In Chapter 30, Poem 7 of Mokhtar Nameh, Attar employs the Persian idiom of 'pounding water in a mortar' (آب به هاون کوبیدن) to symbolize an utterly futile endeavor. The speaker proudly boasts of having consciously chosen the beloved above both worlds, only to be rebuked by a divine voice that highlights their profoundly flawed nature. This exchange emphasizes a central Sufi theme: egoistic claims to spiritual agency, pride, and 'choice' are illusions. True devotion requires deep humility and the recognition of one's own inadequacies rather than arrogant assertions of love.