In Sanai's Hadiqat al-Haqiqah, the tale of the bird and the fish serves as an allegory for the destructive power of the human ego and its 'cunning' (hiylat). The fish's decision to retreat into the depths and the bird's flight to the heights symbolize the loss of primordial harmony and safety upon the arrival of humanity. Sanai argues that human 'reason' (aql), when used for 'hiylat' rather than spiritual wisdom, becomes a source of 'aqila' (calamity or bondage) for all of creation, transforming the natural world into a place of entrapment and exploitation.