In Book 5, Section 48 of the Masnavi, Rumi explores the mystical concept of Divine omnipresence (based on the Quranic phrase And He is with you / Wa huwa ma'akum). He presents a series of vivid allegories—such as a person carrying a basket of bread while begging, a horseman searching for his horse, a person standing knee-deep in water asking for water, and a pearl in the ocean asking where the ocean is—to illustrate human unawareness of the Divine. Rumi posits a profound epistemological paradox: the very act of seeking the Divine externally acts as a veil (hijab) that blinds the seeker to the intimate reality of the Divine presence already within and around them.