We have added a new interactive feature to our site. ClickComments allow you to add a quick comment about the material posted here. You will notice a row of round icons below this post. Hover over the icons to see what each image represents. After choosing one that suits your choice, click it and your quick and easy comment will be added. Of course, if you would like to add a detailed comments, you can do so by clicking on the Comments link. (Side note: to all of our regular readers who comment on this site, your words of encouragement and feedback is greatly appreciated!)

Another interactive feature is the Spotback rating system. Use the slider to rate the post (social media tip: slide towards the right as far as possible), a small window is then displayed that helps you to email the post to your friends, then tag the post for added Web 2.0 goodness.

Still feel like sharing? Click on the ‘Share this’ link. A drop-down window will display with links to popular social networking sites to add your favorite post. Check out the ‘Email’ tab, another useful feature to email a link to your friends and family.

Now here comes the fun part. To really immerse yourself in the social media arena, you should explore the wonders of clicking on the ‘Stumble it!’, ‘digg it’ and ‘submit’ links. For those of you familiar with Twitter, we have included a ‘Twit This!’ feature. We want to interact with our readers, so please use these tools. You can contact us for more details, to drop a message, to ask questions or to let us know what you would like to see on IslamCrunch.

Sidi Omar Tufail discusses the future of DeenPort, the history behind it, his love for DPers, science fiction and more. Living in a world of only one website, we ride the neural synaptic sparks in Sidi Omar’s mind to explore DeenPort.

IslamCrunch: What is your web application/service about?

DeenPort: DeenPort describes itself as a “point of connection, an opening to new understandings, an entrance into unexplored areas or an entry point to the rest of the Internet.” All this, revolving around the religion of Islam. In plain English that translates as people using the site on a daily basis to keep a pulse on what’s happening in and around the global Muslim community.

IslamCrunch: Why did you start this project?

DeenPort: The site is a continuation of a previous project that I had online at zhikr.org. I started that project after my sister and brother attended a Rihla program in Spain and came back buzzing with new knowledge and life. I decided I had to have some of that for myself and traveled to the next Rihla program at the Zaytuna Institute, and after my return setup the DeenPort website. It was a way to stay in touch with that whole learning experience I had, with that atmosphere, and to try and channel the energy I found through that into what I knew best, and what I knew best was web stuff.

IslamCrunch: How does your project relate to Muslims? Or is your project geared towards a general audience?

DeenPort: The project is aimed towards anyone and everyone interested in Islam. The vast majority of people that use the site are Muslims.

IslamCrunch: If your project is related to Muslims, how do you hope your project will impact the Muslim community?

DeenPort: Through the various sections of the site, we hope Muslims are better informed of news, events, discussions etc on and off the Internet. We also hope that through dialogue, interaction and networking with others from all over the world, people on the site are able to get a deeper understanding and exposure to the bigger picture of various issues that concern Muslims globally. The site is constantly evolving and so new sections and features are added to help facilitate this.

IslamCrunch: How much time do you devote to its growth?

DeenPort: It depends on the day. Sometimes I get sucked into it to the point that nothing else matters and that can be counter-productive, and on other days
I feel like I’m not spending enough time on it. I tinker with the site everyday. Sometimes that tinkering lasts a few minutes and sometimes it extends to hours and hours, but the tinkering never stops.

Read the rest of this entry »

In regards to our earlier post about the Zaytuna community announcement, here is an update from the Zaytuna website: http://www.zaytuna.org/zrelocation.asp 
Answers for the following questions are provided:

• Question: Why is Zaytuna Institute moving?
• Question: Isn’t this move sudden?
• Question: When and where will Zaytuna be moving to?

Zaytuna’s new address after September 1st, 2007, insha’Allah:

2070 Allston Way, Suite 300, Berkeley, CA 94704

I just returned from the Zaytuna gathering where they made their community announcement. There have been a lot of rumors distributed via emails and forums. So, here are the key points that were mentioned tonight:

• Zaytuna is moving from their present location
• Effective September 1, 2007
• Community classes will continue through December 2007
• Classes will be mobile, held in different locations throughout the Bay Area during this period
• Zaytuna will be working with University of California, Berkeley to achieve accreditation for their courses
• Classes will be shorter in duration (Previously, classes were about 10 weeks long. Future classes will be approximately 5 weeks in length)

Even though not explicitly mentioned, references were made that Zaytuna would be moving to Berkeley, California.

Sidi Yahya Rhodus is currently on a sabbatical, expected to return to Zaytuna in 1 – 2 years, insha’Allah. A new scholar will be joining the staff, Ustadh Abdullah bin Hamid Ali – He is the only American to attend and graduate from the University of Al-Qarawiyyin’s Faculty of Shari’ah in Fez, Morocco. Ustadh Abdullah has also studied traditionally with some of the top scholars of Morocco and other notable scholars in North America. He works as a chaplain in the Pennsylvania prison system, has participated and conducted many seminars, lectures, and classes at mosques and universities in the Philadelphia and East Coast region, and translated several traditional Islamic texts.

Shaykh Hamza Yusuf, Imam Zaid Shakir, Shaykh Abdurrahman Tahir, Imam Tahir Anwar, Shaykh Ilyas Anwar, Imam Abdurrahman Anwar, Qari Amer Bellaha were in attendance.

 I have 3 invites to Pownce, thanks to my friend and brother, Muhammad Saleem. As with our previous invites, show a little love and you will get an invite. Post an article about IslamCrunch, link to us on your blog or website, blast our URL to a variety of forums or any other creative ways you can think of. If you have already shown us some love, do something that goes beyond that.

 What is it? “Pownce is a great way to send stuff to people you know. Add friends, then send them big files, invite them to upcoming events, share great links, and whip off a note to anyone, everyone, or just a few people.” For more reviews, check out: Mashable.com (and another), Solution Watch, Mapping the Web, CenterNetworks (with a video tutorial, see below), WebWare and Jeremiah Owyang has a list of categorized reviews.

 You can see my Pownce page here: Pownce : islamcrunch.