Blessings

Are You a Leader

Chapter 18: Are You a Leader

Quote of the Day: "Don't depend too much on anyone in this world, because even your own shadow leaves you when you are in darkness."

Once, some scientist got together to preform an experiment. They rounded up ten monkeys and placed them in a closed room. Within the room, there was a table the monkeys would be able to stand on, and strung above the table was a bunch of bananas. There you go, our three components right there, monkeys, table and bananas. Easy enough.

But there was a catch; there's always a catch when it comes to science. Whenever a monkey would try to get the bananas, that monkey and the rest of the group would be hosed down in icy cold water.

They proceed with the experiment and as described before, the monkeys see the bananas, one of them tries to retrieve the fruit, and the entire group gets drenched in icy water. The monkeys attempt to get the bananas five to six more times, and they get hosed down five to six more times.

Finally, they give up.

The scientists then take out one of the monkeys and replace him with a new monkey, let's call him Bob. The scientists also, take away the hose, so the monkeys will not be sprayed anymore with the water, but they don't know this. Now keep in mind that Bob, has never experienced the icy water. The Bob sees the bananas, his animal instincts kick in and he wants them. So he gets up on the table, but before he can try to get a banana, all the monkeys gang up on him and beat him up--monkey style.

Intrigued, the scientists take out another monkey and replace him with another new monkey. New monkey never experienced the icy water, sees the bananas, wants the bananas. The new monkey tires to get the fruit and he gets beat up, by all the monkeys, including Bob, who does not even understand why he's beating up this new monkey.

The scientists replace a third, fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh, and eighth monkey, until they are all new monkeys. And each time, the new monkey tries to get the bananas and is beat up with by the others who have never experienced the icy water and monkeys who haven't.  I repeat, the monkeys who've never experienced the icy water don't know why they are beating up these monkeys but don't question it.

And so, the bananas remain untouched.

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Ramadan Challenge #10: So, the lesson I hope you all learned from this story, is that you cant "just go with the flow". Old customs and traditions are sometimes wrong, so why do we continue to follow them? Take a step back and really think over your actions and think, am I following Allah? If not, take a stance and go against the current--change for the better, and start by changing yourself, you'd be surprised by how many follow! Be a leader.