We try to keep an eye out for Muslim blogs on the internet that produce amazing content.  I wanted to highlight 4 of those blogs today. There’s are a few links next to each one, so make sure you click through to visit or like.

Muslim Youth Musings (Site, Facebook, Twitter)

This is one of those blogs you wish you knew about – especially if you fall into the youth category.  Muslim Youth Musings is a literary journal to inspire the Ummah Masha’Allah, Arif Kabir may have started this years ago but it is so much more than a one man operation.  Muslim Youth Musings (MYM) is now a well-structured, organized effort by a large team of writers and editors.  They publish on a regular basis and you can really feel, Insha’Allah, the sincerity in the writing.  Oh, and they have something special coming soon.  Here’s a hint: follow MYM and you’ll find out when I do =)

Creative Muslims (Site, Facebook, Twitter)

An awesome blog that is a tribute to Muslims trying to do some type of (societal) good by creatively using different types of multimedia.  Creative Muslims is an awesome blog to follow that is always following the latest trends.  Tubah Sultan is the powerhouse behind it and she’s done an amazing job since this Muslim blog was first started back in 2010.

Muslim Medicine (Site, Facebook)

I actually just found out about this Muslim blog today and I can tell you from now – this site is hilarious.  What really keep Muslim Medicine unique is that humor is not the purpose.  Humor is the delivery method for what is usually a beneficial and insightful closing.  This blog has been featured around the web including Muslim Matters and now here at The Muslim Blogger.

Muslim Strategic Initiative (Site, Facebook, Twitter)

A couple of brothers – Imran Haq, Omar Usman – are behind this effort to bring strategy into Muslim initiatives (including businesses, organizations, and masaajid). I really do ask Allah (Subhaanahu wa Ta’aala) to reward them for everything they do.  Masha’Allah, they really have done some great work at MSI and anyone looking for a well-thought out approach to solving today’s problems should follow them.

______

Each of these blogs has its own strengths and this is by no means a comprehensive list.  These are just 4 of the ones I really enjoy and that I think can really benefit anyone who follows them.  Make sure you check out the sites and keep up with them on their social media profiles (Facebook/Twitter/Google+)

Know any other Muslim blogs you think everyone should know about?  Share them in the comments section below.

This step is only for people who are hosting their own blogs.  You can skip this if you are using a free service such as WordPress.com or Blogger.com

Once you’ve prayed istikhaara, picked a topic/nice, and starting brainstorming ideas – you are ready to pick a host.  This is an important step because it’s likely you won’t be changing them any time soon.  I’ve listed 4 web hosts below that I recommend based on a combination of reliability and price.  Each also has a 1-click feature to install WordPress immediately.  How awesome is that?!

For those curious, I use BlueHost to host my sites and have been with them for about 5 years.  It’s the only one I have personally tried and can personally vouch for.  Also note that the prices fluctuate throughout the year, so the details below are subject to change (Full Disclosure: Affiliate Links)  

Most of the packages below offer the same thing and the only suggestion I have is this: pray istikhaara before picking one. 

1. BlueHost - Plans start at $6.95, unlimited domain hosting, unlimited space/transfer, free domain name
2. HostGator - Plans start at $3.96, unlimited bandwidth, limited features
3. HostMonster - Plans start $4.95, unlimited domain hosting, unlimited space/transfer, free domain name
4. MyHosting - Plans start $4.95, unlimited domain hosting, unlimited space/transfer, free domain name

Muslim blogs can, and should, be filled with the best ideas.  I’ll repeat that once more, but say it with me this time because it’s not just a nice idea — it is our goal:  Muslim blogs can, and should, be filled with the best ideas.

So far, you have purified your intention, prayed istikhaara, and selected both your topic and target group (niche).  The next step? Read on to find out.

Resource Center

This is something I started about a year ago or so.  I use to have every blog with it’s own individual folders for things like themes/plugins/pictures/screenshots/ideas.  While I didn’t completely abandon that structure, I did try to unify it all into one central folder: Resource Center

Once that folder has been created, I place it in the folders that were relevant to my type of work.   For you, this can be anything you find relevant.  This is folder where you keep everything together, so have a structure that make sense to you from the beginning.  After I added the folders it looked more like this

So the upper level it’s structured like that.  Let’s go inside The Muslim Blogger folder and see what’s in there.

Inside The Muslim Blogger folder, I have certain files that are exclusive to TMB.  What I want to draw your attention to, though, is where the red arrow is pointing: TMB Posts.  This folder is, for the most part, the place I go to whenever I have an idea for a post. On that note…let’s move on to the Brainstorming Ideas

Brainstorming Ideas

Above, we quickly went through what a resource center is and one way that it could be set up.  But what about the actual ideas?  Let’s break this into two parts: what to brainstorm and how to brainstorm.

What to Brainstorm

To avoid wasting time, first make a list of problems you believe you readers have that you can help them solve.  Let’s say there is a Muslim blog about Muslims in America.  You could brainstorm the points you’re interested in — but that won’t help.  You need to find the intersection of your interests and people’s questions.

• What does it mean to be a Muslim in America?
• Can you be Muslim and American?
• Is there a contradiction between the two?

Those are possible questions Muslims may have that would attract readers.  Of course, you would have picked this topic only having looked into your knowledge in it (dunya/deen) and having prayed istikhaara.

So that is a good place for you to start before you get to the next part

How to Brainstorm

Having completed some of the basics of the what, now it is time to cover 3 different ways that may help you to figure out the how.

Branches

Here, you want to get out a paper/pen, open Microsoft word, or some other way to begin getting ideas down.  Some might do well with a Roman Number system outline.  Most of the time, however, I prefer something visual.  I use an app called MindNode for Mac (free version) and I ended up with something that started off like this

Pretty basic stuff and nothing fancy in any way.  From there, as I’m sure you can guess, I began to branch out another level

At this point, what I’ve done is essentially narrow down what my entire blog will be about and the direction I want to take it.  You’ll notice that for The Muslim Blogger, the whole idea is shown in that tiny visual and eventually became worded as: Tips to help Muslim bloggers get more traffic, become better writers, and make money.  The next level begins breaking down the into what are later categories and tags.

I won’t go through how it looks when you keep branching out, but you get the idea.  All you are doing really is finding a way to clearly lay out what your blog is all about.  And yes, it does make a difference to have it in front of you vs in your head.

For example, while I’m writing this I may have an idea for a post I want to do in the future.  I open up Notepad (or TextEdit on Mac) and either just right the title I want or both the title and maybe a sentence or two.  Here’s an example of what I mean.

These are three files that I have in my folder.

• The first is about this series we’re on now and the topics I want to include.
• The second was nothing more than a title.
• The last is an idea that came to my mind and I added a few things to get going later.

As you can see, there isn’t one template I use – and there doesn’t have to be.  This is about what works for you and this post is just to point you in a direction that may help you.  I have dozens of files like that and the folder ends up looking something like this.

That’s one way to brainstorm ideas and how it fits in with the resource center.  Alhamdulillah, we find that Allah (swt) gives us ideas all day, every day.  Sometimes the best way to take advantage is to actually sit down for a good-ole fashioned brainstorming sessions.

60 Seconds

This is a technique that I was first introduced to in college and have found it to be very helpful in many different areas.  What you will do here is pick a word related to your blog and then for the next 60 seconds, write down every word that comes to mind.  The key is not stopping and letting the ideas come out – filter the list later on.

For example, let’s use the keyword SEO

There’s nothing wrong with it being silly or completely out there.  By the end, I’m not sure how I ended up with “Circle of Life” after starting with “Google”.

It’s a bit of a stretch at first, but the “circle of life” can be used to illustrate how words are interconnected and need to be used in balance so you don’t disrupt the “circle of search engines”.  Other points on there could actually become brand new posts.  Take “import/export” – I could create two posts: (1) How to import your posts and settings from a previous blog and (2) How to export your posts and settings for a new blog.

That list could prove useful in many ways if I spent some time trying to benefit from it. Alhamdulillah, it has helped so far and I do expect that it will will continue being a valuable resource in brainstorming topics for The Muslim Blogger.

——————–

In The End

There must be hundreds of ways to brainstorm.  The above are only two strategies that I pray will be beneficial to you.  What is needed now is your input.  Some questions I have for you are:

• Have you planned out your blog?
• Do you brainstorm?
• How do you come up with ideas?
• In your opinion, do you think the ideas in this post are helpful?
• What else can you share to help other Muslim bloggers?

I look forward to getting your responses in the comments below. Jazaakumullahu khayran

Follow the series:
Blogging 101 [Intro]: The Complete Guide to Muslim Blogging
Blogging 101 [Part 1]: Starting in the Right Direction: Pray Istikhaara
Blogging 101 [Part 2]: Selecting a Topic and Niche
Blogging 101 [Part 3]: The Resource Center and Brainstorming Ideas
Blogging 101 [Part 4]: Coming Soon…

In addition to the previous 5 Islamic WordPress Themes/Template, it seemed it was time to add another 6 fresh and free Islamic WP Templates for your blog or website.  It seems that finding a new look is one of issues that has introduced many Muslim readers.  If you use any of these themes, share you experience with it.

We’re also trying to make sure we get together the Muslim blogs in one location, so I also high suggest you let everyone know about your blog here.

Be sure to and follow The Muslim Blogger on Facebook and Google+.

Beauty of Faith (Download)

Brightness of Faith (Download)

Green Theme (Download)

Islamic Twenty Ten (Download)

Makkah Clear Style (Download)

Noble Seeker (Download)

—–

I didn’t want the post to end without posting a shout out to Ummah Themes where I found theses themes available.  On a side note – If you don’t know where to host your blog or need a reliable service, I use and recommend you sign-up at BlueHost

As for the themes themselves, what do you think about them? Are they fresh and functional? Do they add value to a blog focused on promoting the deen? What kind of blogs do you think can benefit from these types of themes?

More social networking means more buttons for our blogs.  I’m sure many of you have used a series of different tactics to have others click the share buttons.  Whether you have or haven’t, now is a good time to start and WP Socializer is a great plugin for the job.

It’s actually being used here on TMB above and below every post.  Though it has dozens upon dozens, I’ve stuck with the 3 critical ones: Facebook Like Button, Tweet Button, and Google Plus +1.  Everything else, like StumbleUpon/Digg/Reddit, are all crammed into the last icon there – “Share” – in case someone wants to use

The first thing you’ll need to do is install it and the easiest way to do that is through the Admin backend.  Select “Add New” in the Plugin section to find WP Socializer

Having done that, do a quick search for “WP Socializer” and it should be the first one that comes up.  This plugin has been reviewed by many and the overall rating is just over 4/5 stars.

Once you click install, a new section will pop up on the left-side menu in the Admin area for WP Socializer

You are free to look around and change the different settings.  If you’d like to select the same buttons I have, then you’ll go to the “Placement” and enter the code below

<div class="buttons-wrap">
        <span class="margin15 floatleft">{facebook-like}</span>
	<span class="margin15 floatleft">{retweet-bt}</span>
	<span class="margin15 floatleft">{plusone-medium}</span>
        <span class="margin15 floatleft">{addthis-bt}</span>

<br></div><br>

———-

This is a fantastic plugin that keeps everything clean and simple.  If you use something else, share it below and let us know why it works great for you.

More than 50% of the traffic that comes to The Muslim Blogger is from search engines like Google, Bing, and Yahoo.  While it is critical to have a readership that follows yours blog, it is equally important to get the attention of search engines.  For your blog, this means making sure you place the right keywords.  The question then is – how do you find the right keywords that will bring in traffic from online searches?

Google Keyword Tool (here)
Place in a certain keyword that is related to your blog and Google will generate related words people use when searching for something online.

Keywordfinder (here)
This site generates a shorter list of related terms.  However, it also lets you select the country to get even more relevant results

WordStream (here)
Another keyword tool site that allows you to find related terms.  In addition to that, they also offer some additional services that may interest you.

Do you have any other keyword tools that you use to get your blog noticed by search engined?  If so, share them below and Insha’Allah you will receive reward for any help you provide.

(Photo: kenleyneufeld)

As’salaamu Alaikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakaatu,

Dear brothers and sisters in Islam – the questions listed below deserve our attention right now. and are worthy of a serious discussion by fellow Muslim bloggers – both the experienced and the new.  Every question on this list has the connecting thread of La I’laaha Il’lallah, but our servitude to Allah through our blogging may be expressed in different ways.

To a certain degree, you have to take yourself out of the picture to answer these questions honestly.  For just a few moments we need to forget what we like doing and think about if it is worth doing.

The first time you comment, please place a link to your blog with a brief ( <25 word) description so that others can connect your reflections with the type of content you are writing.  Here are the questions.  I look forward to a serious, mature, and respectful discussion in the comments section below.

1. Is blogging really the most productive thing I could be doing with my time?
2. How has this really increased my relationship with Allah (Subhanahu wa Ta’aala)?
3. Are the posts and topics I write about really what we, as Muslims, need to focus on?
4. To what extent should we share our views?
5. Where is the line between open discussion and speaking without knowledge?
6. What practical effects should Taqwa have on our blogging?
7. Am I responsible to filter comments?
8. When does blogging become vain talk?
9. Will I be able to explain why I spent my time blogging on the Day of Judgment?

If you have any suggestions about additional questions that Muslim Blogger MUST ask themselves then please share it.

(Photo: Oberazzi)

Update: There are 6 more Islamic WordPress themes/templates here that are available for you to use free

—–

You’ve already seen tons of other themes at The Muslim Blogger (here, here, and here).  But, one of the most common requests I get is to find and publish some Islamic WordPress themes/templates.  Well….I found 5 of them and they are all free to use on any Muslim blog using WordPress.

If you know of any other Islamic themes or use any of the ones listed here, give a shout out in the comments section below with a link to your blog.

Be sure to follow The Muslim Blogger on Facebook and Google+.

>

So what do you think of these themes?  What kind of Muslim blogs do you think they can be used on?  Do you feel these themes can help to give a Muslim blog an “Islamic” feel?  Share your thoughts below and let us know if you are using any of these.

If you don’t have a place to host your blog or are looking for a new host, I use and recommend you sign-up at BlueHost

Some of these plugins make changes to the design of your blog or add tools to make the experience on your blog better for readers.  Others enhance the back-end and make the writing process and SEO functions much easier to deal with.

So what are the 11 must-have plugins for your WordPress blog?

1. Akismet - This helps to prevent spam and is unbelievably good.  It comes standard with all WordPress installs but if you don’t have it for some reason or deleted it, get it now.
   
2. All in One SEO Pack – Optimize your blog for search engines to find and index you quickly
   
3. Google XML Sitemaps – Another plugin that does an amazing job in the world of SEO
   
4. TinyMCE Advanced – 15 extra tools available to you when writing a blog post
   
5. TweetMeme Button – Make it easier to get your posts retweeted
   
6. WordPress.com Popular Posts – A simple way to get a widget with your most popular posts.  You can also customize how that list is made.
   
7. WordPress.com Stats – In addition to Google Analytics, this is a quick  way to get an update on who comes to your blog and the posts they read
   
8. PollDaddy Polls & Ratings – I use PollDaddy for polls and surveys.  They have free and paid accounts but I find that the free one does more than I need at this stage.  This plugin makes PollDaddy easier to use
   
9. WPtouch iPhone Theme – Anyone visiting your blog from an iPhone, iPod Touch, Android, WebOS, BlackBerry, or Opera Mini will see a customized version.  It runs in the background without interrupting anything so there’s no reason not to use it.
   
10. Contact Form 7 – Let your readers contact you with this plugin.  It takes a few moments to set up but once its up, it works as expected
    
11. Simple Tags – Auto-generate tags and edit your posts’ tags in batches with this.  Awesome plugin.

Do you use any of these plugins on your blog?  If so, what is your experience with them?  What other plugins do you use?

Help your fellow Muslim bloggers out.  Share with us the plugins you use to make the blogging experience a better one.

Update: One of the commenters below (Ayaz) asked about plugins for social bookmarking.  Here are links to three different social bookmarking plugins: SexyBookmarks, Sociable, and Social Bookmarks.

This is where the Muslim blogger (that’s all of us) differs from others.  Let’s get straight to the questions of how to pick a topic and niche (audience) for your blog.

Discover Your Passions

Take a few moments to list all the things you are passionate about.  Don’t stop to think about each one at first – just take 60-120 seconds and keep writing.  Later on we will go back and filter it out but, for now, don’t underestimate the importance of this step.  This will help you organize your thoughts, provide you a more comprehensive list of your interests, and set you up for the next step.

Remember that your readers will know whether or not you are actually passionate about your topic; it will be reflected in your writing.

Start filtering

Look through the list you just created and begin crossing off the ones that you merely enjoy reading or learning about.  What should be left are topics that you are knowledgeable about – topics that you are willing to put in time to research about.  The list should also be narrowed down to a topic you see yourself writing about for (at least) the next few years.

When you start your blog, you are automatically placing yourself as an “expert” in that field.  It is not necessary for you in fact to be an expert in the field.  However,  whatever topic you decide to move forward with should be one that you have a certain degree of experience in.  People won’t expect you to know all there is to know about the topic, but they will expect you to provide some sort of valuable content they can’t find elsewhere.

Connect your topic with the Day of Judgment

There is, of course, a line between writing about something you are passionate about and a topic that may be completely useless.  I’m not talking about whether or not the topic is popular.  This is about us standing before Allah on the Day of Judgment and being asked about how we used our time.

In one way or another, your blog has to connect with worshipping Allah and spreading the message of Islam.  Here are some quick ideas for topics that might not seem directly related to the deen and how we can “Islamicize” them:

Technology
How can we use the latest technology for street dawah?
A list of ways Islamic schools can use computers to enhance their education
Inform parents how to monitor the websites their children are visiting

Productivity
How can Muslims continue worshipping Allah properly during exam time?
What are the different methods that people use to memorize Qur’an?
Share examples of how the Prophet (pbuh) and his companions used their time

Culture
How can we embrace culture without compromising our deen in any way?
Discuss the various cultures throughout Islamic history
Connect the emphasis on good manners in Islam with cultural etiquette

That’s just a few examples of posts for different topics.  Of course, it may not be that simple with all our posts or even the majority.  However, at no time should we forget that our intentions, our writing, and all the time we spent on our blog will be asked about on the Day of Judgment – and we better have answer….for our own sake.

How much time can you dedicate to your blog?

Calculate the approximate amount of time you can afford to put into your blog.  If you don’t have much time to dedicate, don’t pick a topic that requires constant updating (like cell phones for example).  No matter how much you love the topic or how much content you can write, if you can’t keep up with the other competing blogs then your readers will just go somewhere else.

Keep in mind that blogging is a lot more than writing.  You’ll want to take into consideration the time it takes to:

• Edit your posts, participate in the comments section,
• Research and learn more about your topic,
• Connecting with other Muslim bloggers in some way, and taking the
• Time to follow-up with the back-end data (Google Analytics, advertising stats, affiliate programs, etc…)

All of these elements are key to starting and running a successful blog.  The last one on the list varies depending on how much you are tracking.  Many of us are not keeping track of the data simply to check how much money was made from ads or the number of people visiting.  If you use Google Analytics you’ll want to take some time to make lists of your most popular posts, the types of visitors that are coming, search terms that people are using to get to your site from search engines, and other important pieces of information.  If you use AdSense, you’ll want to find out which ad sizes are making the most and where they are placed.

So take all of these factors into consideration when you are figuring out how much time you have available for blogging.

Research your peers (a.k.a your competition)

Spend some time searching for other bloggers (Muslim or non-Muslim) who share your passion and interest in the topic.  Subscribe to their RSS feed, sign-up for their newsletter, read up on what they have to say about the topic, and participate in the discussions if you can.

In a healthy way, Insha’Allah, the blogs that you find are your direct competition.  Find out what topics they are not covering that deserve to be written about.  Connect with them and help each other to become better, more knowledgeable bloggers.   Competition doesn’t mean bashing or avoiding linking to their blogs.  As Muslim bloggers, we are always looking for the best interest of our fellow Muslim brothers and sisters.  As the Prophet (pbuh) said:

“None of you can truly be said to believe until he wants for his brother what he wants for himself.” (Bukhari)

Picking a niche

Once you’ve found your topic, the next step is to pick a specific audience that you want to write to.  For The Muslim Blogger, I selected to write specifically to the Muslim blogging community.  However, you may choose to write towards Muslim youth or maybe just anyone that has an interest in your topic.

Perhaps the most important thing to keep in mind is that your blog must be a way to spread the message of Islam for the reasons that will be discussed below.  So if your blog is about business management and it is not geared to Muslims exclusively, don’t leave out words like Insha’Allah or Alhamdulillah.  Rather, use them like any Muslim should and provide a page that defines/explains Islamic terminology.  If there is a relevant hadith or ayah you can place in your blog post, use it.

Teach people that whatever the topic is, Allah’s religion has a position:

“This day I have perfected your religion for you, completed My favor upon you, and have chosen for you Islaam as your religion” (Al-Maidah:3)

Of course, we still need to recognize and stay within the limits of our knowledge when including ahadaith or ayat- but as Allah tells us Ibrahim said in the Qur’an:

“And who is better in speech than the one who calls to Allah, and does what is just and right, and says ‘Verily, I am of those who have surrendered themselves to Allah’”? (Fussilat:33)

Follow the series:
Blogging 101 [Intro]: The Complete Guide to Muslim Blogging
Blogging 101 [Part 1]: Starting in the Right Direction: Pray Istikhaara
Blogging 101 [Part 2]: Selecting a Topic and Niche
Blogging 101 [Part 3]: The Resource Center and Brainstorming Ideas
Blogging 101 [Part 4]: Coming Soon…