In Book One of the Masnavi, Jalaluddin Rumi uses Imam Ali's response to his adversary to illustrate the Sufi ideal of perfect sincerity (Ikhlas) and egoless action. When explaining why he dropped his sword, Ali declares, 'I am the lion of God, not the lion of passion' (شیر حقم نیستم شیر هوا). He asserts that he fights solely for the Truth and compares himself to a sword wielded by the Divine, entirely devoid of personal anger or desire. This metaphor highlights the state of spiritual annihilation where a believer's actions become purely an extension of God's will.