In Attar's Conference of the Birds, the tale of the king returning to a decorated city serves as an allegory for divine grace and the nature of true devotion. The king, representing the Divine, completely disregards the citizens' lavish but superficial decorations. Instead, he focuses his attention and bestows his rewards on the prisoners, whose only 'decorations' are their genuine suffering, chains, and brokenness. This narrative illustrates the core Sufi principle that God values true spiritual poverty (faqr), sincere humility, and a 'broken heart' (inkesar) far above external, ego-driven displays of piety or material wealth. The prisoners embody the stripped-down, authentic state required of a true spiritual seeker.