In Book 2 of Jalaluddin Rumi's Masnavi, a sage observes a crow and a stork flying together despite being different species. Upon closer inspection, he discovers that both birds are lame, illustrating the Sufi principle of affinity: individuals are drawn together by shared traits or hidden flaws. Rumi dramatically contrasts this affinity with spiritual incompatibility, presenting mismatched pairs such as a royal falcon with an owl, or the sun with a bat. To emphasize this, Rumi employs the metaphor of a rose and a dung-beetle. The rose declares that the dung-beetle's revulsion to its fragrance is undeniable proof of the flower's perfection. Rumi masterfully extends this concept to the creation of Adam. He argues that just as the angels' prostration validated Adam's divine rank, Iblis's arrogant refusal to bow serves as equal testimony to Adam's exalted state, since absolute impurity must naturally recoil from absolute purity.