In Book Five of Jalal al-Din Rumi's Masnavi, the story of the barking puppies inside the womb of a pregnant dog serves as a powerful allegory for spiritual immaturity and premature teaching. A mystic ('man of heart') is astonished to hear puppies barking from inside their mother's womb, noting that since they are still in the womb, their barking cannot serve the natural functions of watchfulness, seeking milk, or calling for help.

Upon communing with God, the mystic receives the interpretation: the barking puppies represent self-proclaimed spiritual guides and scholars who remain veiled from ultimate truth and have not opened their 'heart's eye.' Despite being spiritually unborn and confined within the 'womb' of worldly illusions, they deliver eloquent discourses and claim deep spiritual insight. Rumi warns that because these teachers lack genuine spiritual realization, their words can bring no strength or benefit to themselves, nor can they offer true guidance or spiritual growth ...