In the narrative of the guest-killing mosque in Jalaluddin Rumi's Masnavi, the locals escalate their warnings to the enamored guest by introducing an argument of self-preservation. Beyond advising him of the fatal danger, they express a deep fear of being falsely implicated in his inevitable death. They argue that if he perishes, malicious enemies will use the tragedy as a pretext to cast suspicion upon the community and further tarnish the mosque's already ill-reputed standing. Allegorically, this reflects how worldly intellect and caution not only fear the self-annihilation (fana) required by the spiritual path, but also desperately seek to avoid the social stigma, misunderstanding, and worldly calamity associated with such a radical and unconventional abandonment of the self.