Islam: Exploring the Muslim Faith
To more than a billion people worldwide, Islam is a way of life, a belief system, and a guide. To many others Islam can seem like an enigma. For both kinds of people, and everybody in between, the Web provides the education, tools, news, and community to connect you to one of the world's largest religions.
Expand All Guide SectionsThe Beliefs and History of Islam
Islam is the religion of Allah, the Muslim name for the Judeo-Christian god, and Muhammad, ... read more »
Practicing Islam
Islam's strictly prescribed practices can sometimes be hard to follow in the busy modern world. ... read more »
Halal Food
Although technically "halal" means simply "permitted," the opposite of ... read more »
Islamic News and Blogs
Islam is all over the blogosphere these days, mentioned in regard to international and cultural ... read more »
Connecting With the Muslim Community
Dating, marriage, even friendships; all are harder and harder to find time for in the modern world. If you're living in a foreign culture, or are disconnected from those you share a language, religion, or lifestyle with, it can be even harder. On the Internet, however, you can connect, reconnect, and stay connected with the communities that are important to you, and find people with whom to share your days, nights ... or life.
Dulcinea's Insight
- There are scores of Muslim dating and marriage sites on the Web, some better than others. Most have the same features and setup, and the real difference is how big and interesting their member bases are. Friends or colleagues who have used dating sites before and know your style may best guide you towards the right site for you.
- It's tempting to join many Muslim dating sites at once, but consider forgoing the many free memberships and concentrating on just one or two sites, even paying for a premier membership. This allows you to dedicate more time to the connections you make on that site, and spares you from being overwhelmed by too many wrong matches.
- Many mainstream social interaction sites, like MySpace, have Islam/Muslim groups; you can usually find these by searching within the site. Some groups might require that you receive an invitation to join, whereas others can be viewed freely.
Dulcinea's Picks
For Islamic portal and directory sites ...
Islamicity
offers an immense amount of information, articles, educational and community resources, and multimedia content, all conveniently online. Browse a great deal of its content for free: use its powerful tools to explore the Quran or to find a mosque; connect to others using its marriage-focused social network; find online language and religion courses for your children or yourself. You'll have to buy a membership to access the site's multimedia content, including Al-Jazeera broadcasts, Islamic music and TV, streaming live prayers from Medina, the monthly Islamica Magazine, and more.
Mama List
is a well-known Islamic Web directory with categories that cover the full spectrum of Islamic sites. Search, browse, or click on the "Random Link" button to get thrown right into a new site.
To get involved with Muslim political life ...
The Council on American-Islamic Relations
is a grassroots organization dedicated to encouraging understanding and good relations between the American Islamic community and others, as well as fighting bias and attacks on civil liberties. On its site you can learn about the council's work and Islam, read helpful information for Muslims and non-Muslims on Islamic practices and civil rights, and submit both positive and negative incidence reports. You can also join or donate to this nonprofit through the site.
To find other Muslim singles or friends ...
Muxlim
is an extensive community connecting Muslims, offering blogs, polls and forums. Its new feature, Muxlim Pal, creates a virtual world where users can develop their own avatars, meet other users, and participate in events.
Muslima
is an international social networking/dating site for Muslims that conveniently offers translation services for member profiles between four different languages. Sign up for a limited basic membership, or pay for a gold or platinum membership to access the more advanced features. Such an upgrade will cost about $9-30 a month depending on the length of the contract.
MuslimFriends
is a social networking site that connects you to other Muslims worldwide through chat, e-mail, and profile browsing. Search for someone in your area and age range or, if you sign up for a gold membership (between $16 and $30 per month, under various pricing plans), you can narrow your search with specific ethnic, religious, physical, and personality trait preferences.
Qiran.com
follows the model of other free/pay membership social networking sites with both a basic membership and a premium one (starting at about $36 for three months), but offers a few additional features such as "send a song," which allows you to send music from the site's database to other members. For users without credit cards, the site allows for other payment options through the "Contact Us" page.
SalaamLove
is a dating site that allows even basic members to record videos for their profiles directly on the site, making it easy to give that personal touch for even the most unsavvy computer users. Join for free and start searching profiles immediately.
ShiaMatch
's profiles and interface aren't the most beautiful or sophisticated for a social network, but are direct and quick ways to search and find other Shia Muslims looking for marriage. This site allows for family members to post profiles for members, and resembles a classifieds listing more than an active network. Membership is free for all except those living in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Canada, for which a $10-per-month or $29-per-year fee is required.
Purchasing Islamic Products
As Islam really defines an entire lifestyle, it requires its Islamic products. There are sites to ... read more »
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