In Book Four of the Masnavi, Rumi presents the allegory of ants walking on a piece of paper to illustrate the limitations of superficial perception. An ant sees a pen writing and attributes the beautiful patterns to the pen itself. A sharper-sighted ant attributes the writing to the fingers, while another attributes it to the arm. Finally, a wiser ant explains that the true source of the action is the intellect and soul, without which the body cannot act. Yet, Rumi points out that even this wise ant is unaware that the intellect itself is entirely dependent on the will of God. This parable critiques those who focus only on immediate, material causes and fail to recognize the ultimate Divine cause behind all events.