In Book 3 of Jalaluddin Rumi's Masnavi, the trial over the slaughtered cow reaches a turning point when the idle man tearfully implores God to illuminate Prophet David's heart with the truth. Deeply moved by this plea, David pauses the legal proceedings, asking the plaintiff for time so he can seek divine guidance in seclusion. Rumi uses this narrative pause to explore the concept of prophetic wisdom and spiritual pedagogy. David explains that his retreat into prayer is not born of ignorance—asserting that his soul receives God's guidance without intermediary—but is instead a method 'to teach people the way.' He characterizes his delayed judgment as a 'stratagem' (khud'a), a deliberate and indirect approach designed to gradually expose the hidden truth without violently breaking the rules of divine secrecy. The passage concludes with a metaphysical moment where a divine presence gently restrains David, prompting him to cease speaking of such profound mysteries and to proceed into his spiritual seclusion.