In Farid al-Din Attar's 'Conference of the Birds', the tale of the Sheikh of Turkestan illustrates the Sufi concept of pure devotion ('pak-bazi'). The Sheikh admits that he loves his son and his horse above all else, recognizing them as 'idols' in his heart that compete with his devotion to the Divine. To achieve true spiritual purity and remove these attachments, he declares that if his son were to die, he would give away his prized horse in gratitude. Attar uses this narrative to emphasize that walking the spiritual path requires the complete relinquishment of all earthly affections, and that true devotion cannot coexist with worldly desires.