In the Tale of the Old Man of Bukhara, Attar uses the encounter between a purportedly pious elder and a socially marginalized mukhannath (effeminate man) to subvert outward religious arrogance. When the old man recoils in disgust, the mukhannath reminds him that their true spiritual standing remains hidden until the Day of Judgment. This narrative illustrates the Sufi teaching that outward respectability often masks spiritual blindness, while true insight and divine truth can come from the most despised members of society.