In Farid al-Din Attar's Conference of the Birds, 'The Discourse of Junaid Concerning Cheerfulness' explores the Sufi understanding of true joy (khushdili). When asked when a person can attain true cheerfulness, Junaid answers that it is only experienced at the exact moment God is present in one's heart. Junaid elaborates on this spiritual state using the metaphor of a dust particle (zarrah) caught in sunlight. He explains that the particle is perpetually bewildered because it cannot withstand the immense radiance of the sun, yet it remains fundamentally a mere particle even when entirely absorbed in the divine light. This illustrates the soul's eternal bewilderment and inherent insignificance in the face of God's overwhelming majesty.