Book Three, Section 219 of the Masnavi, Jalaluddin Rumi interprets the Prophet's saying, 'Do not prefer me over Yunus (Jonah),' to explain the Sufi concept of Divine proximity (Qurb - قرب). Rumi contrasts the Prophet's upward ascension (Mi'raj) to the heavens with Yunus's downward descent into the belly of the whale. He argues that since both attained nearness to God, Divine proximity cannot be a matter of spatial direction. Instead, Rumi defines true proximity to God as liberation from the prison of self-existence (حبس هستی). In the state of spiritual non-existence (نیستی), concepts like 'up' and 'down' lose their meaning.