blessings

Poem: Wind

Poem: Wind 1280 800 Nadir Keval

The winds rush through the trees,
swift and driven.
They often say little,
but sometimes are deafening.
Their impact always remains,
but we only see their wrath,
never seeing their blessings.
They seem to exist simply to shift and sway,
leaving distraught anything that comes in their way.

The winds flow through the trees,
calm and smitten.
They break weak branches,
and sacrifice their fluidity,
to protect those who depend on the strength of trees.
The coolness they bring on a hot summer’s day,
and the seeds they carry
to help continue the cycle of life,
if often unseen or forgotten.
By the will and generosity of God,
they are what connect nature’s life and death.

The wind is like the love we experience in life,
sometimes it breaks us, sometimes it leaves us light.
Regardless of if it comes,
or if it leaves,
love and wind bless us,
with their existence and ease.
Imagine how it would be,
if you would simply love…
no reservations, expectations,
or reciprocation needed.
You would become like the wind.
Not everyone will embrace you.
Sometimes you may intimidate.
But, when the thoughtful and sincere,
take their moment to breathe,
they will feel your presence,
and all the bliss it brings.

Copyright © Nadir Keval

Has Allah Forgotten Me?

Has Allah Forgotten Me? 1366 768 Nadir Keval

Question:

Assalamu alaikum, brother, I wanted to thank you because some of your posts have helped me with life. But I wanted to ask you about some things, kindly link me tosome materials regarding hope and trust in Allah and how I can cope with depression and anxiety please? We’re going through an armada of health, financial, and psychological problems and I can’t stand seeing my mother cry. I am an ‘alright’ following Muslim but I feel that Allah has forgotten me.

Response:

Wa alaikum assalaam,

Insha Allah, this reaches you in the best state of health and Imaan. I’m glad to hear that my work has been beneficial to you and has helped you, Alhamdulillah.

First off, I would like to remind you that often, we feel that Allah has forgotten us, but the truth is usually that we aren’t doing our part to get closer to Him. Look at it this way, if you met someone that you wanted to have in your life because you believed they would be able to help change your life for the better, how hard would you work to try to get and maintain that person’s attention? You would probably also put a lot of effort into gaining that person’s approval and satisfaction. See, the thing is, we put forth so much effort towards those who are simply people and have no real control over our life’s condition without the help and provision of Allah, but we hardly put any effort towards gaining that relationship with Allah, who is the One that has control over our affairs and can help us through anything.

There are a few articles that I’ve written on my blog that relate to what you’re going through. I will list them below. I would, however, also like to share some advice with you as a person who has also gone through similar struggles time and time again in his life. Honestly, the greatest key towards betterment and solutions to our life problems is building on our relationship with Allah. What I would suggest to you is to start increasing your Ibadah, Dua, and Dhikr. Start working on perfecting your Salah, wake up for Tahajjud and make dua for what you’re wanting, and try to constantly keep your mouth moving with Dhikr like saying, “Astaghfirullah,” or “Alhamdulillah,” or “Subhanallah,” etc. That is the same advice my sheikh and friend gave me, and honestly, it helped me remain calm through all my struggles, helped me see light in the darkest corners of my life, and simply made me happier. Try working on this yourself first, and after a week or so of consistent practice, ask your mother to join you, motivating, helping, and supporting her in doing it with you. This will build a sense of unified peace between you (and others in you home if you have them join you as well), and will give you all a sense of peace amongst what appears to be the chaos of your life’s condition right now.

Remember, it’s all about your perception of things. Often, we think our condition is horrible, but that’s only because we are so focused in on what we’re going through that we forget to look at all that’s happening around us, and when that happens, whether we know it or not, a small part of us becomes ungrateful for all that we’ve been blessed with. The struggles and challenges we face in our lives are opportunities Allah is giving us to grow closer to Him and to grow stronger as individuals. Remember, Allah says that He never burdens a soul beyond what it can bear (Quran 2:286), and the Prophet (SAW) said that there is no calamity that strikes a believer, even if it is as small as the prick of a thorn, except that it expiates/removes the sins of that believer.

Allah is giving you an opportunity. Take it. Become better Muslims than you already are, grow closer to Him, and remember to look at those around you or around the world who are struggling far more than you (there’s always SOMEONE that’s struggling more than we are), and be thankful for what you have.

Those are my suggestions for your first steps, and if you’d like to discuss things further or in more detail, you are more than welcome to email me at mail@nadirkeval.com. Everything we discuss will remain confidential, insha Allah.

I hope this was of some help. Below are the articles from my blog that I feel may relate to your situation. Take care.

Wassalaamu alaikum,

– Nadir Keval (www.nadirkeval.com)

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Question: Why Are Some People Tested More Than Others? – Nadir Keval

To Be Happy – Nadir Keval

The Seed Of All Success – Nadir Keval

Creating Crutches – Nadir Keval

These are just some of the articles on my blog that relate to your situation. To be honest, what you’re going through is very common (which is a good thing, because it shows you that you’re not alone and that since others have been able to overcome it, so can you, alhamdulillah!), so I’ve written quite a few articles pertaining to situations and conditions similar to yours. You can find them in the mentoring archive on my blog.

First step(s) towards change…

First step(s) towards change… 500 375 Nadir Keval

Abu Musa (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said, “The person who will receive the highest reward for Salat (prayer) is the one who comes to perform it in the mosque from the farthest distance. And he who waits for Salat to perform it with the Imam (in congregation) will have a greater reward than the one who observes it alone and then goes to sleep.”

[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].

When I read this Hadith (Prophetic example and teachings of Prophet Muhammad – may the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), I was taken aback. I knew that I wanted to work towards becoming a better Muslim and a better person overall. I feel this will be that first step. I’ve been to the Mosque/Masjid for Fajr (the early morning prayer before sunrise) on and off before, but now, I want to work towards making it a part of my everyday. I want to be greedy with my good deeds. 🙂

Please pray that I can stick to this goal. Thank you!

In memory of….

In memory of…. 3888 2592 Nadir Keval

You know, when you have days like this, when people (in this case, Canadians) are thinking about those who have passed in the ways of war, and then you look at what the world has been facing in recent years, you quickly realize that the world is in a difficult place, and seems to only be inflicting pain upon itself.

I speak of the people of the world as one entity, because in truth, we are people who should learn to live in peace and unity. But, to believe that this can be a reality would be ignorance. They say that there cannot be peace without war, just as there cannot be happiness without sadness. But that leads me to question if the world has taken this concept and turned it into a position of accepting defeat against the evils of human nature…almost as though people have forgotten that goodness lies in all of us, and is only in need of that motivation and determination to present itself.

People seem to have given up on the world changing. They think that donating some money to a charity, volunteering at an event, or things of that sort are enough. Truth be told, those things are all things we should do, but they are NOT enough. Not by a long shot.

There is a quote that often lingers in my mind throughout my days, keeping me grounded and focused on living a righteous life:

The righteous person is the one constantly thinking of death.

(I was told this is a quote from the Hadith – the traditions, actions and sayings of the Prophet Muhammad, may the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him – but because I’m not sure, I won’t quote it as such. Rather, try to just take the meaning of it.)

When I first heard this quote, I thought, “Wow…that’s pretty negative and pessimistic.” But then, it was explained to me, and it changed my life. The quotation means that the person who is righteous is always asking him/herself a simple question: If I were to pass today, would I be ready to face the Lord/would I be able to look back at my life and say that I did the most I could to be a good person? What’s good and what’s not isn’t the matter at hand here. To each his own in that matter. But, can we look back at our lives and really say that right now, we’re in a place that we’re proud of…not because of pride, because what we’re doing is, in an unbiased opinion, righteous.

That’s when that change needs to come. The reason I mentioned the above quote was to address the fact that we CAN in fact make a change in the world by making a change within ourselves as individuals.

“Truly, God does not change the condition of a people until they change what is in themselves.” (Quran 13:11)

So, look at that as the plan. Now, let’s work together towards actually putting this plan into action. We all know that there are certain things that we’d like to do in order to make a change in ourselves. We just need that support and motivation to do so. I’m not perfect, but I believe in doing my best to make changes in my own life, so that I can look in the mirror and say, “I’m happy with who I am.”

My friends, let’s make these changes together, and work together towards helping each other make our lives better. I started this website, as well as the programs I run, with this goal in mind: help as many people as possible. So, leave a comment below, or click the Contact button on the side of the page, and talk out your changes with me. We’ll work together in making these changes. I’ll help as much as I can. Who knows, these may be the boosts we need in order to reach our own goals!

Poem: Coming To Be

Poem: Coming To Be 1024 768 Nadir Keval

How many times have I called you,
When you were away?
Trying to find new ways
Everyday
To make you see
How much you mean to me?

Once a year, the world celebrates valentines day,
But I want to celebrate you everyday.
I’ll make sure your every day will be
Like an unforgettable dream.
One that you wouldn’t want to believe
In fear of being too good to be true,
For how can anyone love anyone as much as I love you?

We’ve met a few times before,
In dreams and prayers,
But never in person.
It remains a disappointment to me
That our chemistry hasn’t yet seen that breeze,
That’s meant to spark our evident lover’s decree.

I believe that you and me
Are meant to defy gravity
Soaring through the skies we come to see,
That there’s a special cloud 9 made just for you and me.

Now I know all this sounds metaphorical,
But what if I told it’s how I felt?
That moment that I lay eyes on you,
I pinched myself, doubting that my dream may have come true.

See, long ago, I had a vision,
A fantasy of what you’d be like.
With no need for any type of addition,
To your image, to your heart, to your person.

I can still recall,
The beginning of my heart’s fall.
You walked by,
No notice or sign,
That you’d be that one for me.
You were so elegant,
No makeup, simple clothing.
But you seemed the most precious,
When I saw your smile.
I knew then that I was smitten,
This was the girl.
The one I’d spend my life with.
The one I’d cherish every moment with.
All that remained, was finding out how we’d come to be each other’s blessings…

Copyright © Nadir Keval

T.G.I.F.!!

T.G.I.F.!! 1200 800 Nadir Keval

I woke this morning an hour before I had to reach the Mosque (Muslim Temple), and that meant I had to leave within 5 minutes of waking up. So, I get up, get dressed, not able to freshen up any more than just brush my teeth.

I then leave the house, rushing to get to the Mosque. On my way there, I get slowed by traffic, and end up getting there just in time. It’s honestly an amazing feeling to get to the Mosque and spend some time there. The Friday prayer is like my weekly rehab session. I go to the Mosque on other days, but every Friday just comes with this incredible feeling of, “You can start fresh again starting today!”

The people sit silently, listening to the lesson, which is compulsory before every Friday prayer. They listen intently, in hopes of hearing that one thing, if not more, that will inspire them until the next week. Beginning with the words of peace, “Assalaamu alaikum” (May the peace and blessings of Allah [God] be upon you), the lecturer delivers a speech leaving us all speechless and smiling, to know that we are not alone in facing the day-to-day struggles we face as individuals.

After the speech, the prayer begins, as the call to prayer is made, praising Allah, and reminding us to, “Come to prayer, come to success!” We begin, and the meditative closeness to our souls comes to life. We all recognize the presence of our souls, but this feeling of just being completely connected to your center is incredible. It’s what keeps me balanced throughout the day.

We finished the prayer, and I walked outside to talk to my brothers. These people are not related to me by blood, but they are as close to me as my own blood. We discussed holding a BBQ for a youth group I work with, and to include a lesson at the same time. We think it should work out really well, and I’m hoping for it’s success, Insha Allah (God-willing).

Time to get back to work now. See y’all soon.

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