In Book Six, Section 2 of the Masnavi, Rumi uses the allegory of a bird sitting on a city wall to teach a profound lesson about spiritual direction. A questioner asks a preacher whether the bird's head or its tail is more noble. The preacher answers that whichever part faces the city is better; if the tail faces the city and the head faces the village, one should choose the dust of the tail.

Rumi uses this tale to illustrate the supreme importance of 'himmat' (spiritual aspiration or inner intention). He writes that just as a bird flies with its wings, a human being ascends through their 'himmat'. Consequently, a spiritual seeker should not be judged merely by superficial actions or outward appearances (the 'head' or the 'tail'), but rather by the direction and strength of their spiritual aspiration towards the divine.