MyAdhan Blog

IslamChannel recently launched a brand new show dedicated to find the best Mosque in the United Kingdom, Model Mosque. Each week two Mosques will battle it out and qualify for each heat which will lead to a two mosque final at the final at the Global Peace and Unity 2007.

MyAdhan will provide the SMS text message voting platform to allow viewers the ability to vote for their Mosque to help progress it to the final. MyAdhan is excited to be working with such an exciting ground-breaking programme which is raising the standards of Mosques up and down the country.

“Model Mosque is a national competition to find the best mosque in the UK. The ultimate aims of the show are to improve standards within UK mosques and to share best practice amongst mosques. The show has nothing to do with the size, layout or architecture of a mosque. It has everything to do with the services the mosque provides for its local community and how well the mosque manages relations with the local host community”.

IslamChannel Model Mosque Website

Earlier this year MyAdhan first piloted a new scheme to allow TV charity appeal pledges to be collected via SMS at no cost to mobile phone users using our 80800 shortcode and DONATE keyword. We also reported on our that we had been working very closely with Channel S and more recently IslamChannel on this scheme.

We can now report that at the end of Ramadhan MyAdhan has helped raise over £2 million for UK Islamic charities, which is a phenominal achievement. One appeal alone generated over £160,000 worth of donations during the whole month.

MyAdhan hopes to continue to work with UK charities to help them use SMS text messaging as a way for donors to interact with charities.

With Ramadhan fast approaching it makes sense to have a battle plan to ensure you get the best out of the month. Here is a short list of activities that will ensure you make the most out of Ramadhan.

Update: Hat’s off to the people at Sound Vision where this was taken from.

1. Make Duaa (supplication) – Ask Allah to make this the most awesome, spiritually uplifting Ramadhan you’ve ever had. Only He can make it happen and relying on Him completely is the key to getting the best out of Ramadhan. Make Duaa for yourself, your family. your neighbourhood, your community and the Ummah. Ask Allah to forgive your your past, present and future sins and finally make Duaa for all the poor and unfortunate people in this world.
2. Quiet your mind, turn off the… TV, Internet, radio, mobile phone, iPod, etc. No, not all day, but for at least 10 minutes a day. Find a quiet place, close your eyes and connect with God. At first, your mind will swirl with the useless and not-so-useless info in your head. But force it to think of three things in these few minutes, Allah, your purpose in life, are you living your life on purpose? Do this every day of Ramadhan if you can. If that’s not possible, try it at least three times a week.

Continue reading…

What is QibSat?
QibSat is a handheld GPS (Global Positioning Satelite) device that you can use to get an accurate direction of Qiblah (direction towards Mecca to pray) and sunrise/sunset times anywhere in the world.

What’s in the box?

• QibSat GPS Device
• USB cable (there is no mains adapter)
• Soft Carry Case
• Instruction manual

My experience
After receiving my QibSat in the post, I was presented with a neatly packed package which was padded and well protected. Once open, I was presented with a watch like box containing all the bits of the product. The outer case along with the innner box was QibSat branded which really impressed me in the sense that the product looks properly presented and packaged.

Once the inner box is open the QibSat device sat one side of the inner box in a velvet holder and the USB charger and instruction manual on the other side under and hidden flap. This wasn’t too obvious when I first opened the box but that’s nothing major.

My first instinct was to grab the QibSat device to see what it looked like. The device was a little larger than expected, about the same size a thinnish flip phone. I expected it to be the same size as a cigerette lighter or key chain. None the less QibSat is thin and as light as a box of matches and can neatly sit in a trouser or shirt pocket. The device doesn’t have an screen like a convensional SatNav but more of an LCD interface much like a watch.

In short, the device was very easy to use. There are some settings to choose (laser on/off, sound on/off, Great Circle line/ Rhumb line direction, time zone, sunrise alarm) and you do need to get a GPS fix before use. In short this meant taking the device outside the building I was in to get a clear GPS signal. The point of this was to ensure the GPS system knew its location. Obviously out of the box this may have been correct for where it was physically built but it may be different for my geographic location. To get a GPS fix I just pressed the power button for a few seconds and waited for the outer compass LED light display to flash in a circle.

I needed to use my QibSat on three occasions while on the road as my work means I have to travel up and down the country to new places. Each use was inside a hotel room to locate Qiblah so I needed to get a GPS fix outside first. The process to locate Qiblah was simple and I just followed the instructions in the manual:

1. Place the QibSat on a flat surface or hold it horizontal.
2. Press the power button breifly.
3. The device calculates the Qiblah form the GPS location and indicates its approximate direction with a lit segment arounds the outer compass LED light display.

The cool thing about locating Qiblah with QibSat is that when you rotate the device to pinpoint the direction you get an audible tone telling you are close to the accurate direction. When you face the correct absolute direction the device a red laser point is emitted from the top of QibSat. The instruction manual mentions magnetic intereference when you are inside buildings and way the device lets you know if there is too much interference but I never really experienced any problems like this. The result of this interference is that it will consiquently give you an inaccurate Qiblah direction.

Battery Life
On a full charge the battery should last about a 4-6 weeks, given that you use the device reasonably regularly.

Accessories
There is a mains charger available so that the device can be charged if you don’t have a computer USB port.

Positives

• Excellent Qiblah accuracy.
• Decent form factor and weight.
• Excellent battery life.
• Shows and alerts Sunrise and Sunset times.

Negatives

• Needs to get a GPS fix when you change town or country.
• If you don’t travel much you may only end up using this device once to find Qiblah for your home.
• A little pricey at £99.99 + £5.00 postage.

Review Score

  4 out of 5, QibSat would have got a 5 if the price was a little lower.

Exclusive Offer
MyAdhan subscribers can get a special offer on Qibsats and you can see more details on this offer on the MyAdhan Website.

If you would like us to review your product please contact us.

MyAdhan.com has recently published its August 2007 Newsletter.

MyAdhan is proud to review its first product on our blog. QibSat is a new bit of kit that allows you to accurately pinpoint Qiblah using GPS technology. This is a quality product that we have managed to get and exclusive offer on.

MyAdhan has been busy trying to improve existing mobile phone download services. In doing this we’ve added a whole new collection of wallpapers. We’ve also teamed up with JamilArts.com to provide some exclusive wallpapers.

Finally, the new Ramadhan edition of EMEL is out and is jam packed with inspirational articles and content to keep you going through the month.

MyAdhan.com sponsored the Hajj and Umrah Roadshow 2007, the first UK Hajj and Umrah travel and information event. The event took place on weekends over the month of July in four venues up and down the country.

London Event Review
7th July 2007
London Muslim Centre

Approximately 600 people walked throught the doors at The Hajj and Umrah Roadshow 2007 in London on Saturday July 7th. VIP’s and Press who visited the event included members of the Royal Embassy of Saudi Arabia, The Foreign and Commonwealth Office, The Department of Trade and Industry, The Department of Health and Emel Magazine.

The London event welcomed families from as far as Milton Keynes and Reading, spending most of the day listening to the talks and popping down to the exhibition in between. A good number of people both men and women attended the talks. Shaykh Suhaib Hassan addressed the first session on the Obligation of Hajj and Umrah including a guide to the rituals and the history of Hajj. Dr Shuja Shafi conducted a presentation to emphasise the importance of taking precautions to protect oneself whilst on pilgrimage.

The overall response was a positive one from both exhibitors and visitors. Fifteen out of sixteen exhibitors surveyed said that the event was worthwhile and twelve of those said that they would return next year.

“It was very evident to me that a lot of thought, time and effort had been put in during a very short period of time to make the event a reality… what gives me enthusiasm and hope is not what happens this year, or even next year; but the scope and potential the future holds for such events. On behalf of all at www.yourtravelshop.com; I wish to thank you for your efforts to date, and we offer our hand and help in whatever way you see fit for all the remaining events this year, and no doubt next year again too!”
Nizam Ismail, Managing Director, www.yourtravelshop.com

As well as launching their new online advertising centre www.shopislamic.com, HUK Ltd were at the event to generate further exposure on their unique Hajj Kits, a take with bag packed with Hajj/Umrah essentials including Ihram and flip flops. HUK Ltd are pleased with the response to their Hajj Kits and as well as selling to the individual visitors, they were approached by a number of travel operators regarding bulk sales.

“We feel very optimistic, the event not just being the first in the series but the very first in history and we are happy with the outcome. We now feel that we have strong foundations to work from, not just to make the next event in Birmingham on the 14th better but to make the Roadshow in 2008 more of a success”.
Zinat Hassan, Event Director, The Hajj and Umrah Roadshow

As sponsors of this event MyAdhan.com feel the event went very well and the responses we received from our SMS text message campaign which were directly related to the event were very successful. MyAdhan.com is looking forward to working on the The Hajj and Umrah Roadshow for 2008, Inshallah.

MyAdhan.com has recently published its July 2007 Newsletter.

MyAdhan has a busy month ahead with us sponsoring the Hajj and Umrah Roadshow. If you want to meet the MyAdhan Team please feel free to drop by to any one of the venues, we look forward to seeing you.

The aim of the Hajj and Umrah Roadshow which includes an exhibition and speaker sessions, is to familiarise Muslims up and down the country about Hajj/Umrah and the preparation that it requires. Anyone looking to go for a pilgrimage should visit for Travel Packages, Health & Safety, Consular Services, Guide Books and Clothing. We will also be giving away some Hajj and Umrah deals and other prizes so this is an event you don’t want to miss.

MyAdhan.com is to pilot a new FreeText service that allows UK mobile phone owners to sent a text message for free. The 8-0800 shortcode will be used in a TV charity appeal tonight (27th June 2007) on Channel S at 8pm to collect donation pledges and then send a response with bank account details and a hotline number to call for a follow up. MyAdhan will be named as a sponsor for this fundraiser.

The charity that is on the appeal tongiht will be the Bangladesh Islamic Centre, to make a pledge text the word DONATE, your donation pledge and your full name to 80800. e.g. “DONATE £300 Javed Gulzar”. All sent and received text messages are FREE. You can also call the donation hotline on +44 208 523 1666.

About Channel S
Channel S Television is the fastest growing free-to-view Asian television channel in the UK broadcasting 24 hours a day on Sky satellite 814. It is the only UK based Asian TV channel with full broadcasting facilities with 3 studios equipped by live phoning in/conferencing opportunities hosting 500 plus audience, based at Walthamstow, London E17. We have over 80 live programmes each month.
Channel S Website

Link: Help us and take our “5 minute” online survey

MyAdhan.com currently provides mobile phone Islamic downloads and our goal is to get Muslims to use their mobile phones to enhance their faith. We are currently trying to understand more about mobile phone habits and whether mobile phones can be used to help develop a person’s “faith”. We have put together a short survey to try to capture these views:

Take the MyAdhan mobile habits survey

The survey is for Muslims and non-Muslims and should take no longer than 5 minutes to complete. Please pass it on to anyone willing to help.

Link: MyAdhan newsletter for June 2007

It’s almost two years since we relaunched MyAdhan on IslamChannel, Alhumdulilla. Since our relaunch we’ve increased the number of services we provide and have some really positive plans for MyAdhan in the coming months. At the moment we only cater for the UK muslim public but we plan to expand service out to other countries, Inshallah. More news on this to follow

With our services expanding we wanted to refresh our mailing list activities. Here is a link to our new mailing list newsletter for June 2007. Enjoy!