In Farid al-Din Attar's 'Elahi Nameh', the 18th tale of Sultan Mahmud and Ayaz heavily relies on the Sufi literary motifs of the snare (kamand) and tresses (zulf). When Mahmud asks Ayaz about his prey, Ayaz throws his long locks at the king's feet, stating that the king of the world is his captive. This imagery upends the earthly master-slave hierarchy. In Sufi symbolism, tresses often represent the captivating beauty and multiplicity of the Divine that ensnares the spiritual seeker. By rendering the mighty Sultan Mahmud a helpless captive to Ayaz's hair, Attar demonstrates that the power of spiritual love (Ishq) and divine beauty transcends and humbles even the absolute power of worldly kings.