In Farid al-Din Attar's Mosibat Nameh, the tale of the starling and the plane tree serves as a Sufi allegory illustrating divine self-sufficiency (istighna) and the insignificance of the individual ego before the Divine. A starling that rests on a massive plane tree apologizes for the burden of its presence before departing. The tree replies that it was entirely unaware of the bird's arrival or departure. The allegory highlights that human spiritual efforts or pride are inconsequential to the absolute nature of the Divine, teaching humility and the necessity of self-annihilation (fana).