In Poem 62 of Mokhtar Nameh (Chapter 47), Attar uses the candle metaphor to outline the absolute necessity of self-extinction (fana) and the abandonment of the ego or intellect in mystical love.

Key Concepts

• Abandoning the Head (Ego and Intellect): Attar asserts that once a seeker enters the path of love and becomes like a candle, they can no longer 'live by their head.' This symbolizes the sacrifice of the intellectual ego, rational calculations, and individual identity, which are consumed by the fire of divine love just as the candle's wick is burned away.
• Conscious Mystical Death vs. Ignorant Death: The poem distinguishes between dying with a 'dead heart' (like an ignorant person unaware of the divine) and the conscious, active surrender of life. To die in love is to be spiritually alive, whereas dying without experiencing love is a state of true ignorance.
• The Candle at Dawn: The candle at dawn represents the final stage of spiritual union (fana). Just as...