In Farid al-Din Attar's Mokhtar Nameh, the candle is a prominent allegorical figure for the mystical lover's self-destructive path toward spiritual annihilation (fana).

The 'Head' as the Ego

In Persian mystical literature, 'having a head' (sar) symbolises ego, individual identity, and self-preservation. Attar draws a direct parallel between the candle's wick (its 'head') and the human ego:

• The candle cannot exist and shine without its wick.
• However, the wick is the very reason it catches fire and melts away.
• Thus, the candle's head is its own ultimate enemy, just as the mystic's self-awareness and ego are obstacles to union with the Divine.

Self-Enmity and Annihilation

By accepting the fire upon its own 'harvest' (its body), the candle willingly participates in its own destruction. This represents the mystical concept where the lover accepts tribulation and the destruction of the worldly self as the only path to divine light.