In Attar's 'Tale of Sheikh Kharraqani Eating Eggplant' from The Conference of the Birds, the narrative illustrates the Sufi concepts of divine jealousy (ghayrah) and the extreme strictness applied to the spiritually elect. The Sheikh's simple worldly craving for an eggplant results in a severe and immediate tragedy—the death of his son. This harsh consequence demonstrates that those who have reached advanced spiritual stations are held to exceptionally rigorous standards. Their hearts must remain exclusively devoted to the Divine, and indulging in even the most mundane worldly desires is met with swift spiritual or physical repercussions to remove the distraction.