Send your thank you emails to: thankcnn@muslimmatters.org

For a full article check out MuslimMatters.org

What did three creative Londonians decide to do about it? They came up with Sadaqards, a project where they combined their creative talents to design handmade Eid cards to sell for Pakistan flood relief.

Sadaqards, at http://sadaqards.blogspot.com/ , has a simple idea that serves a pretty great purpose: buy a beautiful card for Eid and help the Pakistan Flood relief effort at the same time. All the money is donated straight to Islamic Relief, so you know your money is going to Pakistan through legitimate sources, plus the cards come in three cool collections – colorful and funky Batik, simple and beautiful Floral, and artsy contemporary Graphic. At £2 (roughly $3 American) each, these handmade and creative cards are a worthwhile buy, especially with Eid ul-Fitr right around the corner and Eid al-Adha only a few months away. The name Sadaqards itself is a portmanteau of Sadaqa, meaning charity, and cards. A clever name, a pretty card, and a good cause combine to make this creative effort one that is inspiring for our ummah.

Check out all their cards under COLLECTIONS on the right hand side at:  http://sadaqards.blogspot.com/

Donate to Islamic Relief and follow the Sadaqards donation effort at:  http://www.justgiving.com/sadaqardspage

Follow Sadaqards on Twitter at:  http://twitter.com/Sadaqards

The name of the comic series, which is in reference to the 99 names of Allah, has been named one of Forbes Top 20 trends sweeping the globe. Dr. Al-Mutawa has been named as one of the 500 most influential Muslims by the Royal Islamic Strategic Studies Centre (an independent research entity) for the second year in a row. There is even a theme park opened in Jahra, Kuwait dubbed “The 99 Village” based on the series!

Dr. Al-Mutawa was determined to make this a professional and top notch endeavor and so he works with current and former writers for comics like Spiderman, Power Rangers, and X-men. The latest development is that this October, Stuart Moore and Fabian Nicieza of DC Comics and Dr. Al-Mutawa of Teshkeel Comics will unite to publish the six issue mini crossover series “JLA/The 99,” where the young, fresh superheroes of The 99 work with the classic heroes of the Justice League like Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, and the Green Lantern.

As a part of their goal to reach global audiences, an animated TV series that will air in Turkey and the United States is also in the works. Teshkeel Comics is also in talks for a major Hollywood film production.

The 99 website contains tons of articles from all over the world featuring Dr. Al-Mutawa and The 99. You can even buy a digital copy of an issue for only $1.99 and the first issue of the comic you can download for free!

There’s even a recent shout out from President Barack Obama at the Presidential Summit for Entrepreneurship about how The 99 is one of the most “innovative responses” to improving dialogue and building bridges between people.

Check out Dr. Al-Mutawa’s lecture on TEDtalks (also found above) to get a better idea of his great initiative. Inshaallah (God Willing) may his project move further to change the blurred vision of Islam outside and even within Muslim communities, because as Dr. Al-Mutawa says, “it’s dangerous when a group selfidentifies itself as extreme.” When Muslims begin to see themselves in the light that others have cast on them, it becomes a whole other problem. Hopefully this inspires you to start that project you’ve been thinking about or to think more creatively about the ways you can impact the world, your community, your neighbor, or most importantly your family.

Salaams Out!

Please Visit The99.org

An article written by Dr. Al-Mutawa on CNN can be found here

See President Obama’s entire speech here

The 60 Second Sadaqa Video contest is co-sponsored by the M100 Foundation and CreativeMuslims.com. Through its 30/30 Campaign, the M100 Foundation is giving out a $1,000 grant for each night of Ramadan in order to fulfill important needs in the Baltimore-Washington DC metropolitan area and to spread awareness about sadaqa, that which is done of compassion and generosity, voluntarily for the sake of Allah (swt). Together with Creative Muslims, they have teamed up to create 60 Second Sadaqa, a video contest to showcase what everyday people are doing to help their communities.

To enter, put together a 60 second video showing how an individual or group is making a difference in their community. All the videos will be featured on the M100 and Creative Muslims YouTube Channels and respective blogs, with prizes including a 16 GB Apple iPad for first place, an UltraHD FlipCam and tripod for second place, and 4 VIP tickets to Poetic Vision Tour for third place. The deadline for registration and submission is September 9, 2010 at midnight. All the eligible entries will be posted to the M100 YouTube page, and voting will be on YouTube from September 13 through September 17. The videos with the most views and ratings will win, and the winners will be announced September 20, 2010.

For all details on the contest and registration, and links to M100 and Creative Muslims, go to
http://sadaqacontest.tumblr.com/.

(Check out Feature Organizations helping Pakistan in our Post – Below)

We’ve put together a list of some of the most pressing issues facing the community and world this Ramadan that need your support! From the Floods in Pakistan to your backyard, here are several ways you can help and take action during this blessed month to make a positive difference in the lives of others. Some require a simple monetary donation, while others just some time to volunteer. There’s even contests where you can win amazing prizes and a site that promotes reviews for charity- ways you can give back to your community that you never even though of! Pass along this list to family and friends inshAllah!  And don’t stop here, take initiative and see what’s going on in your neighborhood. Remember there’s always a way to give, even a smile is an act of charity (sadaqa).

1. Zaytuna College – The First Muslim College in America located in Berkeley, California needs your support this year as the First Inaugural Freshman Class comes aboard!

2. M100 Foundation –   M100 Foundation is taking Sadaqa to a whole new level. Through the support of the community, this Ramadan they are giving out grants every day. Known as the 30/30 Campaign, M100 has already received National attention for their work and situated itself as one of the leading grant giving organizations in the MD/VA/DC Area. Check out their blog and help them as they come down the home stretch of raising $30,000 this Ramadan for the community.

3. 60 Second Sadaqa Video Contest - We had to give a major shout-out to this opportunity since our Team at the Creative Muslims Blog is leading this endeavor in collaboration with M100 Foundation. Submit a 60 Second Video Clip showing us what you are doing in your community this Ramadan – we want to share your inspiring stories with the Nation. And what’s in it for you? You have a chance at winning tickets to Poetic Vision Tour, a Flip Cam and even an Apple iPAD!

4. HalalTrip Reviews for Charity – For every review you submit online, HalalTrip will donate a $1 to charity. What are you waiting for? This is a quick and fun way to give back, just by sitting at your computer at home. They also have an awesome contest – share a creative way you are promoting their Ramadan Campaign and you could win a Camcorder, a Muslim Friendly Travel Package or $50 in Amazon money. Sounds like a great Eid gift, don’t you think?

5. Islamic Relief - There’s no doubt, helping the flood victims in Pakistan is on everyone’s mind this Ramadan. Islamic Relief has an Emergency Appeal. They are asking for donations so that they can provide clean drinking water, food and supplies. An estimated 17 million people have been affected, and they need all the support they can get.

6. Day of Dignity 2010 – Philly, Atlanta, Dallas, Flint, Baltimore and Detroit will have Day of Dignity in their city during Ramadan this year. Day of Dignity is supported by Islamic Relief. The community comes together to volunteer their time to give back and help those in society who are facing hardships during these tough economic times. Find out how you can help in your city on their website.

7. Zakat Foundation & Several More Organizations Helping Pakistan! - We found out via MuslimMatters.org that Zakat Foundation is also one of many prominent organizations helping the flood victims in Pakistan. Help them provide food, clothing and shelter by donating today. Other well known organizations helping the Flood Victims include:  Edhi Foundation (the largest welfare organization in Pakistan with over 300 centers across the country), Helping Hand ( raising a $5 Million Relief Fund), Oxfam America, and  Islamic Relief UK (they have photos and high quality video footage on their site of their daily work in Pakistan helping the Flood Victims – see video at the top of this post).

8. Heal the Hood – IMAN Central – Known as the Inner-City Muslim Action Network, IMAN Central has launched a Ramadan Campaign to raise $50,000 to improve the health and safety of neighborhoods in Chicago. What do we find amazing about their organization? Their the people that bring you Takin it to the Streets (an event that brings thousands in the community together around Arts & Culture every year in Chicago), they also have an abundance of services, including a no-cost Health Clinic for the Community, Career Development Courses and Youth Groups. Did we mention that they are on top of the latest Social Media Tools – Find them on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube.

9. Google Crisis Response – If you haven’t heard, even Google has a page dedicated to helping the Flood Victims in Pakistan. You can use your phone to donate to two organizations exclusively featured on Google’s Crisis Response Page for Pakistan – Islamic Relief and Unicef. There’s also two more news worthy tools you can find on the page – a People Search Finder and a Resource Monitoring Tool for Crisis Responders. Pass this information along inshAllah.

10. Charity Water – I had to mention these guys because their mission is simple and beautiful – To provide clean safe drinking water to every single person in the world. There’s a promo video on YouTube of their story and their message that I watched several months ago. Trust me – when you hear the simplicity of their mission and what they are doing to make their mission a reality, it will leave you in tears. Check out the video. If your birthday’s in September, or heck, any day of the year this video speaks to you. Watch it and you’ll know what I mean.

11. HalfDate – A unique way of promoting sadaqa in the community. Suggest a project and HalfDate promotes and raises money. Their current campaign is “My Sadaqa Buffet”.

12. Demand Mooz-lum to Come to Your City – Supporting Arts & Culture in our community and in this case a movie about the Muslim American Identity can go a long way in helping people understand the muslim community and Islam. Mooz-lum, directed by Qasim Basir, has already captivated the attention of mainstream news outlets including Illume Magazine, Huffington Post, and the Chicago Tribune.

13. Free Rice - Free Rice was all the craze a year ago, let’s keep this idea going. The more you play this fun “Define the Word” game online, the more rice you will donate to those in need. Build your vocabulary and feed the hungry! It’s a win-win situation for all. This project is a part of the UN World Food Programme.

14. Pepsi Refresh Project – Pepsi is giving hundreds of thousands of dollars to people, businesses and non-profits that will have a positive impact on the community. Every month they will accept 1,000 submissions for ideas. And they will open up the voting polls to let the nation vote on who should receive funding. Have an amazing idea?, submit your application today to be ready for the next round. Also don’t forget to vote!  Two organizations we found that support muslim endeavors were Projected H.O.M.E in Baltimore (championed by the Muslim Social Services Agency) and Distributing Book Bags with School Supplies to Inner City Kids (championed by Young Muslims of North America).

15. Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) – CAIR is raising $250,000 this Ramadan to support their work on Civil Rights, Challenging Islamophobia and Sponsor a Quran project. Do you know someone who would like a copy of the Quran? Let them know that they can Request a Quran at the Explore the Quran Project, a CAIR initiative that has received National Attention from sources such as the New York Times, ABC News, and the Washington Post.

16. Follow Attia Nasar – We had to mention her idea because it’s one of the most creative we’ve seen by far! Attia Nasar is a public diplomacy graduate student at Syracuse University. For every new follower that she recieves on Twitter during this Blessed month, she has committed to donating $1 to charity to help the Flood Victims in Pakistan. RT the following to spread the message – “@attianasar: Every new follower I get for the month of#Ramadan I will donate $1 to support #pkfloods pls RT! (I have 428 right now).”

17.  ReliefWorks FeedMe Campaign – Reliefworks promotes local relief efforts through the Islamic arts, music and inspiration. They are fighting to end hunger in Canada with Meal Exchange. Their FeedMe Winter Campaign, started last Christmas runs until September 15th of this year. How can you help? You can attend their events and register as a Leader In Deed to collect donations from your community. Prominent muslims/groups who support this initiative include Shaykh Faraz Rabbani, Imam Zaid Shakir,  MSA Nationals, and CAMP Toronto.

18. Your Masjid, Your MSA, Your Community Needs you – Whether its preparing for Fast-a-thon, volunteering to coordinate masjid iftars, connecting with your local schools donation drives, your community needs you.

Tell us what your supporting this Ramadan by leaving us a message below!

Through its 30/30 Campaign, the M100 Foundation (a grant giving organization based in the MD/DC/VA area)  is giving out a $1,000 grant for each night of Ramadan in order to spread awareness about sadaqa (charity) and to fulfill important needs in the Baltimore-Washington DC metropolitan area. Sadaqa is that which is done out of compassion and generosity, voluntarily for the sake of Allah (swt). To learn more about their work check out their Facebook Fan page and http://3030.m100foundation.org/.

Are you also giving back to your community this Ramadan? Whether it’s a group project or just helping out a neighbor, the people at M100 Foundation and Creative Muslims (a Social Media News Blog based in DC/MD) want to hear about it! If you have been involved in an act of Sadaqa, enter our 60 Second Sadaqa Video Contest! Send us a 60 second video showing us how you or your group is making a difference in your community. Videos will be featured on M100 Foundation’s YouTube Page – get your friends & family to vote!!

The people behind Creative Muslims (a Social Media News Blog that showcases what creative muslims are up to in the community) are collaborating with the M100 Foundation to make this video contest possible! Your videos will have the opportunity to be featured on the M100 and Creative Muslims Blogs & YouTube Channels. What are you waiting for? This is an awesome chance to win amazing prizes and share what you’re doing in your community! This is a NATIONAL CONTEST, open to all U.S. Residents.

FULL CONTEST DETAILS & AWESOME PROMO VIDEO - www.SadaqaContest.tumblr.com

Creative Muslims is teaming up with M100 Foundation for a special feature via 30/30 a Free National Ramadan Webcast. We don’t want to give away to many surprises, but be sure to check out the webcast to learn about something you can enter in this Ramadan! You can Register Online here.

Confirmed speakers: Shaykh Hamza Yusuf, Imam Mohamed Maged, Ustadha Zaynab Ansari, Imam Suhaib Webb, Shaykh Faraz Rabbani, Shaykh Yasir Qadhi, Nouman Ali Khan, Imam Khalid Latif, Shahed Amanullah (Zabihah.com), Wajahat Ali (Domestic Crusaders), Edina Lekovic, Peter Gould (Azaan Graphics), Shaykh Abdul Nasir Jangda (Bayyinah), Hafiz Wissam Sharief (Bayyinah), Eboo Patel (Interfaith Youthcore), and Ian Benouis Jr.

About M100 Foundation

“M100 is a grant foundation that serves the Washington, DC and Baltimore metropolitan areas. We are a registered 501(c)(3) that strives to pool funding from diverse donors, identify non-profits whose work fulfills unique sadaqa categories, and fund innovative projects which serve the local community. M100 encourages consistent giving. Each month the money donated is giving to a different non-profit, often highlighting important causes that are usually overlooked. 100% of monthly donor donations go directly to each cause.

Before a grant is approved, M100 assesses a non-profit organization to confirm that it is legally and financially sound. Grant money is monitored and donors receive progress reports to transparently show the impact their donations had on the ground. As a grant foundation it is our duty to focus our efforts and resources in the DC and Baltimore metropolitan areas. Our funding is not given to causes overseas nor does M100 accept funds from outside of the United States. Donations are accepted from legal U.S. residents and citizens.”

M100 Foundation

http://m100foundation.org

In the month of the Quran it cannot be emphasized enough that one of our main goals should be becoming closer to the Holy Book which is a guidance to mankind.
In light of this, a great new way to approach the Quran was introduced at the recent DC Hidayah conference that was held last weekend, August 7th -8th , at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington DC.

Dubbed the “One Touch Mushaf Teacher”, the product is an actual leather bound Quran that comes with an electronic pen. As the reader, you simple have to touch the pen to a verse, or part of a verse, in order to hear the recitation by the qari of your choice, the tafseer of the verse, the different ways of reciting the verse, and the translation of the verse in the language of your choice. The Quran’s “memorization” feature allows you to select a verse, listen to it recited for you, and then read the verse aloud. The pen records your recitation, and then plays back the reciter’s reading and your reading back to back so you can check for mistakes. The attached pen has 2GB of memory, an audio jack for private and group listening, and a USB port to download additional files for each verse, as well as updates from the product’s website. Other features include practicing tajweed rules, and the Last Juz includes grammer (‘iraab’) and hadeeth related to the verse. The list of features goes on! The Quran comes with icons on the side of each page for you to control all these different features.

The product was developed in Syria by an Islamic scholar who also mass produced one of the first color-coded “tajweed” Qurans. The One Touch Mushaf is distributed exclusively in the United States by UFI, Inc. based in Springfield, Virginia.

The product itself when demonstrated is really an amazing thing to be seen. This interactive way of learning not only prompts adults to become more conscious of the Quran, but also engages young children and encourages them to read and memorize the Quran. While the One Touch Mushaf is not a replacement for sitting down with an actual teacher and learning, it’s a great way to practice on your own the Book that should be the Light of the heart of every Muslim Inshaallah, Ameen.

For further review, visit The Muslim Link (was used as a reference)

For more information on the One Touch Mushaf Teacher, email sales@uficorp.com

The ‘Find out why’ initiative is a great way for Muslims and Non-Muslims alike to understand why fasting was prescribed to us by Allah, what Ramadan teaches all mankind, and how learning more about this month is beneficial for all, regardless of  faith.

“The month of Ramadan, in which the Qur’an was sent down as guidance for people, and as clear signs of Guidance and the Criterion (between truth and falsehood). Therefore whoever of you is present this month, must fast it, and whoever is so ill that he cannot fast or on a journey (must fast the same) number of other days. God wills ease for you, and He does not will hardship for you, so that you can complete the number of the days required, and exalt God for He has guided you, and so it may be that you will give thanks (due to Him)”. Qur’an 2:185

Suggest this site to everyone around you who may or may not understand Ramadan, for it is said in the Qura’an:

By time, Indeed, mankind is in loss, Except for those who believe and achieve righteous deeds and advise each other to truth and advise each other to patience. Quran 103:1-4

http://findoutwhy.co.uk/morals.html

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