In Poem 38 of Chapter 7 of the Mokhtar Nameh, Attar emphasizes the mystical necessity of complete self-annihilation (fana). He asserts that self-absorption and identification with the physical body and ego ('I-ness') prevent the realization of the true self. The complete eradication of even the slightest trace of ego (symbolized by a single hair) is required for the true, divine self to manifest.