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Nadir Keval

Poem: Her Description
Poem: Her Description 900 900 Nadir Keval

So,
something just happened to me.
I closed my eyes,
and I saw this vision of beauty.
A sight I had never seen,
and I struggle to put it into words,
but until it becomes my reality,
trying to write it is all I have,
to hope to continue to see…

You.
Beautiful, gorgeous, stunning.
Those are words I could use,
but with you, they are mere letters,
constructed by another,
in hopes to describing his own love.
With you, I need to find my own word.
My heart beats to a tempo,
creating your image in my eyes
with every rhythm creating ripples.
Like rain on barren land,
your image revives my hopes,
in finding love where it was thought to be lost.

Ah, but there is far more than beauty in what makes you,
You.
My soul has been struck,
with an impact that is surely going to leave a mark.
Your serene nature,
faithful, driven, and inspired,
inspires my own drive towards increasing my faith,
so that I may be ready to enter your serenity,
with such ease that it seems natural.

And all I can do is think of
how you are far beyond anything I could comprehend.
Like a man who’s vision has been lost to the darkness
by the experiences life has left him with,
you are that shimmer of light,
bringing me sight,
when it seemed as though I would never see again.

Yet, through all the light you bring into my life,
I remain slightly frustrated,
yet patient.
As much as you will be my blessing,
you are my test now,
my initiation into fulfillment.
I wait to discover my word that will describe you,
but that will only come when I learn your name.

Copyright © Nadir Keval

Poem: I Don’t Read Often
Poem: I Don’t Read Often 1600 948 Nadir Keval

I don’t read often.
I fear that I may fall into a world so enticing
that I may begin to neglect the world I live in,
or that I may cease gratitude for all that I have been given.

I don’t read often.
My life has a variety of stories of its own
that I feel I was made more to be the mouth that dictates,
than the eyes that capture a new world.

I don’t read often.
Instead I try to connect my heart to other hearts
and inspire my mind through touching other minds,
all through building a bridge of linguistics.

I don’t read often.
I feel bad seeing the smudged remains of a no.2,
as I’m sure it already feels insecure about being most common,
yet still, just number two.

I don’t read often.
I believe it to be an injustice to reality
as a photograph is to the sight of an eye.
Yet still, I try.

I don’t read often.
I worry that I may find love in it,
or that I’d lose the impact of surprise.
Knowing less makes life more worthy of experience.

I don’t read often.
If, however, there is a book I would like to read,
it would be the one that He wrote,
before lifting the pen and letting the ink dry.

But isn’t that just living?

Copyright © Nadir Keval

Progress At Your Own Pace
Progress At Your Own Pace 2560 1600 Nadir Keval

Life is a challenge. There’s no doubt about that. But, challenges aren’t a bad thing, especially when we look at them as opportunities for growth and success. Easier said than done, I know.

Throughout my life, I have faced my own set of struggles, difficulties, and challenges. First off, to them, I say Alhamdulillah. They have made me who I am today. And although, at the time of facing those particular struggles, I felt a phenomenal amount of pain and suffering, I now look back at every single one of those events and aspects of my life as blessings and lessons that I carry with me every day. I use these experiences as reminders and tools with which I can learn to become a better person.

Some of the challenges I’ve faced are things that others would consider small and unimportant, or would be able to overcome so easily that they wouldn’t even register these things as challenges. Does that mean that I am weaker or a lesser person than them? Does that mean they are more advanced or better than me? No. It just shows how we all face our own struggles to our own degrees and at our own pace.

I know of some people who are monumental figures in the world, who inspire people every day, and who are financially successful as well. These people were also once homeless, once failing students, once leading unhealthy lives to the extent of being close to death, once going through a tough divorce, or once dealing with the loss of their family members because of war. Most of us would find facing even one of these struggles to be overwhelming, but some have faced more than a few of those things at once. Yet, today they are happy and successful. With faith and patience, they were able to overcome, and for that, they were rewarded.

Is Patience Worth It?

“Indeed, the patient will be given their record without account” – Quran (39:10)

Just the other day, I attended a halaqa, where the teacher told us about the story of Prophet Ayub (may Allah have mercy on him) and how he faced so many different trials, and still, remained patient. Off the top of my head, what I recall learning about was how Prophet Ayub had almost everything a person could want in life: a loving family, wealth, good health, and a good reputation in the community. He was then tested, riddled with disease to the point that no one wanted to come near him, so he lost his friends, his wealth, and his health. Still, he remained patient. Because he couldn’t work, as his health had deteriorated to the point of making his figure seem like no more than flesh on bones, his wife began to work by cleaning homes and the like. People didn’t know that she was Prophet Ayub’s wife, but once they found out, they stopped hiring her, in fear that she may pass his disease on to them. So, in a state of desperation, she began to sell her hair (there was a high payment given for hair that could be used to make wigs). This brought a lot of wealth, so Prophet Ayub asked her where the wealth came from, and she ultimately told him and revealed her practically bald head. He then, for the first time, made dua regarding his and his family’s condition saying, “Oh Allah, we have been touched by difficulty.” Look how patient he was, that even after facing all that he had, he didn’t describe his condition as being horrific or unbearable, but rather, said that they have been simply “touched” by difficulty – incredible, Subhanallah!! After this, he was rewarded for his patience and got back his health and wealth, and was able to become a functioning member of his society again.

We often look at the things we face and at that moment, we feel them to be overwhelming and heavily burdensome. We feel like we are facing the toughest thing in the world, and for those without faith, the words that often come to mind are, “Why me?” But, the truth of the matter is, the things we face all have purpose, and regardless of how difficult they may seem, nothing is more difficult than you can handle. Our struggles and difficulties in life are in fact blessings in disguise, as they give us the opportunity to show our true strengths and to become better than we were before. Sure, you didn’t get that job you wanted, you missed out on completing your degree because of 0.6%, or things didn’t work out with that person you were sure you were meant to marry…but all of those things not going as you had planned was all part of Allah’s Plan to prepare you for the better things to come, or to protect you from what may have come had things gone your way. Personally, as I look back, through all the pain and struggles, I smile because I can see how things just got better over time, or I realized how horrible my life would have been if I had gotten what I wanted, and every single one of those major “struggles” I thought would be the end of me turned out to be remembered as no more than a moment in time that passed and is now lighter than a feather.

“But perhaps you hate a thing and it is good for you; and perhaps you love a thing and it is bad for you. And Allah knows, while you know not.” – Quran (2:216)

Be patient with all that you face, and grateful for how far you’ve come. Think back to some of the things you’ve experienced in life and you’ll find that a lot of the bad times only made you stronger. It’s a tough thing to experience at the time, but if you keep in mind that Allah is merely making you stronger in faith and character through this and protecting your from harm, you’ll find more contentment with your condition. Remember, Allah rewards the patient without account, so just imagine how He, the One with no limitations, could reward you with so much more than you could imagine!

Why’s It Taking So Long?

“Allah does not charge a soul except [with that within] its capacity. It will have [the consequence of] what [good] it has gained, and it will bear [the consequence of] what [evil] it has earned.” – Quran (2:286)

We face a lot in our lives – that is without doubt. But all that we face is within the capacity of what we can bear. What gets to us isn’t the inability to accomplish our goals, but the time it takes for us to do so. We live in a time where everything is based on instant gratification. Patience is almost unheard of because people expect what they want to be manifested in front of them in one way or another without taking out the time and effort to make it a reality. We rush ourselves to accomplish our goals, and treat others badly if they get in our way. We look at others with judgment if they are struggling in a part of their journey that we found to be easy. We fail to understand that every person will be tested and awarded as is most befitting to us, because we are all unique and need to face our own journeys in our own way.

This concept is reflected in every aspect of life. We want financial stability, so we apply for a few jobs and then start complaining a few days later because we’re still unemployed. We want to get married, but hardly do anything to make ourselves worthy of marriage, and then complain that no one wants to marry us. We want to lose weight so we eat healthy and work out for a week or two and then complain that we still haven’t lost those 20 lbs. we set out to lose. We talk and talk about our intentions to take action towards leading better lives, but then spend months complaining about how nothing has changed, when truthfully, we’ve hardly put any effort towards taking action towards those changes. We need to embrace our responsibilities towards ourselves, and take steps towards our goals at our own pace. Ignore the pressures of others and just ask yourself if you’re working as hard as you can. Compare yourself only to the person you were the day before. Other than that, know that everyone else is irrelevant in comparison. Try to work at who you want to become by recognizing that you are different from everyone else and that you need to find your success at your own pace. Taking this approach will bring you ease, contentment, and a much faster and healthier path to success – I speak from experience, Alhamdulillah.

“And whoever fears Allah – He will make for him a way out and will provide for him from where he does not expect. And whoever relies upon Allah – then He is sufficient for him. Indeed, Allah will accomplish His purpose. Allah has already set for everything a [decreed] extent.” – Quran (65:3-4)

Poem: Lovely Reality
Poem: Lovely Reality 900 900 Nadir Keval

“If you’re real,
please show me now.
If we are meant to be,
you’ll appear somehow.”

These are the words I once said,
before you became more than a dream,
my future intertwined with my present.
I searched my entire life,
looked around,
considered more than a few,
but none stood as sincerely,
and as truly as you do.

Some came close,
some not at all.
But all were like a blemish
in a dream of love so pure and raw.
I don’t know if I’ve found you,
or the other way around,
or if this is just a timely event,
Divinely presented by the One above all.

Regardless, I see you,
as bliss, peace,
and a chance at happiness.
You are now here,
And today, it’s all clear,
that my life and all I’ve seen,
was in preparation of loving you.

Copyright © Nadir Keval

Are We Truly In Search Of Justice And Peace?
Are We Truly In Search Of Justice And Peace? 1920 1080 Nadir Keval

Let’s look at the world we live in today. It’s a construct of the decisions we as a global society have made throughout the years, allowing our greed, agendas, and immoral intentions take precedent over the maintenance of justice and life. Despite all of this being a truth many of us are aware of, we become emotionally driven by our own attachments and forget about the essence of humanity as a whole. Now, I am not one to often speak about current events because I feel that it is a magnet of controversy and the like, but I felt it important for my own self to share what I believe is necessary for us to live in a world of peace, as limited as that option may be.

There are battles, wars, and struggles that are faced throughout the world on a daily basis, some bigger than others, and some in our own minds. Every single one of them holds value and weight, and should be faced with wisdom, patience, and optimism – both by those involved and by those standing on the outside, looking in. Regardless of who you are or who it is facing the struggle, we must acknowledge the struggle and its weight.

“Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.” – Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

The sad reality is that many of us have become numb to all the things we hear on the news. More often than not, we need for it to be something big to really make an impact. When it does, our reactions of anger and disgust with all that’s happened tend to be extremely strong at first, and a short time later, our passion towards change fades and we go back to living our lives. All the chaotic things that happen in the world are sparks of fire, and how we allow those things to impact our lives and influence our interactions with each other determines how much gas we add to that fire. If we’re smart, we’ll find ways to put out the fire through peaceful, wise, and optimistic solutions, before it grows too large for us to handle.

In no way do I mean to belittle any of the things that happen in the world today. Rather, I believe it’s important for us to work on our own selves, and to seek out knowledge and wisdom to find peace within ourselves, in order for us to find solutions to everything that goes on in the world, big or small. Through this, we will be able to deal with the news we hear about every day in a positive way, and will grow as a community. Maybe I’m speaking out of naivety, maybe I’m just saying something we’re all thinking but are too afraid to say or face, out of fear of stepping up and taking action. But, I implore all of us to consider ourselves as individuals first. For a minute, put aside all the blaming going on, put aside who may or may not have been the cause of the incidents, and ask yourself how you can make a difference. As I said, how we react to these things makes all the difference on the impact the struggles and events have on our lives. If we focus on trying to make positive changes to avoid having things like what we face happen again, we can make a difference that could benefit more people and save lives. If we, however, take the approaches we are taking today of finding someone or some group to blame and reacting in a negative and inappropriate manner, we are merely adding more reasons for more problems in the future.

Take an example from the days of elementary school, where if someone were bullied, the advice we would give them wouldn’t be to retaliate by starting to bully those bullying them. We don’t advise our children to react with the same thing they are hurt by, so why should that change when we’re all grown adults. Do we lose our sense, and emotional and mental stability when we get older? Most of what we see in the world today is bullies pointing fingers at others, and their blind followers spreading hate and negativity throughout the public to blind other people into sharing in the finger pointing. Sure, the bullies are bigger organizations or nations, and sure the followers are people on the internet and in smaller organizations, but really, it’s not that different from the school mentality. Make a change by being the better person. If someone is being blamed, investigate and seek out knowledge. Don’t be ignorant to the facts, and instead, stand for justice, wherever it may come from. Jumping the gun in blaming people and not expecting them to retaliate is dumb and ignorant. Be wise in your actions and strive to bring about positive change. People speak so much about wanting to see change and all that, but who really takes productive steps towards it? We all go out marching and protesting because of a matter (and I’m not saying that’s good or bad), but how much time is spent meeting in groups to understand with open minds the people and organizations behind the things being done, and then working hard towards taking positive, respectful, and respectable action? If the accused is an organization or a person that openly claims to have an agenda to do harm to people, then understand that the agenda is specific to those individuals involved in the matter and not to everyone that classifies themselves under that same name. For example, if a person named John goes around slapping people with blonde hair because he believes blonde haired people are evil, does that mean that every person named John believes the same thing and may slap blonde people? No. Does that mean that every blonde haired person is evil? No. So, why let that concept change in any other situation?

Ultimately, what I believe we should all do as individuals is work on ourselves to try becoming the best we can be for ourselves and for society as a whole. When you feel like someone is pushing you the wrong way, or that they seem to be trying to get you to react negatively to something they say, recognize that as being a form of bullying and walk away. Do not react in any way other than with patience unless you are put in a position of needing to defend yourself or others from actual physical harm – then too, be smart and don’t do any more than is necessary; i.e. call the police, move yourself to a safe place, and do only what is necessary to get away from the person, and do not harm out of emotional drive. Have faith in humanity and it’s ability to be good. At our core, that is what we are – good – but it is through the misuse and manipulation of our emotions that we get carried away and forget to think clearly and rationally, with wisdom and patience, when trying to find a solution.

“You must not lose faith in humanity. Humanity is an ocean; if a few drops of the ocean are dirty, the ocean does not become dirty.” – Mahatma Gandhi

These are all my opinions and thoughts, and no one has any obligation to follow or agree with them. All I ask is that you consider what I’ve said with an open mind and try to find peace through helping others. Only then can we grow as a people and hope for a better future.

Understanding Fear
Understanding Fear 1200 800 Nadir Keval

Fear – something that takes a toll on all of us, including the innately fearless. We often allow this fear to overtake our courage, holding us back from reaching the heights of our potential. Personally, I believe that without fear, we would not be able to fully grasp its opposite – courage. As is pain to pleasure, and sadness to happiness, fear can act as a catalyst towards growth in courage if used as a controlled tool, instead of as something that controls us. This is a difficult feat to achieve, but after reading this post, you’ll see why I believe that it’s difficulty is merely a blessing and inspiration to overcome it.

I know this quote is just a line from a movie, but it might just be one the greatest and truest things I’ve ever heard. In fact, quite frankly, it is something I try to remind myself of every day as I challenge myself towards becoming everything I aspire to be in this life and in the Hereafter…

“If we are going to survive this, you must realize that fear is not real. It is a product of thoughts you create. Now, do not misunderstand me – danger is very real. But fear, is a choice.” – After Earth

This concept is the first and only understanding of fear that has truly helped me to overcome my own fears and instead, find a desire for facing said fears. Fear is something that we cannot see, but it is something we create within our own minds as a defense mechanism against that which we are uncomfortable with or believe could harm us in some way. If we take this fear and recognize it as merely a thought we construct in our minds, we can then construct a different, more positive thought to counter that fear.

There is far more strength in a man who faces his fears than in a man who is fearless by nature.

I’ve grown up with fear and nervousness playing a large role in my life, because there were very few people that encouraged me or helped me feel that I was worthy of practically anything. I would get hollow compliments from people, and would later be insulted or discouraged by those same people. It felt insincere, making it difficult for me to trust, and instead of motivating me to believe in myself, it lead to a life of self-doubt and a need to satisfy and gain approval from others.

Only a few years ago did I realize this to be my reality, and began to take whatever steps I could to fight those fears. When trying to train our minds to put up a fight against that which we fear, our first step is to recognize that we are afraid of something. Then, tell yourself that you’re going to face that fear no matter, and the next time it challenges you, do the exact thing you are afraid to do. It will take time to accomplish, but in time you will grow and adapt to it, and it will become second-nature. Through this process of just facing your fears, you will find yourself doing things you have never dreamt of doing. For example, for years, I was afraid of failure and so, I wouldn’t work very hard on my businesses or projects, but rather, would make excuses to try to keep myself from trying something or from taking a risk towards what I wanted. Now, however, since I began facing my fears, I have developed a love and pull towards doing exactly what I fear. So, when it comes to work, I am more confident, more ambitious, more courageous, and a greater risk-taker. And honestly, I have never been happier with myself.

Fear is normal. It’s a part of what makes us who we are. But if we allow it to control us, we become slaves to it, whereas, if we learn to control it, it becomes our slave. Fear is a tool that we can use to become more courageous and to become more driven and ambitious in our careers, health, relationships, and overall lives. Ask yourself what you fear today, and take a leap of faith, and do exactly what you fear doing. You will become stronger, and will find yourself finding a drive for more than you’ve ever imagined. Open up the door to possibility for yourself and make fear fear you.

Recipe: Herb chicken with a sweet potato and veggie medley
Recipe: Herb chicken with a sweet potato and veggie medley 2560 1920 Nadir Keval

Ingredients

Chicken Marinade

  • 2 whole boneless chicken breast
  • 1/2 cup Canola or Olive Oil
  • 1 tbsp Dried Basil
  • 1 tsp Tandoori Masala (for color)

Veggie Medley

  • 1 tbsp butter
  • 1 whole sweet potato, halved (length-wise) and sliced
  • 2 small whole Roma tomatoes
  • 3 stalks asparagus (sliced into diagonal pieces)
  • 3 stalks green onions
  • 1 tbsp lemon juice
  • 2 tbsp evaporated milk
  • To taste Salt
  • To taste Ground Black Pepper
  • 1 tsp red chili flakes
  • 1 tsp chopped dried rosemary

Directions (Serves 1 person):

  1. Into a ziplock bag, combine boneless chicken breast, oil, dried basil, and tandoori masala. Close the bag and shake it – a lot. Place in fridge. (In my recipe, it was marinating for almost two days – although, the longer it marinates the better, I would think that a minimum of 6-8 hours should suffice.)
  2. Prep vegetables: half (length-wise) and slice the sweet potato, chop the tomatoes into big chunks, diagonally slice the asparagus (after cutting off the bottoms), and finely chop the green onions.
  3. Place large skillet on medium heat.
  4. Add butter. Spread around whole skillet base.
  5. Add sweet potato into skillet, making sure that all the pieces are flat on the skillet.
  6. Let each side of the sweet potato pieces cook for 1.5-2 minutes.
  7. Reduce heat.
  8. Add tomatoes and asparagus. Add salt. Toss and allow to cook.
  9. While it cooks, cut chicken breast into cubes.
  10. Add chicken. Toss and allow to cook.
  11. Add green onions, lemon juice, evaporated milk, ground black pepper, red chili flakes, and rosemary.
  12. Toss and allow to cook. Keep on heat until chicken is fully cooked.
  13. Serve 🙂

Enjoy!

 

Herb Chicken with sweet potato and veggie medley

Poem: Still, I Sigh.
Poem: Still, I Sigh. 3456 2592 Nadir Keval

Still, I sigh
and say Alhamdulillah.
For after all I’ve been through,
after all I’ve seen,
I have grown every day
to become a better me.

My life is
in no way too difficult.
This type of suffering
was meant just for me.
My mistakes were mine,
my lessons deserved,
and for every moment,
I feel blessed for what I’ve earned.

I have lived,
I have loved,
if not through others,
then at least
through the One above.
Alhamdulillah.

All that has passed has been
a fingerprint to the clay,
a unique indentation
moulding me into who I am today.
This morrow will follow,
in the ways it has been written.
Dried is the ink,
lifted is the pen,
and where I am focused
is on this day and how it’s spent.
Only through this will I find peace with the unknown,
because the future is only clear to the One, Most Known.

And still I sigh,
and say Alhamdulillah.
For what’s to come is uncertain,
my dreams are still to be seen,
but what I know for certain,
is that He will take care of me.

Copyright © Nadir Keval

Fight or Flight
Fight or Flight 5184 3456 Nadir Keval

About a month ago, I was hospitalized after passing out suddenly. It was a scary experience to say the least, and it put a lot of things further into perspective. See, this wasn’t the first time I had passed out over the last few years, but it was the first time I was told that if I were to pass out again, there’s a chance it could be fatal. Well, talk about a wake up call!

The doctors as well as those close to me said that it was probably stress-induced, considering the overwhelmingly excessive stress I’ve had on my mind for the last little bit. Usually, I can handle a pretty high degree of stress and workloads, but that’s because it’s self-imposed, so I moderate how much I take in. This time, however, the sources of the stress were external and so, I didn’t know how to control them or deal with them in a safe and effective way. Thus, I ended up overloading and passed out.

When I was at the clinic having a Holter monitor (heart-rate monitor) attached to my chest, the nurse mentioned the concept of “Fight or Flight” when describing what she speculated could have been reflected in my passing out. Although this wasn’t the case, it was something that caught my attention and had me thinking for a while. It made me ponder the idea of learning to control our minds to a strong enough degree that we would be able to stop ourselves from reacting by “taking flight” more often than expected.

From what I understand, the fight or flight concept is simply a way of relaying how we react to certain things. Every person has something that makes his or her body shut down completely at the moment they interact with it in any way. When something challenges a person but doesn’t make their body involuntarily react through things like vomiting or fainting, it’s a reflection of a person’s fight. Whereas, if someone reacts negatively and has their body shut down in one way or the other, it’s a reflection of flight.

Now, being the person I am, I began to think about how I could learn to adapt to my circumstances and stress points, so that I could avoid having another black-out episode. Since the “episode” was stress-induced, I figured that the first step would be to identify my stress points. Once I did that, I began working on learning to detach my emotions from those stress points. I thought it would be harder to do, but it came quite easily once I realized that consequences of not reducing my stress (i.e. doctors said it could be fatal, remember?). Since then, the stress points haven’t gone away, but I’ve definitely found more peace and ease in dealing with things. That doesn’t mean that I have complete control of it, though. I realized this when I was humbled by the fact that despite all of my efforts, I was still feeling pain and facing major struggles when trying to avoid stress.

Lessons Learned

There are so many things in our lives that we fight every day, trying to make a living, trying to find happiness, trying to maintain relationships, and more. But, we should never let those things bring us down, because as soon as they do, they control us and we no longer control them. At that point, the best thing to do is to walk away from what you’re fighting, regardless of how far into the fight you are or of who’s watching. Take care of yourself first, because in order for you to continue your fight, you have to make sure you’re in control and are completely aware of your circumstances. For most of my life, I thought life was about putting others first and only considering myself after everyone else is content, but eventually, it bit me in the butt. I found that I was unappreciated and would be used because people would take my kindness as naivety. Yes, we should help others and make a point to do as much good during our lifetimes as possible, but that should only be done after you’ve made sure that you’re okay. And an even better approach would be make it such that helping people is a part of what helps you happy. You are the only person who you have control of appreciating you, so don’t take yourself for granted and take care of yourself! This life is a gift from God, and He’s always watching over us. You wouldn’t ignore a gift your friend gives you while he or she is watching, so how could you ignore God’s gift to you? Take it with a smile and take care of your life. You’re worth every moment of it, even more so on those days you think you’re not.

And that brings me to flight. We have to keep in mind that we are human and that we won’t always have complete control of our lives. We are fragile creatures, regardless of how much we may try to strengthen and protect ourselves. Don’t let that anger or frustrate you, though. Instead, let it humble you – let it remind you that you always have space for improvement and that you will never be completely impenetrable in whatever shield you put up around yourself, because to be vulnerable is human and to be human is to be vulnerable.

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