Author: Syed Suhail Ahmad
July 18, 2025
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The air was still that morning. Emil and his grandfather sat on a moss-covered rock at the edge of a quiet glade, sunlight flickering through the trees.
“Grandfather,” Emil asked, brow furrowed, “If this world is a test, and we are free to choose… then what are we choosing against? Who is the enemy?”
His grandfather’s gaze drifted into the trees. “Ah, Emil. That is the most dangerous kind of enemy—the one that doesn’t wear a uniform or raise a flag.”
He reached into his pocket and pulled out two small stones, placing them on the earth before Emil.
“One of these stones listens,” he said. “The other only speaks. Which do you think is more dangerous?”
Emil thought. “The one that only speaks,” he said slowly, “because it never learns, and never questions itself.”
His grandfather nodded.
“The true enemy, Emil, is not out there. It’s the whisper inside that says:
‘You are better than others.’
‘You deserve more.’
‘No one will know if you lie, or cheat, or take what isn’t yours.’
‘You are your own master—no one can tell you otherwise.’
“That voice,” he said, “is Ego. And Ego has a thousand disguises. It can look like confidence, or even courage. But underneath, it wants to rule, not serve.”
They sat quietly for a moment.
Then Grandfather continued, “And Ego has a partner—Temptation. Temptation is the flattery that makes the ego stronger. It whispers:
‘Why wait?’
‘Why suffer?’
‘Why be kind to those who don’t deserve it?’
‘Why serve God when you could serve yourself?’
Temptation isn’t always evil. Sometimes, it’s just… easy. Comfortable. Beautiful, even. But it pulls your soul out of alignment—like a compass nudged off true north.”
Emil picked up one of the stones.
“So the enemy… is the part of me that wants to forget who I really am?”
His grandfather smiled. “Exactly. The battlefield is inside, Emil. And you fight it every time you:
choose truth over lies,
kindness over pride,
patience over impulse,
remembrance over forgetfulness.
You cannot destroy Ego or silence Temptation forever. But you can train your heart not to believe them. Another name for this world is the dilemma between surrender and defiance — a realm where the constant struggle between choosing to serve God and the Temptation to oppose Him unfolds. “
Emil looked up, the fire of understanding started to flicker in his eyes.