Create a free Islamic blog!

I have been blogging from few years, but could not get in touch with good Islamic blogs. But as blogs are getting popularity I could see many quality blogs which are created within year or so. And I like browsing blogs, due to a personal touch, but web sites providing same information don't attract my attention. The main reason of blog popularity is the freshness of content, recent news and thoughts, relevant to today's modern life.

I was really impressed to see My Minaret, which is a blogging network, providing free WordPress blog. If you have a little knowledge of WordPress or blogging, you can start blogging now at: My Minaret

Some features:

* There are 32 exciting Islamic themes, and you are free to choose any one for your blog.
* You can post content, images, video and audio links that can be played inside the blog.
* You can use this blog for Dawah purposes.





Manage content at your site: Guide to manage content

*** My blog at MyMinaret

Few Islamic blogs of note!

I usually check the Islamic sites, but as there is a professional touch, and most of the informations are alike, I rather prefer to read blogs. I am starting a new series of posts about Islamic blogs with some description. Here are few blogs of note:

1- Islam-Way for a perfect life:
Created by Yaasir Nazeerally, who is from a middle-class family from camp de masque pave. Currently employed in the Municipal Council of Beau Bassin Rose Hill - IT Section. Yaasir is a young active muslim, who have just started this blog in September. But being a youth, his articles are really very impressive.

* This is the article I liked at this blog Islam and youth a reality check

I hope that more posts would come, so keep checking the blog for updates.

Blog link: Islam-way for a perfect life


2- A glimpse into the life of a Muslimah: Created by "Umm Yusuf" . I am quoting the introduction of blogger and blog in her own words:

"I am an American convert to Islam, Alhamdullilah (all praise and thanks be to Allah. I was born and raised in the southern US. So, you can probably guess that I enjoy many outdoor activities. Such as: traveling, sight-seeing, and just generally spending time outdoors. I also enjoy learning how to cook (it’s a definite work in progress). Most of all, I like to learn and share my religion, Islam.
My goal for this blog is to share my thoughts and experiences as a muslim convert. If you are looking for debates then this is not the place for you as i will not indulge in debating or arguing my religion or way of life. However, if you are here to share your ideas and experiences in an intelligent way and with an open mind then welcome and enjoy!

I am not a writer. I do not profess or aspire to be one. My entries probably have plenty of gramatical errors and while I use spell check, I’m sure there are some misspelled words. But try to look beyond the writing to the core message of my posts. My mission is to get the ideas across as bumpy as the writing may be."

The posts I liked at the blogs are:
* 19 Things Sisters can do for Islam in America(or anywhere in the world really)

* Islamophobia Test- Will People React To Woman Being Abused While Wearing Hijab??

3- "For The Students, From The Students, By The Students." Yes this is the motto of an Indian school site Aymen's page, run by two MBHS Students - Aymen Mohammed and Aamer Ali,(now managed by Bestkids Web Solutions)

Aymen's Perception On Schooling:

"A school should not be a preparation for life. A school should be life."


Note: More sites would be added in future!

Sites and links providing help for safe internet use!

Whenever I log on to "internet explorer" and start browsing, as a parent often this question strikes my mind "how can we save our new generation from bad sides of internet?". Because the Internet offers kids many opportunities for learning, constructive entertainment, and personal growth. At the same time,there are risks, kids face online. Our duty as a parent or teacher is to educate themselves and our children about how to use the Internet safely.

My son is only 8 years old, but I am really worried about him, when he would start browsing the internet. And being a teacher I think this is my duty to spread the knowledge to everyone who want to learn "safe internet use" and want to safe their children from misuse of internet. So this post is part of my articles providing you links and resources where you can get information about this topic.

* Microsoft is also concerned about this fact that some guidance is essential at family level. So go to this link:
This post is about social networking sites, which have become a hot trend among teens. Guidelines from Microsoft

* Another detailed guide provides you information about:
- Age-based guidelines for kids' Internet use

- Kids and gaming: Help kids play it safe

- Help kids deal with hateful content

Get it here: Parental supervision and age-based guidance

* Get Net Wise.org is a public service brought to you by a wide range of Internet industry corporations and public interest organizations. This site provides you safety tips for kids, teens, and families. You also get information about "Risks relating internet use, technology risks, and privacy informations.

- Online Safety Guide where you
learn about the risks kids face online, based on age levels or types of activities. Concerns about privacy are addressed as well. Also: Quick tips for kids, teens, and families.
- At Tools for family you can search or browse for Internet safety products, including those that filter explicit or violent content, monitor a child's Internet access, or limit time online. See sample contracts for kids' Internet use.

- At Web sites for kids you can check out links to great sites families can visit together! Explore educational or entertaining Web sites for kids, teens, and families.

- Reporting trouble section is where you learn how to identify online trouble and get law enforcement contact information. Find national child advocacy groups that can help you recognize and report online trouble.

More useful links and sites:

* Great web sites for kids

* More internet safety sites

* A discussion board where you can get in touch with the like minded people who are also concerned about safe internet use.

- Connect Safely forum

* Few more links: Click here

Review: SafeKids.com helping you makes the internet safe for you!

Many days ago, a parent asked me that she wanted to have internet access at home, but feared that her teenage son might misuse it. At that time I was not sure about if there are sites to help parents helping the parents and teens for safe internet use. But I was happy to get link to many sites, which provide sufficient stuff for safe use of internet.

When creating this blog, this topic came first in my mind that I would be reviewing the site about “learning to use internet safely” ,SafeKids is the first site I am reviewing here. Where parents, teachers and teenagers can learn how to use internet safely.




SafeKids provides you information about the dangers of children using the internet. Rules, advice, and tips relating to child security and the web. This site can be considered family guide which helps us in making the internet and technology safe and productive.

* Tips and tools section contains the topics:
* Child Safety on the Information Highway
* Video & Audio Slide Shows
* Kids Rules for Online Safety
* Safe Blogging Tips for Teens
* Guidelines for Parents
* Family Contract for Online Safety
* Chat Room Safety
* Think Safety When Posting Online Video
* Privacy Issues

Every topic takes you to another article window where it is discussed in detail.
This part of the site provides you new articles update.
I want to write tips from one of the article. I have chosen this article, because I know a lot of teens are taking interest in having an online diary (blog) which is very easy to create.
Safe Blogging Tips for Teens:
• Be as anonymous as possible. Avoid postings that could enable a stranger to locate you. That includes your last name, the name of your school, sports teams, the town you live in, and where you hang out.
• Protect your info. Check to see if your service has a “friends” list that allows you to control who can visit your profile or blog. If so, allow only people you know and trust. If you don’t use privacy features, anyone can see your info, including people with bad intentions.
• Avoid in-person meetings. Don’t get together with someone you “meet” in a profile or blog unless you are certain of their actual identity. Although it’s still not risk-free, if you do meet the person, arrange the meeting in a public place and bring some friends along.
• Photos: Think before posting. What’s uploaded to the Net can be downloaded by anyone and passed around or posted online pretty much forever. Avoid posting photos that allow people to identify you (for example, when they’re searching for your high school), especially sexually suggestive images. Before uploading a photo, think about how you’d feel if it were seen by a parent/grandparent, college admissions counselor, or future employer.
• Check comments regularly. If you allow them on your profile or blog, check them often. Don’t respond to mean or embarrassing comments. Delete them and, if possible, block offensive people from commenting further.
• Be honest about your age. Membership rules are there to protect people. If you are too young to sign up, do not attempt to lie about your age. Talk with your parents about alternative sites that may be appropriate for you.
Source link: Safe Blogging Tips for Teens

Get the answer of your questions at "WikiAnswers"

Everybody have some questions at some times, and people who have internet are lucky to get the answers by just writing their questions in the search box and clicking it. Within seconds you are taken to hundreds and evern thousands of relevant sites, where the topic is discussed.

I use the google search engine for the purpose and despite of the fact that it takes hours to check different links for proper answer of my inquiry, I get the answer of my inquiry. But there are some helping sites at the net where you can save your time by just submitting your question and getting specific result within seconds.

WikiAnswers is one of the site, where people from all walks of life share their knowledge. This site is equally helpful for teachers, and students.

Some facts about the site:
* 346,772 free members are now working on 1,001,250 questions.
* According to analysis using ComScore data, WikiAnswers is second-fastest growing domain of the top 1,500 Web domains. For the first nine months of this year, WikiAnswers unique monthly visitor count in the U.S. has grown 317%, to over four million.

* According to a very recent report, WikiAnswers, has reached one million questions.
* To date, WikiAnswers currently contains over 2,100 categories of questions.

Mission of the site:

"Their mission is to grow a collaborative answers resource. In WikiAnswers, anyone, anywhere, is encouraged to ask a question on any topic and get a cooperatively written human-generated answer. We believe that two heads truly are better than one, and together we can provide fuller, richer answers.

Everyone has knowledge to share, whether it's about health insurance, digital cameras or the meaning of life. Everyone should have the opportunity to contribute their expertise with the world, and on WikiAnswers that opportunity is free and available for the curious to explore."

* Speciality of WikiAnswers is about creating a collaborative directory of questions and answers. They encourage everyone to add to and improve each other's answers instead of asking and answering the same questions over and over again.

* Anybody can contribute, any knowledge, to help answer other people's questions

To start:

1. Sign up and be recognized for your expertise. Sign up link

2. Ask a question on anything you're curious about. Ask a question link

3. Answer a question with your relevant, accurate knowledge of the topic. Answer a question link

4. Improve others' answers if you have relevant, accurate information to add. Improve others answers

Ask a question right now via this search box!

Ask a question:

Free resources and links to learn glass painting!

Glass painting is a popular, pleasurable art and craft. And internet provides lot of basic information and guidelines for this hobby as well. I have searched at the web to make this post useful for you. I have checked these all links and then enlisted them, but I would be updating my post, as I get more useful and free resouces.

This hobby is an amazing creative art. If you could learn basics of this art, then you can create "master pieces!".
Yes, if you love drawing and know how to create/ make innovative projects then you are going to create real professional touch pieces of art.

I could find many free resources where you can not only learn basics of "glass painting" but get ideas from free patterns. At some sites, you can download the black& white pattern and print it.

It is also called "stained glass painting", or "Reverse glass painting". Stained glass is often used in the making of windows and lampshades, but is also useful for boxes, clocks, cabinet doors, picture frames and other 3-dimensional projects.

1- Hobby craft Here at this site, you can learn the basics of glass painting, so for beginners it is a good start link.

2- A tutorial with pictures: Stain on glass and How to apply It

3- Art of stained glass This site is dedicated to providing step by step video and photo instructions, on a variety of techniques. step by step video and photo illustrations will include both original color photographs and short videoclips that are easily downloaded.
The site not only give you some guidelines for beginners but for professionals or mature artists it provides information on:
• How to cut glass - from large sheets to small pieces.
• Perfect tube hinges for stained glass boxes.
• Designing your own lampshades - panel and on mold.
• Assembling an Odyssey shade without tacky wax.
• How to build a bird feeder.
• Foiling heavily textured glass.
• Lampshade photography.
• Pricing your work.

Beginners can start from here:
Art of stained glass-begginers

4- Free and easy stain glass patterns
Lot of free patterns

5- FREE patterns at this site: Stain glass free patterns This site features only stained glass patterns for windows and panels. All patterns are absolutely and completely free.
Each stained glass pattern page features both a black and white and a colored version to give you color ideas. Just below the series of black and white versions, you will see a small, but complete, black and white version of the pattern. It looks small on your screen, but if you right-click on it, as save to your computer, you will be saving a full size stained glass pattern which you can use to resize as you please.

6- Warner-Criv.com This is a commercial site, but you can get a lot of ideas and patterns for your stained glass projects free from this site. They are offering 173 free patterns.

7- Harmoney glass
These patterns are for sale, but you can just copy the pattern.

8- Forums are a good place to discuss about the topic and get advice or tips. This forum is free to participate. And it is only for "Stain glass" topic discussion. So you can get in touch with other persons having the same hobby and interest.
Link: Stain Glass Square

9- Chickadee dee dee offers free stain glass patterns.

Learn drawing from free to offer sites!- Part 1

From my student age I love art, crafts and drawing. Now I am an art teacher for reception year class, and love working with kids, especially teaching them drawing or crafts.
I was really astonished to see that internet has a rich source of really free and quality stuff about art/crafts and drawing.
Before creating this blog, I had many sites links saved at my hard disk and often read those lessons or articles about drawing. Now this blog is providing me an opportunity to share all that stuff with the parents, teachers and of course children.

My readers would be happy to know that there are number of sites, offering free drawing lessons. So hold a pencil and paper and get ready to DRAW:

1- Artists helping children
Artists Helping Children is a Children's site dedicated to comforting children by empowering artists and others to donate artwork, donated murals, donated art supplies, donated toys and a lot of love to sick and needy children. Artists Helping Children also helps artists by giving them information on how they can help the sick and poor children by volunteering to paint murals and other art for hospitals, shelters, clinics, etc.
We also have filled this site with free coloring pages & coloring printouts for children to color with as well as 1000s of free arts and crafts projects for kids to use when they need some crafts ideas.
Link: Artists helping children

2- Learn how to draw and improve your skill in no time with the help of an online coach. Whether you're an art teacher, art student, or just a hobbyist artist you will find the step by step education that will give you the ability to bring those images in your mind into paper reality.
monthly newsletter, Just Draw It. It's delivered at the end of each month and will inform you about new info that has been added to the site. It's a great way to keep up with the latest an greatest drawing tutorials from the coach.

*Drawing techniques
*Drawing blog
subscribe to Blog to get updates.

3- free drawing lessons at Fine art education

4- KinderArt® was developed in 1997, because they think art should be an important part of any home or school curriculum, and if there are easy-to-follow lessons with readily available materials, it makes the lives of artists, teachers and parents much easier.
The goal of KinderArt® has been, to make art lessons and educational information accessible to people around the world.
In addition to the thousands of free art lesson plans, they offer printable activity pages, the art kitchen, educational links and articles, early childhood education resources and much more.
Everyone who visits KinderArt® is encouraged to share their experiences, questions, comments and ideas. The result? A wonderful variety of lesson plans and educational tips complete with an online children's art gallery.

* lot of resources at Kinder Art

* Bulletin board ideas at Kinder Art

* Art from recycled materials

5- For art teachers a must check site: Every day Art
Art Curriculum for Classroom Teachers and Homeschoolers:
On this page classroom teachers and homeschoolers can find resources for teaching art, including classroom art projects for kids and guidelines for class discussion. These children's art lessons are open ended to stimulate creativity, and are flexible enough to work with a wide range of ages and abilities.
Page link: Art Curriculum for Classroom Teachers and Homeschoolers

* What is Art?

I liked the sentence at the bottom of the page, saying "Art makes kids smart" and I took the picture of it.

Few useful resources for primary teachers!

These are few links where you can get a lot of resources for your primary level subjects. All the information, work sheets or teaching material are FREE to use.

1-Primary Resources

Primary Resources offers free worksheets, lesson plans and teaching ideas for primary and elementary teachers.
Subjects covered: Maths, English, Science, History, Religious Education, Geography, Art, ICT

It has loads of brilliant information, worksheets, and homework ideas on each National Curriculum subject, appropriate for both key stages.
The files are downloadable as Adobe Acrobat PDF files and can be printed off for FREE!
For Numeracy or Literacy syllabus and work sheeets it is must see site.




2- Top Marks is aimed specifically at pupils, teachers and parents.

Although they bias their resources to UK curriculum requirements, but they are appreciated globally as well. All sites featuring on Topmarks are carefully reviewed by teachers.
This is a free to use site, with the aim to provide:

* Easy access to the best educational web sites.
* For Teachers to use the web in the classroom.
* For Parents to support the education of their children.
Launched in September 1998, and was conceived by Sue Spolton, a primary school teacher and Chris Spolton who designs the site.

*At parents resource section, you can find articles written by practising teachers designed to help with the education of your child. Topics are:
Sand & Water Play, Learning Numbers, Learning Words, Homework Help, Learning to Read, Starting Secondary School.

*Primary Classroom Resources section includes: Maths, English, Science, Other Subjects, Maths Games, Victorian Toys.

3- Teach it
Launched in 1999,by English teacher Siobhain Archer, Teachit is a trusted education resource, a free online library of learning resources,used by thousands of teachers nationwide.

Specialising in English, Drama and Media Studies from primary to post-16, the online Teachit library offers 9,565 pages of classroom materials, schemes of work, lesson plans and teaching tools, all created by working teachers

Link: Teach it

*Teaching Ideas section
gives you teaching tips from the experts, essential news, and resources.

4- Crick Web provides Free interactive resources and activities for Foundation Stage, Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2.
Subjects including:
Maths, English, Science, History, Geography, R.E., D.T., I.C.T.
(Three education stages in the U.K. covering the following ages;
Early Years/Foundation Stage for 4 to 5 year olds.
Key Stage 1 for 6 to 7 year olds.
Key Stage 2 for 8 to 11 year olds.)

What they are offering:
* 142 free to use educational interactive resources for Primary Schools.

* 12 free to use fun games for children aged 4 - 11.

* 70 web links to other free interactive, image and software resources.
(Highest number of daily visitors : 17,060 on 16th October)

Note: More sites and resources would be added as I get them.