This allegorical story from Attar's Mosibat Nameh illustrates the dichotomy between divine and worldly authority. The confrontation between Elyas, the moral censor (muhtasib), and the ruler, Nasr, centers on their sources of legitimacy. While the ruler's power is derived from the Caliph (the Commander of the Faithful), the censor's authority is absolute because it originates directly from the Lord of the Worlds (Rab al-Alamin). The tale highlights the Sufi view that spiritual conviction and obedience to divine law transcend temporal political power.