I wrote an article for Imam Suhaib Webb’s website so take a look inshaAllah!! http://www.suhaibwebb.com/society/domestic-affairs/what-we-can-learn-from-aisha-khan/

Also… Happy Gregorian New Year

Duas for khair & happiness 2 all in the new year.

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The first article titled ‘All the Single Ladies’ published in The Atlantic is a very long narrative written by Kate Bolick detailing her life, her choices and how she came to be single.  Some parts regret, some parts self-blame, some parts accusation, some parts defiance, some parts drunken confession; the response to the article has been huge. And divisive. It’s safe to say the article has touched a major chord in people. Some bloggers are upset that she divides guys into two groups: deadbeats and ballers and she talks about how some ballers get taken and the rest become ‘playas’ spoiled for choice by desperate women and the single ladies are only left with deadbeats. Others are upset that she made a choice to turn down someone decent for marriage for no known reason and in so many words regrets it, but then goes on to defend her decisions. Others just call the piece anti-feminist, and others call it femi-nazi. (You know how that goes!) She also believes this wave of single women can be attributed to our current economy and lack of “male ambitiousness” which I’m sure pissed off a lot of guys. She’s also upset that her parents generation “the divorced generation” somehow instilled a fear of getting married and  ‘not settling” in their children and told them marriage was not the ‘be all and end all’ and that there’d always be someone out there for them. (But yet there isn’t; over time, like women the world over, she comes to believe there’s no one decent left.) Somehow in the end she tries to find meaning in singleness while coming to the final epiphany that marriage should always be “society’s highest ideal” and that perhaps the next generation of women will realize this.

The second article first appeared on Sh. Suhaib Webb’s website entitled ‘Wifehood and Motherhood are Not the Only Ways to Paradise’ written by Maryam Amir-Ebrahimi. According to the website’s Facebook spokersperson the article has broken all records of viewership and the response has been “off the charts”.  In the article, the author touches very briefly on how some girls only care about marriage to the exclusion of all else, while they could be educating themselves. She talks about the extreme pressure on Muslim girls to marry and how many believe that Allah created women only for wifehood and motherhood. Yet, she goes on, our history and tradition shows many examples of women who were more than “wives and mothers” and led in fields such as scholarship.

I’d like to point out that these two articles reinforce some other articles I wrote; namely that problems in larger non-Muslim society (the trend of single women) will affect or at least reflect and mirror the same problems among Muslim society, and secondly that this problem (the trend of single women) unchecked will come back to bite us, the entire Ummah with a whole host of other problems and repercussions.

Reading the first article made me feel sick, not because it was wrong or confused (which it was) but it echoes so much of what single Muslim women are going through now and will be going through in the next few decades. It’s almost like holding up a mirror and seeing the future of us. Confused, angry, blaming, not able to uphold this ‘Islamic ideal’ and still be us; I don’t think we’ll even have to wait a decade.

The second article I’ll say has been a long time in coming. I think ironically because of the amount of divorced and unmarried women, and older aunties with empty-nests, we’re finally coming to the realization that there is more to a woman’s life than marriage and kids.

For the first time ever, I heard a Shaykh answer a question about marriage by saying it was “Mubah” – permissible only, and if a person didn’t feel the urge or need to be married, they did not have the obligation to marry. That there were many examples in Muslim history of great women such as Maryam (ra) even who never married and dedicated themselves to a higher spiritual plane. And there were also men who did the same. This would have been unheard of even 5 years ago.

Muslim or non-Muslim we have to acknowledge that there’s something going on here:  Societal/generational change. There are so many complexities involved here about the trend of more Muslim singles, especially women. I’d like to blame it all on superficial guys, but going even beyond that, it involves being an immigrant generation trying to find partners in a non-Muslim society, the growing disparity between what sisters and brothers want and are looking for, the search for ‘perfection’, delaying marriage until men and women are completely ‘settled’, ‘expectations’, ‘superficiality’, ‘idealism’ and ‘lack of realism and experience’ involved on both sides, the ability of guys to marry decades younger, non-Muslims, converts and overseas. Not to mention religious, cultural and major, major parental limitations! Most of which have nothing to do with Islam.

And some people’s solution of “just getting married” is not the solution because these are only symptoms of a greater problem. The greater problem here is the very defining of women. The struggle here is that we’re trying to figure out the answer to these questions:  What are Muslim women supposed to be in society? What is our role? Is marriage truly our ideal? What is an ideal Muslim woman? Is the pinnacle of being a woman giving birth to a son? Being a mother? Is it being a ‘helpmate’ to a husband? Is the family unit (mother father + children), the only unit allowed in a Muslim society? What exactly is the purpose of our lives as Muslim women and what should we be doing at each stage?

To many single Muslim ladies growing up in the US and elsewhere, being an ideal Muslim woman meant being highly educated, opinionated, independent and active in society. Yet there is such a disconnect that on the marriage market this is the exact opposite of what’s desirable. Hence, the plethora of “baller” Muslim women, that every Imam in the US acknowledges; a surplus of ‘good’ older single Muslim girls.

Again as a single Muslim woman myself, I’m not going to stress ‘marrying down’ or ‘settling’ as the solution because that isn’t the solution. The problem isn’t even these girls! It’s us as an Ummah. We need to figure out what we believe the role of Muslim women is. If it’s to be a certain type/kind of girl doing certain things with certain established goals then maybe like Kate Bolick I can only hope the next generation of single Muslm ladies can find it.

In the meantime I hope we can begin to establish some kind of acceptance for us, all the single (Muslim) ladies, to become part of the Ummah.

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Recently a Muslim comic book called ‘the 99′ came out. Some Muslims flipped out just on the concept alone, because they thought the comic book was trying to say God was “in” people or that people were God. But the comic book’s creator explains that it’s about exemplifying God through His attributes. ie God is the Most Generous so we strive to be generous, God is the Most Just, so we strive to be just and so on.

In the UK they just came out with a “new Muslim marriage contract” which emphasizes some rights of women (already given in Islam) and also (so I hear) allows women to marry themselves without a guardian and with witnesses that are not male. When many Muslim guys read this they flipped out. Even though women marrying themselves is a well known opinion in the Hanafi school of thought. There is also an opinion that if a marriage is public and known there is no need for witnesses.

When the Danish cartoons came out Muslims flipped out. Yes the cartoons were wrong and definitely not covered under free speech. (Imagine creating pornographic pictures of the most respected person you know like say…the Pope and then publishing it in newspapers across the Muslim world. Will anyone call that free speech?) Anyhow we saw what happened: Mass demonstrations, violence, ppl being killed across the Muslim world and death threats against the cartoonists.

Closer to home, the other day there was a woman in the Mosque whose baby was crying (screaming crying choking alternately) while we were praying. I’ve actually never seen a mother totally ignore her baby like that through the entire prayer. After the prayer I and some other women asked her why she didn’t pick up her baby, and she flipped out and became upset and said that it wasn’t allowed and that she needed “evidence”. She needed “evidence” to do something before her baby choked??? Turns out there is a very clear tradition that the Prophet (s) himself picked up his granddaughter during the prayer (and she was not even crying)!

So why do Muslims flip out? Why are we so emotional? Why do we think only in black and white? Why can’t we think about these things calmly and try to find the Islamic opinions on these things? Why don’t we contact wise and knowledgable scholars and try to think about the consequences of our actions?

Emotionalism and love for Islam are good things, but sometimes it just feels so hollow. Someone burns down a McDonalds in Karachi because they are mad about the Danish cartoons? Really? Does that make any sense? like at all?? It’s almost the same mentality of terrorists – so called “love” but completely wrong way of following through. And worse still a way that harms Muslims and Islam even more! The “love” becomes completely meaningless.

If we truly had love of Islam we would do the work. It takes the long haul to educate people and change how they think of Islam. It takes long nights organizing, planning, writing things, holding events, working with interfaith groups, speakers, communities, teaching. It takes talking about Islam to our friends, co-workers, neighbors. It takes living up to its values of honesty, justice, truth, keeping promises and living decent lives. It takes time to think about and weigh the consequences of things, to create a vision and follow through. It takes a lifelong dedication to Islam and Dawah; not just 5 seconds of expressing our anger.

The same thing happens in our Mosques all the time. Everyone likes to flip out and complain, criticize or worse yet be very vocal about their own Islamic opinion on how something is wrong. But where are they during classes and Islamic learning? Where are they when it comes to volunteering and serving the community? Why don’t they join the committees and try to make positive changes? Walk the walk and then talk?

I know two sisters who (solely) organized a huge Eid party for the kids and one of the fathers came 4 hours late and because there were only a few things of food left, he flipped out. I’m sorry? These poor girls spent weeks organizing, recruiting, selling tickets, booking ppl, coordinating bouncy-bounces with pony rides and food and volunteers for his kids and he gets to flip out?

It just seems like a pattern or mentality we have. We flip out. And that isn’t even the worse part. The worse part is that’s ALL we do! Nothing else comes after it. Meaningless and Hollow.

There is no pause or conversation or consideration.

I remember a woman flipping out and telling a new obviously non-Muslim girl who came to Friday prayer once that her prayer didn’t count and she shouldn’t come here like that. Ummm? Turns out she came because her “Muslim boyfriend” wanted her to learn about Islam because she was having his baby! Yeah we never saw her again.

What does flipping out do? Does it bring someone closer to God? No. Does it benefit the person or others? No. Does it change our condition as a people? No. So why do ppl do it? Most likely the only reason I can think of is because it makes them feel better!

Makes one feel better, but again so false and meaningless. The only way emotion and feeling can be good is if it motivates one for doing action that benefits. Feeling passion and anger on behalf of our religion and Prophet (s) or in the face of injustice is good. But we need to step back and realize that the life of our noble Prophet is a study in how to deal with and channel these things. It was never easy for him or a 5 minute deal. The message of Islam took over 23 years, hardship after hardship. And still he persevered in his patience and wise actions.

Where at any point in the life of Rasulullah (s) did he ever once become emotional, do something spontaneous and leave it at that. Never. He always took the time to seek answers from revelation or consult those around him. He always took the wisest actions in dealing with people and situations. He always thought of the consequences. When people encouraged him to kill the hypocrities -known enemies of Islam who did such evil things, he said no, he did not want ppl to think he was killing his companions. When a bedouin came and urinated in the Mosque, he told ppl to leave him alone and let him finish! He even let someone come and pull his beard harshly and talk to him disrespectfully. He did not once let feelings at the time influence his wisdom and hope of teaching someone. There are countless examples of his forethought and vision, not because he was told those things by a higher power, but because he kept his real ideals and values in front of him at all times.

If only we could go back to that kind of pattern instead, where we are not reactionary or emotion-full, but thoughtful and full of  wise plans and vision. Our passion would still burn in our hearts, but only in order to light our way forward.

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One of the things that bothers me endlessly is when people say ‘who cares what’s going on with those kafirs*’, ‘they deserve what they get’ or ‘it doesn’t have anything to do with us’. Cases in point: the recession in the US and the very recent London Riots.

When the recession first started in the US, in the Muslim world there were people who were overjoyed. “Yes finally the US can feel what the rest of the world feels. That’s what they get those Kafirs!”. Ummmm. Really? I hate to break it to the Muslim world, but the entire Muslim world is dependent on those Kafirs, their banks and their investments. If the US goes into a recession, I’m sorry but the world suffers. Maybe an American has to cut down on their Starbuck’s lattes or gets a lower paying job, cutting out some luxuries, maybe even out of work for awhile, but in the Muslim world — people will starve. While you may think the economic systems of the world are independent, they are not. Where do you think all those rich Saudis and Khaleejis invest their money? Do this, take out a hundred dollar American bill and look at it closely. You’ll see some tiny writing in Arabic, read it. Yup that means that hundred dollars was used as currency by Muslims. There’s no self-sustaning Muslim country in the world. I mean you don’t have to take Economics 101 to get this. Just look at the Wall street crash this last week, the next day stock markets across the world crashed due to Wall street. Who loses money? Who ends up poorer? And who starves? Who will buy products from the Muslim world? Who will send aid to them in crises? Who will send tourists to them? Or do business with them. Eventually you will lose out and most definitely worse than any US counterpart, so don’t be so happy about US misfortune.

Second, London Riots… really are ppl that stupid? You LIVE in the same city. It’s your businesses and homes that are getting busted up, burned and looted. Where do you think the money will come to fix those things? It’s your taxes that are going to cover the millions in damages and pay for all that overtime of police. Do you think those businesses’ insurance will just cover it? Most small businesses do not have insurance. And even for the big one’s their insurance will go up and so will their prices next year. Who loses out? You do, the average person on the street Muslim or non-Muslim. What about all those Muslim restaurants that used to do amazing business during Ramadan that are now closing at 4pm. Yup Muslims losing out. Businesses close, ppl out of work, crime that expands exponentially, who’s affected? Just THEM or you. I guarantee you will be affected somehow or other.

Anyway those are just two examples, but time and time again I hear Muslims saying the ills in society don’t affect them. I’m sorry but all the same problems affect us and non-Muslim’s problems affect us, regardless if we live in the western world or not.

There’s a famous Hadith of the Safeenah (boat):

“It has been reported by Nu’man bin Bashir (Radhiyallahu Anhu) that Nabi (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) said: “There are people who do not transgress the limits (laws) of Allah Ta’ala, and there are others who do so. They are like two groups who boarded a ship; one of them settled on the upper deck, and the other on the lower deck of the ship. When the people of the lower deck needed water, they said, “Why should we cause trouble to the people of the upper deck when we can have plenty of water by making a hole in our deck”. Now, if the people of the upper deck do not prevent this group from such foolishness, all of them will perish; but if they stop them, they will be saved”.

Sahih Al Bukhari Vol.3 Pg.152 (Darul fikr)

This is actually an extremely deep Hadith that has many lessons. (There’s a nice 6 page explanation here: http://www.scribd.com/doc/19699363/The-Hadith-of-Safeena) Suffice it to say the one’s on the bottom are non-Muslims and the one’s on the top are Muslims. Some of us stay on the top deck thinking everything is great and we are saved, yet we ARE ALL ON THIS BOAT. So the people on the bottom that are nonchalantly making a hole will destroy all of us. When society is all full of ills, how and why do we think we are protected?? We only have to look at our children to see that idea was dumb. Do this exercise and check out the Facebook profiles of teenagers in your community. Yup, and that’s only what they show ppl.

You know in the 80s and 90s when Muslims first came here, we were all isolationists. We built our own Mosques, a few schools here and there. We just thought we could be our own society and live here on our own. Then 9/11 happened and then post 9/11 Islamophobia-hysteria and attacks on Islam and Muslims and Mosques and Islamic schools and even Halal food! started and have continued to this day. We are going to be fighting against being put in concentration camps soon. Not even kidding. (Read some right-wing blogs.)  All of our scholars kept calling on us to become more active in society and be a part of it and help cure it’s ills, build coalitions and interfaith councils. And of course there were people who thought those scholars were just cowards and were kissing up to Kaffirs, when they actually had vision and foresaw what is happening to us now.

Anyway in the end my point is that taking pleasure in or thinking we are unaffected by other’s misfortune is a fallacy and yes a pretty ridiculous way of thinking.

Ok thanks for reading. (Sorry this mini-rant came out in Ramadan, just couldn’t help myself)

*sorry for the ridiculous use of the word kafirs throughout this post

Update: Three Muslims have lost their lives trying to protect their areas during the spread of these riots. Now tell me these things don’t affect us Inna lillah wa inna ilaihi rajeoon. They are true martyrs.

Update #2: The injured boy that was callously mugged by other kids is a Malaysian Muslim student studying in Britain.

A few years ago I decided to do something crazy. The crazyness was to start going to different Mosques in my area during Ramadan instead of just my regular ‘ole Mosque I go to. This included a really scary inner city Mosque The amazing thing is that I met so many beautiful people that inspired me so much that year. And I think that year was one of my best Ramadans in recent memory!

One of the sisters I met was an older Sudani woman. She’s rail thin and walks to the Masjid with a limp from her tiny apartment nearby for EVERY Salah. Not even kidding, every Salah, even Fajr. This area of town where this Masjid is located is not really that great and we’re even scared about driving there alone that early in the morning or at night! Alhamdulillah there are other immigrant Muslims just starting out that live there too because they want to be close to the Masjid. I get kind of scared for her sometimes, but she just has a faith and strength that can’t be denied.

She is always the first to greet me with a smile and a handshake. She’s always the first to go get the vacuum and start cleaning. She’s always the last in line to get food! And sometimes she just brings her own from home and offers it to those around her. She speaks only Arabic but from what I understand she lived in many different countries like Egypt, Sudan, Saudi, even England at one time. Almost all of her many children passed away, a few when they were babies and her husband as well. She’s lived through wars and uprisings and many physical ailments. She’s just a beautiful person and example in our times.

The Prophet [saw] said: “Whosoever is delighted [eager] to taste the sweetness of faith let them love a person only for the sake of Allah.” (Collected by Ahmad and al-Hakim)

It’s like Ramadan finally allows us to see the purity and polish underneath the veneer of the world we live in. What is it about Ramadan that just brings so many blessings and sweetness? That when we are away from it the whole year we just yearn for the month so that we can taste it again. Sh. M here once said that the 11 months were like the siblings of Yusuf [as] and because of his intercession the other 11 will be saved. SubhanAllah!

Sometimes I see scholars coming out with articles telling people to not become “Ramadan warriors” and that they should try to do things all year etc. I think that is a good reminder but I think there is just something in Ramadan (removal of Shaitan, purifying the Nafs, community spirit), something that just makes people different. I wouldn’t want to tell them to ignore that and just be the way they are the rest of the year! I mean it’s hoped our misdeeds from the previous year are forgiven, our Tawbah accepted, our Duas heard! Why shouldn’t people try to strive for this.

Anyways I pray we all live to reach this Ramadan in order to seek its sweetness and blessings. Ameen.

Sweetness of Faith

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So random topic….  Remember that story about the country mouse and the city mouse and how they one day exchange places and hate everything about the other’s life, then return home realizing they actually had it really good? That was a good story and a good lesson! I think I want to write a story about the poor mouse versus the rich mouse though!

Recently, I heard yet again someone tell me they want to “renounce the dunya and live ascetic lives like the sahaba”. Ohkayyyy… I still remember asking one young brother in our community what he was looking for in a spouse and he said “a sister that doesn’t want any dunya and wants to live a very poor simple life”. Hmmmm… ok. Mostly I hear this from young suburban kids whose parents are immigrants to this country and have worked very hard to provide better lives for their kids. Then these kids grow up and somehow get interested in the Deen, but for some reason these kids think it’s more “Islamic” to be poor!

Let me tell you something…being poor is really ugly. It’s a humiliation. It’s a fitnah and a huge test. It’s extremely destructive. I really do not think people should choose it. You are always fighting to survive, worried about tomorrow. It’s no joke that the no. 1 reason couples break up is because of money. And it’s not just about the money, a big part of it is the added stress of not having any! Not having healthcare, not having a decent home, not being able to provide for your kids. Not having a good quality of life. These are things people should think about before they “decide to be poor”.

There’s like a million benefits from being able to provide for yourself and your family well. Why would anyone not want that? Do they think being poor will be less corrupting? Will it make them stay good Muslims. Sorry, so not necessarily true. Being wealthy allows you to be generous, to help provide for others, to build Masjids and schools. To go to Hajj and travel to Islamic lands. Send your kids to Islamic schools. To create jobs and benefit others, to have the upper hand. Helps you avoid doing Haram even, like taking out mortgages or having to take interest loans.  Why not strive to be the one who gives instead of the one who takes.

I heard a story from a khutbah in Texas once. The Imam said ‘There once came a man who sat in the Masjid and waited for others to provide for him. A knowledgable wise man came and asked him why he did that. He said I saw two birds once and the one who had a broken wing was helped by the other one, so I know that Allah will send someone to help me as well. The knowledgeable man said ‘Why do you not strive to be the bird that helps the other one, instead of the broken-winged one?!’”

There is a reason why being a generous host to visitors and guests is a noble virtue in Islam, while being miserly and withholding money (like zakat) is a sin.

So really being a good Muslim is not about living a poor life. This does not make you a better Muslim. You can be a good Muslim that has moderate wealth or even be wildly wealthy. As long as the dunya does not live in your heart you can use it to gain more reward and become a better Muslim, iA.

Ok, the end.

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Update: I’m just going to re-post the article here in its entirety. Enjoy!

Yay I wrote an article for Sh. Suhaib Webb’s blog.  It’s basically about creating an Islamic website and some advice and guidelines regarding online Dawah. So check it out
http://www.suhaibwebb.com/society/da’wah-in-the-age-of-iphones/

Dawah in the Age of iPhones

by Jannah (jannah.org)

By (the Token of) Time (through the ages),

Verily Man is in loss, except such as have Faith,

and do righteous deeds, and (join together) in the mutual teaching

of Truth, and of Patience and Constancy. (Quran, Chapter 103)

In the 103^rd chapter of the Quran, Allah (swt) gives us a blueprint for our lives:  Have faith, do righteous deeds, and join together to teach people truth, patience and constancy. Our first priority then is to have this faith and to do good deeds as individuals, families and a collective community. Secondly, we need to teach others.

Everyday, people interact and learn solely from the internet. The world is now so wired; people sleep with their iPhones under their pillows so they don’t miss anything. (Yes admit it! ) The statistics on how obsessed people are with things like Facebook are mind-boggling. The internet ‘cloud’ is now the living space of the world! Everyday, there are new and more sophisticated anti-Islamic websites, rants on Youtube and powerful bloggers that publish their latest Islamophobic tirades. Where are the Muslims?

Shaikh Hamza Yusuf once said, “Spend a little time on the Internet, and search for issues related to Islam, the way people who have little or no knowledge about Islam might do if they were curious about our religion. Try Google searches for terms like “jihad” or “women in Islam,” and see the top websites and links that appear. Compare some of the websites run by Muslims with the ones run by people attacking the Muslims, and note the difference.” Indeed, what we will find is that we still have a lot of work to do. Not just for non-Muslims but for Muslims as well.

We need to do something to counter this disinformation about Islam.

Invite (all) to the way of thy Lord with wisdom and beautiful preaching;

and argue with them in ways that are best and most gracious:

for thy Lord knows best who have strayed from His Path and who receive guidance.

(Quran 16:125)

My philosophy since the 90’s hasn’t been that we need to convert people. That is not our job. Faith is something that is between a person and Allah. Our job is to present the real, true, good Islam. It is up to people if they want to believe, understand, sympathize or hate. (There will always be people who won’t believe and we should accept that.) However, we should not accept when the Palin-Geller monsters of the world create a “terrorism-honor-killing-jeehad-shariah-izlam” and present that to the world as our faith. That is not fair, and it’s about time that each of participates in taking back our own narrative. The Quran asks us to join together in this mutual teaching. We need to step up, participate, represent and bring true Islam to the people.

You might ask at this point if one person/website/blog/video/tweet can make a difference. The way I look at it is, that if one person is affected positively by what you’ve created, it’s well worth the effort. (It can even be beneficial to you.)

So the typical image of an Islamic website you might have is of an elderly scholarly Shaikh (with a big beard) posting long religious edicts! Or perhaps a programmer in big glasses typing feverishly away in complex programming languages. But the websites of today are far more nuanced and don’t have to be in ‘traditional website’ form. Easy software, helpful guides and simple interfaces make everything accessible even to those not technically inclined. You also do not have to be a scholar or “perfect” in religiosity to show different aspects and positive sides of Islam.

A few great examples of non-traditional ‘Islamic websites’ that have popped up recently:

1. Muslim heroes/Muslims wearing things – blogs in response to Islamophobes showing the huge diversity of what Muslims are doing to serve the world and what Muslims actually look like and wear.
2. iPhone Islamic apps – now you can do everything from finding a Halal restaurant in a new city to memorizing online with a Tajweed master.
3. How-to-Hijab videos – Youtube videos showing girls how to pin their Hijabs.
4. Twitter’s Hadith-a-day – tweets a reflective Hadith a day to thousands of followers.
5. Halal food blog – all about creating great Halal recipes, good substitute ingredients and traditional foods from the Muslim world.
6. Muslim anime artists – creating anime and comics representing Muslims and their struggles.
7. Flickr collections – showing Muslim architecture, art and life throughout the Muslim world through photos.
8. Facebook fan pages – fan pages on such diverse topics as Salahuddin Ayyubi, Muslims & Science Fiction and Steampunk Shariah.
9. Youtube Muslim skits & parodies – cartoons, skits and entertainment for all, by funny people and MSAs.
10. Yahoo comments Muslims – Muslims who comment on Islam related articles to counter all the hate. (Hey, we have to start somewhere!)

These are all just ordinary, individual Muslims using their talent to educate and spread Islam online. They’re not perfect and I’m sure their diverse opinions will differ with other Muslim’s, along with the way they went about things, but the point is they are regular, normal, struggling Muslims expressing their own faith, interests and daily lives to others.

So what about the rest of us? There are so many Muslims that have such great talents and skills. Each of us can contribute to this mutual teaching. So how do we get started in making something beneficial? And what are some steps in the process?

But oars alone can ne’er prevail to reach the distant coast;

The breath of Heaven must swell the sail, or all the toil is lost. – William Cowper

Pre-Step 1 – Purify your intention. In the end anything we do should be for Allah so it’s important to keep in mind our goals and original intentions.

Step 1 – Find your niche. Do you have any special abilities or talents? Do you know how to program Islamic widgets, themes, apps, software? What are you interested in? Do you like politics? Art? Software? Poetry? History? Fashion? What kind of website do you want to create? Do you want to start a blog? Create some funny videos? Gather articles on a specific topic? Live stream local lectures and study circles? Start a forum for a certain hobby? Open a Yahoogroup for people similar to you or for your local community? Every Muslim can contribute in their own way, so think of the way you can best contribute, using your interests and skills.

Step 2 – Do some research. See what’s out there in the areas you’re interested in. Who is the audience you are targeting? Muslims, non-Muslims, both or a specific group? Do you think your website will be useful to them? How would it be different or needed? Does it add value to what is already out there? Analyze what works and what doesn’t. Seeing other things might spark some new ideas or help you find where you are most needed. If the idea is out there already, you could do something similar or a little different. If someone is already doing what you’re interested in, then you should definitely join and strengthen them. You might even want to contribute something or help an established site out there already instead of starting something new.

Step 3 – Get started. Create some content! You don’t have to buy your own domain and host your own site at this point which can be expensive and technically complicated. You can use free services like WordPress, Blogspot, Tumblr, Youtube, Vimeo, Flickr, Deviantart, Twitter, Facebook, etc. Find things you can use for your site, write to publishers and authors for permission. Write articles, create videos, and start tweeting. Be smart, innovative, creative and fresh.

Step 4 – Advertise and allow for feedback. Advertise in Google, post comments on other blogs, and list your site in Islam related search engines. Ask friends and those who might be interested to take a look and give you suggestions. Tweak and change where needed. Keep your goal in mind and don’t mind negative criticism. Don’t be discouraged if you don’t get the response you wanted. The internet is a big place, but know that you have contributed positively, inshaAllah.

Step 5 – Try to keep it up. This is actually the hardest step. There are so many outdated and orphaned Islamic sites out there. Or worse, good things that were completely deleted! Don’t destroy good work. Pass it on, delegate or encourage others to continue it. Keep updating and posting, be current and in touch.

The World is three days:

As for yesterday, it has vanished, along with all that was in it.

As for tomorrow, you may never see it.

As for today, it is yours, so work in it. – Hasan al-Basri

Some guidelines that can help keep your website Dawah friendly:

1. Keep sites small, simple, clear and organized. With more and more people accessing the web using their mobile and hand-held devices, a complex and maze-like site is near impossible to navigate.  Include what the site about, who it’s for, who’s behind it, what we can find and why. There’s no point to androgynous, nameless, anonymous Islamic sites. People crave a personal connection, so why not share who you are and what you’re about as a Muslim.

1. Share, collaborate and work with others that have the same goals and interests. What’s better? Having 10 tiny sites with a few articles here and there on ‘Women in Islam’ or having one collaborative site by ten people on women in Islam? Obviously, synergy is better. Let’s strengthen and grow what we have already. Then, strive to expand your site, recruit contributors and moderators, and make your website a collective effort. We can also work with non-Muslims in our shared goals as well. It’s of interest to note that in Surah al-Asr, Allah mentioned universal principals that we all share. So a site on Hijab can collaborate with those of other religions that talk about their covering traditions. A site on a Muslim soup kitchen should link with other charitable groups.

1. Avoid controversial Islamic issues and Fatwas; let’s leave those to the real Shaikhs. Some sites can easily degrade into fighting over five issues: Shia/Sunni, moonsighting, meat, music and Mawlid. It can get ugly. People also ask difficult complex Fiqh questions because they really need help. It’s easy to give them an answer, but we may not have the wisdom or knowledge to give them the best answer an Imam or Shaikh could. For example, we could give them a very strict, difficult opinion we know of, while there is an easier and just as Islamic way out there. We’re also unable to know all the details and conditions of a person’s problems or follow up on them. Leave it to the professionals.

1. Use wisdom and kindness when speaking to other Muslims and to non-Muslims. Follow the general Islamic guidelines of Adab (proper conduct relating to each other and with the opposite gender). It’s amazing what some people say online. I’m reminded of an old Dawud Wharnsby song, ‘We use so many words but have so little to relay/ as angels scribble down every letter that we say/ All the viral attachments sent and passionate insults we vent/ It’s easy to be arrogant behind user passwords we invent/ But on the day the scrolls are laid, with every word and deed displayed/ when we read our accounts, I know, for one, I’ll be afraid.’ People may think they’re anonymous, but guaranteed you are not. Remember that literally thousands of people are reading your words, including many many non-Muslims. (and gov’t agencies ) We forget that words have a powerful effect even through a computer screen. Arguing with your Muslim brother/sister to such an extent where hate starts to bloom is just wrong. A Golden Rule: Never post when you’re angry. Wait a day or two, and then respond calmly.

1. While ‘counter’ websites are needed, such those as dispelling myths, countering religious dogmas and refuting certain anti-Islamic sites, it’s better to create positive websites about Islam. We can talk all day about how X is wrong but it will not bring a person to Z. Any form of negativity also can keep people from learning more. Again, we’re not trying to forcibly convert anyone. We just want to show the truth about Islam and Muslims so people can understand it and us.

1. Allow some room for interactivity, so you’re not just sticking static pages out there. Imagine a very long lecture without any Q&A at the end! You can enable comments or have some kind of guestbook or even have an email address available. Rather than sending a one way dissemination of knowledge, you end up with ‘relationships’ and ‘conversations’. This brings a website to life. Don’t mind the haters. Feel free to censor them and keep your comments moderated. (There are so many Islamic videos/sites with disgusting comments. There’s no need to have them there.)

1. Stick mostly to English (or your main language) and explain concepts and words where possible. Too much of Arabic or a different language may cause people not to understand what you’re saying and may even make Islam seem like a ‘foreign religion only for foreigners’. Even if your site is for Muslims only, not everyone knows complex Islamic terminology, Arabic or Arabic script. It’s very difficult to learn about Islam when you also have to learn Arabic and learn all about Arab and Desi cultures! Also, keep things relatable to your audience. Using examples like going to the Souk is probably going to be foreign to westerners, just like ordering a pizza would be inexplicable to someone in Damascus.

1. Balance design versus content, form versus function. There are many beautifully designed and technically advanced sites with little value content wise, and there are some sites that are so rich with information and resources but have no infrastructure. People don’t know how to access the information available or even that it’s there. Try to keep both design and function in mind, as both are important.

1. Attribute, get permission and follow internet protocols and copyrights. It’s not cool to steal. This is because people spend time and energy to create something, just like you, and they want it to be out there a certain way. Most authors/artists have no problem with sharing as long as you ask their permission. To recreate or copy someone’s entire site is redundant. Why not join others or contribute something new instead?

1. Lastly, this may seem strange, but the most important concept for Islamic webmasters/app designers/admins/etc. to remember, is to be fair. Be fair to your users, to other people’s users, to other Muslims, to non-Muslims, to the greater internet sphere. Be fair to those who email you, write to you and even criticize you. Be just in how you present things, how you attribute things, and how you handle things. You might be the creator and administrator, but you’re more like a diplomat at the UN. Everyone has their rights and everything should be balanced. Give people time, response and help. Stick to what you know and can do. There’s an Arabic proverb that says ‘one cannot give what they do not have’. If we are not educated in an Islamic topic we should not talk about it, if we do not know the politics of a region we should not enter into a debate over it. In the same way, whatever we create should be something we have knowledge of and a love for.

Let the beauty of what you love be what you do. – Rumi

I hope one day to find such diverse sites such as a comprehensive commentary on all those ‘controversial verses’ in the Quran, academic and interesting creative responses to current Islamic issues in the media, a detailing of the Muslim response to 9/11 (Yes, there were many!), Muslim bloggers and tweeters with thousands of dedicated followers, interactive live streaming of every Mosque and MSA event in North America, and of course, a site on how to make the perfect Ramadan cupcakes.

Jazakamullahu khairan. May Allah reward you all.

Jannah is the founder of Jannah.org, one of the first Islamic websites ever, and is also the founder and administrator of two discussion-board sites, themadina.com and halfmydeen.org. Jannah can be reached at jannahorg at yahoo.com.