JOIN US The official was too busy to notice me but the person who was sitting across him saw me and beckoned me to come in. I was quite surprised because he seemed a total stranger and why was he asking me to come in? Again when he gestured asking me to come in with a smile on his face I looked at him closely then I realised he was in fact a friend of mine whom I had not seen in a few years.
I was not embarrassed at not recognising him because he was completely transformed from the last time I had seen him. He had probably gained 20 kilograms of weight and he looked much older as his hair was almost completely gray now. It was all the more surprising for me because I knew him as person who was very health conscious. I confessed that I was unable to recognise him and asked him how come he had gained so much weight. He looked at me and as though searching for the right words and he replied in a single sentence and he said “I just let go”.
There was nothing more for me to ask him as he had said it all in that single sentence. What he had meant was that he gave in to his desires without bothering about the consequences. He must have eaten whatever he wanted, when ever he wanted, and must have given up exercising altogether. His words triggered a lot of thoughts in me and I realised how often there was this desire arising in me to do the things which were detrimental to my well-being and how difficult it was for me to control myself. It is as though there is a streak of self-destruction in all of us.
More often than not this streak of self-destruction does not limit itself to the physical aspect alone but goes beyond to corrupt our very souls by prompting us to indulge in all kinds of immoral and unethical activities. Islam lays a lot of importance on self-control and there are reports of Prophet Mohammad saying that the most excellent Jihad is that for the conquest of self. Sometimes what we do in our weak moments becomes irreversible with everlasting consequences. So beware never lose control and never ‘let go’.