In Attar's Conference of the Birds, the tale of Sultan Mahmud refusing to sell the idol Laat to the Hindus and choosing to burn it instead serves as a profound allegory. Mahmud rejects a massive fortune in gold, stating he fears being called an 'idol seller' rather than an 'idol breaker' on the Day of Judgment. This narrative illustrates the supremacy of spiritual integrity and devotion over material gain. The 'idol' represents worldly attachments, and its destruction symbolizes the uncompromising purification of the soul required on the spiritual path.

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## Original content
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یافتند آن بت که نامش بود لات 
لشگر محمود اندر سومنات
هندوان از بهر بت برخاستند 
ده رهش هم سنگ زر می خواستند
هیچ گونه شاه می نفروختش 
آتشی برکرد و حالی سوختش
سرکشی گفتش نمی بایست سوخت 
زر به از بت، می ببایستش فروخت
گفت ترسیدم که در روز شمار 
بر سر آن جمع گوید کردگار
آزر و محمود را دارید گوش 
زانک هست آن بت تراش این بت فروش
گفت چون محمود آتش برفروخت 
وآن بت آتش پرستان را بسوخت
بیست من جوهر بیامد از میانش 
خواست شد از دست حالی رایگانش
شاه گفتا لایق لات این بود 
وز خدای من مکافات این بود
بشکن آن بتها که داری سر به سر 
تا چو بت در پا نه افتی در به در
نفس چون بت را بسوز از شوق دوست 
تا بسی جوهر فرو ریزد ز پوست
چون به گوش جان شنیدستی الست 
از بلی گفتن مکن کوتاه دست
بسته ای عهد الست از پیش تو 
از بلی سر درمکش زین بیش تو
چون بدو اقرار آوردی درست 
کی شود انکارآن کردی درست
ای به اول کرده اقرار الست 
پس به آخر کرده انکار الست
چون در اول بسته ای میثاق تو 
چون توانی شد در آخر عاق تو
ناگزیرت اوست، پس با او بساز 
هرچ پذرفتی وفا کن، کژ مباز

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## English translation
They found that idol whose name was Laat,
The army of Mahmud in Somnath.
The Hindus stood up for the idol,
They offered ten times its weight in gold.
In no way would the king sell it,
He kindled a fire and burned it immediately.
A proud one said to him: 'You should not have burned it;
Gold is better than the idol, you should have sold it.'
He said: 'I feared that on the Day of Reckoning,
The Creator would say before that assembly:
'Keep watch on Azar and Mahmud,
Since that one is an idol-carver, and this one an idol-seller.''
It is said that when Mahmud kindled the fire,
And burned that idol of the idol-worshippers,
Twenty mounds of jewels came out from its inside,
Which had almost been lost for free.
The king said: 'This was worthy of Laat,
And this was the reward from my God.'
Break those idols that you have altogether,
Lest you fall like an idol, wandering from door to door.
Burn the idol-like self out of yearning for the Beloved,
So that many jewels may pour out of its skin.
Since you have heard 'Am I not (your Lord)?' with the ear of the soul,
Do not withhold your hand from saying 'Yes.'
You have bound the covenant of Alast beforehand;
Do not turn your head away from saying 'Yes' anymore.
Since you have made a true confession to Him,
How can denying it be correct?
O you who first confessed to Alast,
And then in the end denied Alast!
Since in the beginning you made a covenant,
How can you become disobedient in the end?
He is your only necessity, so reconcile with Him,
Whatever you accepted, fulfill it, and do not play falsely.

حکایت محمود که لات را به هندوان نفروخت و آنرا سوزاند / The Tale of Mahmud Who Did Not Sell Laat to the Hindus and Burned It

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