Sometimes, We Just Need To Let Things Be

By: Sumaira Hasan

Lately, I feel as if my life has been like a whirlwind. Blowing this way and that, but not actually "doing" anything worthwhile or achieving something. It really gets to me at times and I sit and wonder "What am I doing?” I am constantly trying to do this, or do that, but really none of those things are of major importance, and it won’t matter if they don't get done (at least once in a while).

For example, today I came home and saw the light blinking on my phone, signaling that there was a message on the answering machine.
 I tried checking, but as usual the caller had not left any message! (I really hate it when people do that). Well anyways, the after effect of all this was that my phone went crazy on me. It was as if some aliens had invaded it and all I could hear were these loud explosive noises. From that point onwards, my entire focus was on how to "fix" the phone, and get it back to normal. I had important calls to make - my Mum, my Doctor (in that order) etc.

So in my efforts to fix the phone, I would:

1. Close the phone and then turn it on again to check,

2. Repeat Step 1. x number of times ...

All this time I had 10 million thoughts going through my mind, the height of which was "How can I call my mom to tell her that my phone isn't working and hence I can't call her!” Imagine the insanity of my situation!

Finally, I gave up, plunked the phone down and just "Let it be". I busied myself with other stuff and finally forgot about the phone and my obsession of fixing it.

After some time, I went to check on it and Lo Behold - I got the dial tone! The aliens had left, all on their own! Imagine that!

It was then that it struck me, sometimes it's OK to just let things be, and in due time all will be well again. Isn't that what usually happens in life?

It reminded me of this Ayat I had come across in the Quran some time back. I had been deeply distressed and was reading the Quran - and strangely enough the translation of the Ayat I had been reading that particular day had been:

"If you do not understand something, or things are beyond your comprehension, then leave them to Allah for He has much more understanding and knows things that you do not know". (this is not the exact wording of the translation but this is what it was trying to convey).

I was so surprised to come across that particular translation that day when I was very upset, but it brought peace to my troubled mind; and again today when I remembered it. There are so many times in our lives when things are beyond our understanding and we have no clue what to do, but if we leave them to Allah then surely enough they come out right in the end.

So once in a while we should stop stressing out and let things go or leave them alone for a while and come back to find them all sorted out.