In Book 4, Section 51 of the Masnavi, Rumi presents the story of a Sufi sitting in a rose garden with his head on his knees in deep meditation. When his companions urge him to look up and enjoy the outward beauty of the garden as signs of God's mercy, the Sufi replies that the true gardens and signs of God are within the heart. He explains that outward beauties are merely a fleeting reflection of the inner spiritual reality, just as a garden's image reflects in moving water. This allegory illustrates the central Sufi principle of prioritizing inward spiritual realization over outward sensory perception, emphasizing that the material world is but a shadow of the eternal divine qualities found within the human soul.