In Section 14 of Attar's Asrar Nameh, the poet presents an allegory about a dervish who possesses nothing in the world except a single miswak (toothbrush). When an old man asks for it, the dervish refuses, explaining that his detachment from this single item is the tightly closed door to his worldly desires. If he opens this door of greed even slightly, he fears it will remain open for eternity. Through this parable, Attar illustrates the insatiable nature of human greed (hirs), warning that the descent into materialism is a steep slope with no return, and ultimately, only the dust of the grave can cure the pain of greed.