Farid ud-Din Attar, the great Persian Sufi poet, was active in the late 12th century in Nishapur, composing early works that would culminate in his masterpiece Mantiq al-Tayr (Conference of the Birds) in the early 13th century. His poetry combined narrative skill with mystical insight, creating allegorical tales that taught Sufi principles through engaging stories.

Attar's narrative masnavis perfected the technique of embedding mystical teachings within entertaining stories, influencing later Persian and Turkish Sufi literature. His Conference of the Birds, with its frame narrative of birds seeking their king Simurgh, became one of Persian literature's most influential allegories, inspiring countless adaptations and commentaries. Attar's influence on Rumi was profound, with Rumi acknowledging Attar as his spiritual predecessor, demonstrating continuity within the Persian Sufi poetic tradition.