In Chapter 6, Poem 83 of the Mokhtar Nameh, Attar of Nishapur explores the profound paradox of spiritual progression on the mystical path, specifically focusing on the relationship between monotheism (tawhid) and effacement (mahw):

• The Veil of Monotheism: Attar suggests that at the beginning of the spiritual path, the intellectual concept of monotheism (tawhid) acts as a veil. Proclaiming or conceptualizing the oneness of God inherently implies a dualism between the proclaimer (the self) and the Divine, thereby obscuring true unity.
• Effacement (Mahw): True union requires the heart to be held back or emptied of its self-awareness and ego. It is through this effacement of the self that the veil of conceptual monotheism can be transcended.
• The Infinite Struggle: Attar emphasizes that attuning the heart to this state of selfless unity is a long, complex, and unspeakable undertaking, which he elects to summarize briefly rather than attempt to explain in full.