__________________________________________________________________________________
When asked about where she gets her
inspiration from, Naadira bowls us over as she
says:"I draw inspiration from everyday
challenges that extract the happiness, peace
and contentment from our heart, mind and
soul. The challenges that are masked by
picture perfection. The anxiety, pain, hurt the
despair, stress and the darkness of those that
have a voice yet are voiceless; this inspires me
to write. The lady who sweeps the street, the
beggar at the robot, the car guard at the mall,
the lady packing my groceries inspire me as
they are visible to all, yet remain invisible to
the world. The new mum who desperately
needs five minutes to herself, the CEO who
just wants to spend more time with her kids,
the little girl who is silently being abused, the
newly divorced sister who is struggling to find
herself, the beautiful lady who is applying
make up to cover her husband’s physical abuse
towards her, the tears of a widow and the
happiness of a new bride inspire me to ink my
inspiration.“The one person, she would most
love to meet is Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W),
“To thank him for being a mercy upon
mankind and for gifting us with such a perfect
example to live by.“Stepping into the future,
we can't wait to see Naadira take on her
dreams of inspiring not just South Africans,
but the world, on an international platform
(Covered Magazine is one such platform, so
you are on your way Naadira!) one article, one
programme and one event at a time. She
wishes to further establish a safe environment
for women to seek psychological and
emotional support and be able to give a voice,
assistance and comfort to all those who feel
difficulty in even whispering their challenges.
As everyone faces challenges, when asked
how "she" addresses negativity, Naadira
acknowledges that as a public figure "there is
and always will be differences in opinion as
well as negativity, but for me I treat negativity
as a traveller, never finding a destination in
my heart, mind and soul." As a muslimah she
wears the hijab and shares with us that her
hijab is her haven, protection and humility.
She regards hijab as a "companion that
radiates light to our identity as well as
comforts our soul".
Aside from writing, to unwind, Naadira prefers to
spend time and travel with her family. As she tells
us, she loves to relax on "a freshly cut lawn looking
up at the sky", and currently on her bedside table,
she is reading: Reclaim your heart! by Yasmin
Mogahed. We heartily concur that it is truly the
little things that bring peace and happiness.
As parting words to those who are currently facing
difficulties, Naadira shares some beautiful insight:
"When your heart is shattered into a million pieces,
when your mind is throbbing with sorrow and
pain, when your soul is drowning in the depths of
darkness, remember Allah is near. Allah knows
your difficulties, feels your fears and sees your
tears. Allah will heal, restore and beautify your life
with happiness and peace once more. The storm
will pass, remember who is in control of this ship
called life and He will provide the calm to your
ocean."