In the first years, after the prophet Mohammad had originally introduced Islam to the people of Arabia, he was forced to wage many wars to firmly establish his nascent religion. Having fought in many of the battles himself, he was well aware of the importance of a competent leader. The time had come for yet another war, and he needed an able general. The prophet looked hard at his options and came to a final decision. His choice to lead his army was a young soldier who had not only fought exceptionally well but had also shown impeccable wisdom in making quick and wise decisions during battle.
Once the prophet announced his decision, one of his older companions, unable to control his anger and jealousy, approached Mohammad to complain. He simply could not accept taking orders from a younger man.
“You're our great messenger,” he said gravely. “I beg you to reconsider your choice and refrain from selecting this young man! Didn't you always say that leadership belongs to the elders? We've several older soldiers who are far more deserving of this position. Don't look down on the yellow leaves of trees. Remember, they symbolize maturity and are responsible for producing ripe fruit in the end, while green shoots only signify youth and inexperience. An older person may have a tired body, but his intelligence is incomparably deeper than a young person's.”
The man continued with his soliloquy, annoying the prophet more acutely with each passing moment. The prophet tolerated the older man's complaints for as long as he could but eventually cut him off and tried to reason with him.
“You only see the obvious and are blind to this young man's superior hidden qualities!” he asserted. “There are many men whose beards have not yet turned white but possess unrivaled qualities that their elders can only dream of. Likewise, there are many older men with long, white, distinguished beards whose hearts are tainted with unforgiveable sins. A commander must be intelligent; what does he want with a white beard? Isn't Iblis, our very own devil, the oldest man in the world? When one doesn't have a good mind, one has nothing! Only the shortsighted consider white hair by itself to be a sign of maturity. My dear companion, strive to detect the essence of things so you may take command of both your faith and your mind. A wise man possesses an innate light with which he's able to guide and lead others; and I'm convinced that this young man has exactly that!”
Mohammad could easily have continued with his discourse but thought better of it and stopped. He hoped that his words had penetrated the old man's heart and mind with sufficient gravity so that he would never again have to counter any soldier's biased remarks, which could cast doubt among the entire army.