2009 September | Muslim Youth Musings

Monthly Archive for September, 2009

iTech: Vivacious Video Taping

Written by Jawaad Ahmad Khan on September 29, 2009 in iTech. Comments.

By Jawaad Ahmad Khan

No doubt the medium of video is spreading like wild-fire all through the internet. The real question is: How can this medium be used for the sake of Allah?

In the past years, many Muslim video productions have been done Alhamdulillah (DVDs, VHS, etc.). However, quite a few failed in engaging its Muslim viewers, and the effect of the message was lost. In this iTech post, we will discuss a few techniques on video taping a production that will bi-ithnillah (with Allah’s permission) improve your video and draw interest to it.

The first thing that needs to be deciphered is, what type of video are you making? Is it a live lecture, speech, or a planned video?

Let’s define these.

1. Live Lecture/Speech

  • A live event in which you are taping a person speaking from a podium or sitting.

2. Planned Video

  • This is basically a video that you’re taping where you have the flexibility of multiple takes (i.e. it’s not a live event).

Depending on what video you’re doing, here’s a few principles to follow.

Lighting

Lighting is one of the most important elements to photography and video. The ideal set-up would be a 3-point lighting system. What this is, is three lights to light your subject.

You use three lights, a key light, which should be the brightest and main source of light, a fill light, less intense and used to eliminate the shadows that may show from the other side, and the backlight, which lights up the overall scene.

Try to use this for when you’re taping a planned video. Use the key and fill lights if that’s all you have. And use any natural light (sunlight, room lamp, etc.) when taping something. You don’t necessarily need professional work lights or all that. In many of my videos, I’ve used flashlights, lamps, torch lights, and even a chandelier’s lights. Here’s a video showing all the lights I’d used for a Ramadan Message I made. As you see, I have a lamp in the back, some light from the ceiling fan, and a bright flashlight hung unto a lampshade.

When you’re taping a live video, you don’t have that much leeway all the time. My advice – use the lighting already available to you. If you’re taping a speaker, ask him to move based on where the light’s best (a little to the left or right, but don’t move them to the other side of the room or something!). Use lights when you can and always look at your shot before you start taping, making sure that the camera’s settings make the quality look good.

Audio

Some say that audio is 51% of the production. People will look at a bad quality video, but they will not tolerate something that hurts their ears with all the noise. If you can, try to record your audio separate from the camera, with a microphone or a voice recorder. In many khutbaat (sermons) that I’ve taped, I used an mp3 player with a built-in mic to record the audio straight from the podium. If you don’t have the privilege of separate audio, then look at the settings on your camera for noise reduction (but don’t overdo it). Also, move closer to your subject, as opposed to zooming in. It’s better for the video quality and the audio quality if you’re camera is 9 or 10 feet away as opposed to the back of a 100 foot masjid. As a final point, never talk or even whisper when taping. Anything behind the camera gets caught, and it’s clearer than the speaker that’s farther away. I’ve gotten caught with a whispery “Salallahu ‘Alayhi Wasallam” a few times and it sounds unprofessional. Just mouth whatever you have to say.

Frame The Shot

Compare these two shots:

This is Gyasi McKinzie (I found this while searching for Islamic speaker on Google, check out their video). The first one doesn’t look very Speaker_woRuleThirdsSpeaker_wRuleThirdsvisually pleasant. It’s far away, the speaker is smack dab in the middle, and there’s so much space above his head, it’s so hard to focus on him. In the second picture, the speaker is right there, and you can easily focus on him. The rule applied here is called the Rule of Thirds. (By the way, in the same video, the brother/sister who edited it did apply this technique in other parts, I’m not bashing their video.)

The Rule of thirds basically makes you divide your video into a tic-tac-toe board. Three lines across and three lines vertically. Then, you basically place your subject along one of those lines or at the intersection of two points (never in the center). Because the human eye usually would move from the top of the screen down, or from the left of the screen to the right. Think about any T.V. shows where they show interviews. Is the person ever in the middle of the shot? No, they’re always in the right or left side. This just makes it a bit more interesting. Here’s some more detailed info on the rule of thirds. Also, another technique used in the second picture is the elimination of head room. Headroom is all the open space above the speaker’s head. Usually, you want to eliminate that so the viewers’ eyes don’t wander.

Finally, the CONTENT!

Know that no matter what equipment you have, how many lights or microphones you possess, how much money you have to invest, it’s a filmmaker that makes the movie, it’s a creative person that creates beautiful video. As long as your intention is clear, and you’re trying to spread a message with the video, then Allah will bless your efforts and make it easy for you. Even if the video doesn’t come out 100% professionally, at least you can reap some rewards from it, and that’s what’s most important.

May Allah help us to perfect our skills in all areas and may He bless our intentions and allow us to use any medium we can to spread the message of Islam.

Comment with an “Ameen” if you agree.

Wasalaamu ‘Alaikum Wa Rahmatullah

- Jawaad Ahmad Khan

Coming up soon: Video Editing & Audio Fixing!

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iTech: Sahih Page Jumping

Written by Arif Kabir on September 25, 2009 in iTech. Comments.

By Arif Kabir

[Editor's Note: This is the beginning of an Islamic Technology series (iTech in short) that will be dealing with different technologies and how we can use them for Islam. This particular one is rather technical, but it should prove to be useful for all online writers and bloggers Insha'Allah]

UPDATE: If you would like an alternate (and perhaps easier) way of referencing your Qur’anic Ayahs, you can use Quran.com, click on a verse, and you’d get your personalized page. However, we recommend you use the following for Ahadith or any other type of resource.)

While compiling Shaykh Muhammad AlShareef’s Heart Wheel Journals into a list for easier viewing for MYM, I wanted to have all the videos on the same page. However, since there were more than 20 videos, I wanted to have a hyperlinked table of contents so that one could just click on one of the contents and go to that specific video on the page instead of having to continuously scroll to find the desired video.

Page Jumping

Alhamdulillah, I found the perfect tool for the job once I learned about Page Jumps. They basically allow one to instantly go to another page section with just one click. The interesting part about it is that it will not only take you to that section, but it will also have an added value in the address bar. For example, to watch the tenth episode of the Heart Wheel Journal, it’d be

(Original post url) + #day-10 = http://muslimyouthmusings.com/2009/08/26/the-heart-wheel-journal-videos/#day-10

(Coincidentally, the video’s title is “To go up, you must go down”, which is what page jumps are all about:) If you want the twentieth episode, just delete #day-10, add #day-20, and you’re set!

Now, you may be wondering, “why is this tech tidbit being shared with me?” Well, it’s to bore you to death as we tech junkies love to do! (lol)

Seriously though, it was so that we can take our referencing to a new level. Basically, I was checking out University of Southern California’s database of the Qur’an and Sunnah and with my newfound knowledge on page jumps, I noticed that this website was also using page jumps for every single Ayah and Hadith, which I found to be amazing, given how much code needs to be written to have so many page jumps (they probably have some top-notch coding/programmers/software). I then realized that we can really utilize this for Islamic reference purpose, in a method that I like to call, “Sahih Page Jumping” :)

Sahih Page Jumping

Let’s say you’re on the chapter of knowledge in Sahih Bukhari at the USC database. You see the Hadith,

Volume 1, Book 3, Number 106:

Narrated ‘Ali:

The Prophet said, “Do not tell a lie against me for whoever tells a lie against me (intentionally) then he will surely enter the Hell-fire.”

This Hadith inspires you so much that you want to share it with others (as a sidenote, this Hadith tells us the importance of why we should be referencing all our works so we that this won’t lead us to the Hell-Fire – may Allah protect us). You could 1) share the Hadith by just mentioning it’s in Sahih Bukhari. You could take it a step further and 2) mention which volume and book it is. However, it has been seen in the past that many of these references have been faulty because some people would actually make up numbers. The best way is 3) to take them back to the original text and to do it in a manner that would be easiest for them.

Each title on the USC database is a page jump. You can tell because if you scroll over it, it becomes underlined (a characteristic of a hyperlink) but if you try clicking it, you won’t be able to: it seems like a dead link. If you need more proof, then look at the source code for that Hadith and you will see that it says:

a name="001.003.106"
Volume 1, Book 3, Number 106:

You will see that it says <a name=”001.003.106″> above the title and this confirms that it is is a page jump (the numbers also confirm the hadith chapter, book, and number). Now, as an example, if you are typing in example.com + # + 001.003.106 (number), it would equal example.com/page.html#001.003.106. Let’s add it to the real url and we get: http://www.usc.edu/schools/college/crcc/engagement/resources/texts/muslim/hadith/bukhari/003.sbt.html#001.003.106, which takes you to the Hadith that we are currently looking at.

So for your next blog post, if you want to post a Hadith, I strongly recommend you use the ‘Sahih page jumping’ method and add the hyperlink for the Hadith with the necessary page-jump hashtag (#) so that both you and your reader can be rest assured it’s an authentic statement. Furthermore, for those WordPress bloggers, if you want to use Page Jumps to organize some of your own writings, please visit this WordPress support page and follow the instructions to set up your Page Jumps.

May Allah (subhanahu wa ta’ala) keep us away from relaying inauthentic statements and keep us on the Straight Path. Ameen…

By the way, need a ride back to the top? :)

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Our Eid Gift!

Written by Arif Kabir on September 22, 2009 in Shoutout. Comments.

Eid Mubarak to all of you from the MYM staff!

We’re very proud to give you an Eid gift this year – We’re very proud and grateful to Allah to announce that http://youthmusings.wordpress.com is now …MuslimYouthMusings.com!!

This project had began with one person but soon progressed to include writers from all over the nation. No longer is it a .wordpress blog, but a youth blog dedicated especially for the Muslim youth and for the Islamic revival all over the world. The MYM staff realized this change and thus upgraded to this new domain so that we can now have a unique identity in the Muslim blogosphere. We pray that Allah (subhanahu wa ta’ala) blesses this project and other projects that culminate as a result of this effort. Ameen…

If you’re interested in joining us and becoming a staff writer, please be sure to email us. JazaakumAllahu Khayran!

- MYM Staff

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Daily Qur’anic Immersion

Written by Arif Kabir on September 17, 2009 in Divine Message. Comments.

By Arif Kabir

Part of the Mission: Ramadan 1430H Series

Waking up before Fajr. Eating with the community at Maghrib. Praying for hours after Isha.

A very unlikely schedule,  except in the month of Ramadan.

I find it very interesting that we are capable of doing so much Ibaadat in our normal schedule but never go about doing so until Ramadan appears. Many people say, “You know what, I’m just going to go to Pakistan/Egypt/Saudi Arabia, stay there, and do nothing but concentrate on worshiping Allah (subhanahu wa ta’ala). This dream of going off to a faraway land and just forsaking all their obligations and responsibilities takes such a great hold on them that they soon begin to feel that they can’t do any good until they arrive at that dreamland of theirs.

Ramadan comes to teach us that we can still function in society and have more than ample time for Ibadaat. Just think about it – You don’t miss waking up before Fajr – why? Because you gotta have your Suhoor. You don’t miss out on Maghrib Adhan – why? Because you gotta have your Iftar (Funny how a lot of things revolve around food)! You don’t miss out on Isha – why? So that you can continue listening to the whole Qur’an behind the Imam. It truly is amazing that we can be so steadfast in these Sunnah prayers but we can’t find the time throughout the day to read at least 5 pages of the Qur’an, but yet we are so steadfast after Isha’. Let’s try fixing this dilemma and make a schedule for a ‘Daily Qur’anic Immersion”. It basically goes like this – style your life according to the Salah times (and not vice versa) and make sure to read at least some Qur’an during that time.

  • Before Fajr, wake up (like you do for Suhoor) and review/memorize/read until the time comes for Fajr. I found that the early morning is one of the easiest times to recite Qur’an because since you’ve just woken up, your mind is fresh and clear, and you can really concentrate on the Qur’an. As everyone is sleeping, the crickets are outside chirping (at least in Maryland:), and it is still dark outside, it truly is a very peaceful moment. We should all try our best to recite Qur’an at this time as it is even commended in the Quran in Surah Isra’, Ayah 78:

أَقِمِ الصَّلَاةَ لِدُلُوكِ الشَّمْسِ إِلَىٰ غَسَقِ اللَّيْلِ وَقُرْآنَ الْفَجْرِإِنَّ قُرْآنَ الْفَجْرِ كَانَ مَشْهُودًا

Perform As-Salat (Iqamat-as-Salat) from mid-day till the darkness of the night (i.e. the Zuhr, ‘Asr, Maghrib, and ‘Isha’ prayers), and recite the Quran in the early dawn (i.e. the morning prayer). Verily, the recitation of the Quran in the early dawn is ever witnessed (attended by the angels in charge of mankind of the day and the night).

  • In the midday, while at school/work, this is when the Dhuhr and Asr prayers take place. It is extremely important for us to be mindful of these two prayers, especially Asr as Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala says in Surah Baqarah, Ayah 138:

حَافِظُوا عَلَى الصَّلَوَاتِ وَالصَّلَاةِ الْوُسْطَىٰ وَقُومُوا لِلَّهِ قَانِتِينَ

Guard strictly (five obligatory) As-Salawat (the prayers) especially the middle Salat (i.e. the best prayer – ‘Asr). And stand before Allah with obedience.

If we can try to read the Qur’an even just a little, we will see that it really gives a spiritual boost and rejuvenation since it gets you to seclude yourself from the materialistic society for a moment and just reflect on Allah. When you return back to your work/school atmosphere, you come with a refreshed focus and purpose.

  • Once the time comes in for Maghrib, take some time to go over everything that you had read today. If you were reviewing the whole day, try memorizing something new, or review if you have been memorizing in the day. Ideally, it’d be best if you met up with someone, like a Qur’an study buddy, and tested each other on your memorization and review. This way, both of you can be motivated to study together – if needed, make rules such as that if one of you is not ready, then that person has to treat the other to food at his house dinner (my father’s Qur’an teacher actually did this with a student and after the whole class ate at his house, that student’s wife then made sure he never made the same mistake again!:)
  • Isha – After Isha, it is recommended to go straight to bed (as many such as Ali [radhiAllahu anhu] did), so after Isha’, get into your snugly bed and instead of mulling over the day, prop open the Qur’an and just stare at it, even if you aren’t fully concentrating. You’ll see that in a minute or two of mind-wandering, your attention will eventually come to what you’re staring at, and you’ll find yourself drawn in. The best part is, you don’t even have to be standing or even sitting up – Allah (subhanahu wa ta’ala) says in Surah Aali Imran, Ayah 191:

الَّذِينَ يَذْكُرُونَ اللَّهَ قِيَامًا وَقُعُودًا وَعَلَىٰ جُنُوبِهِمْ وَيَتَفَكَّرُونَ فِي خَلْقِ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ

Those (men of understanding) who remember Allah (always, and in prayers) standing, sitting, and lying down on their sides, and think deeply about the creation of the heavens and the earth.

This truly is a mercy from Allah that we can remember Him in these different postures, so we can definitely be in bed and remember Allah (subhanahu wa ta’ala) by reading his Holy Book before going to sleep.

If we can keep up this Daily Qur’an Immersion, it will definitely make a big change in our lives. I remember when I was close to finishing the Hifzh of the Qur’an, I was memorizing almost triple my normal assignment and would spend every opportunity reading the Qur’an. I was using the type of Qur’an that has English on the borders (so the original Uthmani Arabic script is still intact) and I was so drawn in it at times that I would seriously get the feeling that Allah was talking directly to me; I would tremble when I read about the torment of the disbelievers and would feel grateful when reading about Jannah and all of Allah’s bounties. It was definitely an amazing experience and drew me much closer to the Qur’an

If you do not feel that your schedule will allow you to read a lot, then at least do a little continuously because Allah (subhanahu wa ta’ala) especially loves the small deed continously. If you feel that you don’t even have time to do a little, then listen to this beautiful parable my Hifzh School teacher once told us:

“If I was to hold a bucket filled to the brim with sand, it would seem that the bucket is packed and that nothing else could fit inside. However, if I was to take some water and pour it in the bucket, wouldn’t it be able to fit inside without any sand overflowing? No matter how packed the sand may look, there will always be ample cracks and gaps for the water to go through.”

Even though our schedules may seem full, there will always be some time in the schedule that we can reserve for the Qur’an.

Abu Hurayrah reported that the Prophet , said, “There is no envy except in two (cases): A man whom Allaah has taught the Quran and he recites it during the hours of the night and during the hours of the day, and another man listens to him and says, ‘I wish I had been given what has  been given to so-and-so, so that I might do what he does’; and a man whom Allaah has  given wealth and he spends it on what is just and right. Whereupon another man may say, ‘I wish I had been given what so-and-so has been given, for then I would do what he does.’” [Al-Bukhaari]

May Allah (subhanahu wa ta’ala) strengthen our relationship with the Qur’an and make us among those who recite it during the hours of the night and during the hours of the day. Ameen…

Daily Qur’anic Immersion. Are you in?

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Ramadan and the 3 Groups of Youth

Written by Guests on September 8, 2009 in Distinctly Muslim. Comments.

By Norhassan Curo - A guest post from the Philippines

“We relate to thee their story in truth: they were youths who believed in their Lord, and We advanced them in guidance” (Surah Al-Kahf 18:13)

With the present visit of our exalted guest—the month of Ramadan, many gifts of rare opportunities are given to thousands of young Muslims in the world. They, being in their prime energies and potentials, are given the best opportunities like no other to grab the bountiful gifts of this month. Some young Muslims welcome this guest with arms wide open and see Ramadan’s visit as one with so much a blessing that it becomes a life changing event. Others take it as a sign that Allah Ta’ala has given them another opportunity to draw closer to Him and earn His pleasure through worship in this month. Some others, unfortunately, are too lazy and just see it like any ordinary guest who comes and leaves without any meaning and importance.

"The Doors of Ramadan are open" - Picture by Shabbir Siraj via Flickr

"Like Ramadan, their youth will soon leave after its very short and limited visit" - Picture by Shabbir Siraj via Flickr

The Muslim youth visited by the noble guest respond in three groups.

First Group:  They think they are young, will live long and reach another Ramadan. Thus, they do not grab the golden gifts of opportunities the present Ramadan offers.

The first group of youth are the ones who come out after Ramadan unchanged and unmoved. They come out in the same being and state inside and out as they entered in this month. With their mentality that they are still young and more time to live, they procrastinate everything they need to do in their young age and live as if there is no end.

Thus, despite their deepest and darkest sins, they procrastinate their asking for forgiveness. They are considered the most unlucky youth as described in theHadith, “people who reached Ramadan but had not their sins forgiven.” Indeed, they are the most unlucky person in the world. Ramadan came but to them, his visit was just like an ordinary visit in an ordinary day. Ramadan blew like a wind and these youth benefited neither of the bountiful gifts of Ramadan nor the strength and energies of their youth.

These youth do not know that they might not see this visitor again. He might not come next year or they might not be there when he comes back.

Second Group: They know it is Ramadan so they fast without however giving any importance to their fast and their youth. So they only fast and get nothing from their fasting.

“Let it not be that the day that you fast and the day that you break fast be equal.” This is the attitude of the second group of youth. Their real behaviors, attitudes and outlooks are the same during the day they fast and the night they break their fast or, their undesirable attitudes come back the time they break their fast. Fasting has no effect upon them since they do not reflect upon the lessons of fasting that they observe.

Some who belong in this group use well their youthful energies but not to entertain their visitor Ramadan but have themselves entertained. To them, Ramadan is a time to sleep and hibernate making them pass by the precious moments of Ramadan to no avail. Some others equate this month to month not of fasting but of feasting. As such, after Ramadan, feast is also over.

Thus, as Ramadan came, a sudden influx of these youth in the Masjid happens. Sudden sets of wasteful activities are held. The celebration of Ramadan is likened to the Kuffar’s celebration of their celebrated seasons. Youths, without proper understanding, join the sets of sports tournaments held in their places instead of channeling their vigor to making their most to earn the pleasure of God in this month! This is reality. What a waste not only of Ramadan, its blessings and opportunities, and their youth but also of the money lavishly spent in such events! Spendthrift I must say to those who exhibit entertainment shows i.e. firecracker shows, to those who hold tournaments for the youth and other wasteful events in celebration of Ramadan. They just burn their money and let their energies become sweat when many Muslims are suffering from hunger and need the helping hand of their Muslim brothers. Ramadan is a month of giving, not of wasting.

Some others who have no proper knowledge fast but do not observe the other duties they are bound to do for their fast to be accepted. Some fast but do not offer salah. Others perform the taraweeh and tahajjud, optional prayers while leaving off the obligatory salahs. How they should be reminded that salah is their miftahu Jannah (key to Paradise)—a key to receive their rewards!

The said group of youth must be the people who are described in the hadith as those “who fast but do not get from their fasting but hunger and thirst and get nothing from their standing up at night to pray but loss of sleep.” Also, another hadith reminds them, “whoever does not give up lying and evil actions, then Allah is not in need of his leaving his food and drink” (Sahih Bukhari).

Third Group: They know both that they are young and like Ramadan, their youth will soon leave after its very short and limited visit.

The third group of youth take Ramadan’s visit as a sign that Allahu ta’ala has given them another opportunity to draw closer to Him and earn His paradise through worship in this month. They are the ones who understand fully well that the present month of Ramadan is the best month to make use of their youth. Thus, they welcome the present Ramadan they witness with all the efforts and strength their youth can offer as if this was the first, and will be the last Ramadan they will ever entertain.

They are described in the hadith as “those who fast with full sincerity and will have all their sins forgiven.” For this, these youth will receive the rewards of their fast not only with manifold increase but rewards only Allah may know. This group understands that they are commanded by their God to fast to gain taqwa (fear of Allah). Fasting is a gift to them to attain self discipline and self-control and have their youthful and strong desires subject to their control. It is a time to learn how to be free from their used-to-be-master-evil desires and reverse the tide by learning how to enslave them. Through fasting, they strive to learn the lesson that as one can control and refrain himself from doing halal things, so too can he control doing the haram ones.

Youths of this group make this month a turning point in their lives. They make this a start for a new beginning—a new better life. They make this month the period and an end of a once rebellious life.

As such, they use their youthful energies to stand up for the night to ask forgiveness for all the disobedience and sins they have committed, thereby earning the pleasure of Allah. They use their youthful clear vision and clear minds to recite the noble Quran and try their best to understand its meanings. They read as they reap its manifold rewards with highest hope that reading of the holy book will intercede in their behalf on the hard Day when none shall be given the permission to intercede.

They use their young and strong able bodies to search for the night equal to a thousand as they lift their hands and pray for their forgiveness and their parents’ forgiveness as they raised them up in so much difficulty.

They are the youth who use this month to bond the spirit of brotherhood and unity of all Muslims in the world as they fasted with full sincerity along them. They sympathize with their Muslim brothers and sisters, rich and poor, young and old who suffer the pangs of hunger. They feel, as part of that one whole body, the hardships of their Mujahideen brothers as they fast in the cold nights and at the same time labor through working for the establishment of the Word of Allah in this world for the youth’s benefit, while the Kuffar forces continue attempting to destroy them.

Finally, they will be the youths for whom their fasts will intercede on the Day of Judgment and say “My Rabb, I deprived him from eating and curtailed his desires, so permit me to intercede for him.” And the Qur’an will say: “I deprived him from his sleep, so permit me to intercede for him.” To this, both will be given the permission to interede.

Yes, they are the welcoming visitors who exactly know the essence and excellence both of their youth and their guest—month of Ramadan.

I pray that may Allah shower His mercy and forgiveness upon the Muslim Ummah and include us among the third group of youth who strive hard to earn His pleasure and forgiveness in this month of Ramadan. I pray that may He not include us among those who say that which they do not do. May we be among the youths who believed in their Lord, and were given guidance.

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