In Book Five of the Masnavi, Rumi employs the metaphor of a 'rootless tree' (درخت بی‌بیخ) to characterize insincere or wavering repentance. He explains that if repentance lacks the foundational support of spiritual stability, divine acceptance, and the inner sweetness of faith, it cannot survive. Just as a tree without roots will inevitably turn yellow and wither, a person whose resolve is ungrounded will quickly regress to their former sins. Rumi uses this metaphor to establish the moral framework for the ensuing fable of the lion, fox, and donkey, illustrating the fatal consequences of repeating past mistakes and lacking spiritual fortitude.