In Attar's Conference of the Birds, within the 'Speech of Yusuf of Hamadan', patience (sabr) is highlighted as an indispensable requirement for the spiritual seeker traversing the Valley of Quest (Vadi-ye Talab). Yusuf of Hamadan uses the analogy of Jacob waiting for his lost son Joseph, as well as a child developing in the womb, to illustrate that a true seeker must patiently endure pain and anticipation to achieve spiritual realization.