₦airaland Forum

2sex:
Hello,

I am rounding up mental plans to delve into the world of blogging but I am caught between two highly streamed niches-- Football and Celebrity.

I want to build a blog where people will pay to place their ads on my blog in 1 year of existence.

Looking at the Nigerian blogosphere, which do you think will be favourable and more rewarding in the long run?

Kindly give the pros and cons.

I would have really loved to use LindaIkeji as my reference point and see how I can rival her position if I were to go the celebrity route.

For the football niche, it would be club specific as my sub niche.

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Kindly share

While it's very easy to fine-tune plans, the reality in the blogosphere right now might not be in line with your perception.

As for the football niche, while there may be good monetization strategies, remember that most football fans in the country already have blogs they would rather die for. Similarly, most Nigerian followers of celebrity gist would not forego Linda Ikeji's blog and other favorites for any new, unknown blog.

I'm not stating the above to discourage you, but to make you realize how challenging it could be to make headway. For you to be able to attract attention, you must give people compelling reasons to visit your blog. What this means is that your content MUST have a unique touch or angle to it. And you must be innovative in every other aspect as well.

Being a content marketing strategist with 4 years experience, I can help you map out powerful content strategies that will help you stand out from the competition.

In addition, you need to work very hard to promote and attract attention to that content. In fact, for faster results you will have to spend some money on content promotion and other strategies that will help you grow an audience quickly.

It's even possible for you to merge both niches together in one blog (though I'm not recommending that for now). But it's all down to whether to have what it takes to give it what it really requires.

One more thing, I have to agree with fertilenigeria's statement that you must be ready to publish several posts a day because your blog can only be fuelled with fresh content. If you think that wouldn't be really feasible, I'd recommend you look elsewhere.

Chibuhealth:
from time immemorial

Thanks, but both "from" and "since" are correct. Evidence? See the following link:
http://mobile-dictionary.reverso.net/english-cobuild/since%20time%20immemorial/from%20time%20immemorial

Desperate fools have been destroying Nigeria's image since time immemorial.

.

What a man can do...

OP, are you serious at all? Don't you know Adsense can ban you if they catch you doing this? In fact, I'm going to report you to the Adsense team right now.

#justkidding

Do they all accept Nigerians?

.

.

Bros, the only grounds for charging that much is if you have $100+ in the account.

Anyway, let me know when you're ready to accept 8k.

#mybargain

michael065:
Thanks for d advice "fools"

You're the bigger f.ool for thanking "fools" for their advice. A minor decision, you're too stu.pid to make on your own. And you're so brainless, you cannot figure out humour when you see it? Oponu oshi!

Buy both!

Just make sure you don't read under the pressure of exams.

This happened over a month ago, and you still captioned it "Breaking!"? OP, come get a knock.

And so?

And who would be gullible enough to believe this bullsh.it? Even Nigerian banks won't be silly enough to disclose their customers' account details, let alone American banks.

Imagine the st.u.pid source. Weekly post my sh.it.

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My believe is, it is okay to contribute equivalent money to organization that can now convert it to food stuff as allowed and donate to the actual poor Muslims of the society before Eid fitr prayer

Yes, that's fine (just as its allowed to pay for your sacrificial ram during hajj). But you must be absolutely sure that the money will used to buy food and distributed to the poor before the eid prayer. That's the condition binding it. If you're not sure whether the money will be used solely for that purpose, then it's better to take the pain to do it yourself. This is about your relationship with Allaah and your hereafter. May Allaah ease our affairs.

If we are to be 100% adherence, then we should rule out food like rice because its neva in record dt the Holy Prophet gave out rice as zakat ul fitri.

The Prophet only mentioned dates and barley. But the companions extended that to resins, cheese, and other foods--to which the Prophet never objected. Note that the companions didn't extend their options beyond food. And that's why scholars have ruled that the staple foods available in one's locality (rice, beans, etc. in Nigeria's case) should be given.

In addition, dates needs no further processing as it can in addition to other grains back then can easily be converted to cash (why do u think the prophet enjoined us to give out zakat ul fitri before the eid prayer).

If conversion to money were the end goal, then the Prophet would have expressly permitted cash (which would have been more direct). The Prophet would never teach an indirect thing, when a more direct or easier option were available.

And yes, dates need no further processing, barley (which was expressly mentioned by the Prophet) needs further processing before it can be consumed. So, whether the foods needs processing or not is not the basis for the ruling.

Knowing the basic idea behind giving out zakat ul fitri, lets put ourselves in the position of the needy, who would u appreciate the more between a man who give u grain of rice (when u have neither kerosine nor stew to cook it with) and someone who give u some amount of money with which u can prepare or buy something to eat.

That's why you can always go the extra mile by giving the recipient money for kerosene and stew (that's not obligatory, though). You'll get additional rewards that way, insha Allaah.

Mind u the essence of zakat ul fitri is to make the less privilege happy during the festive period.

The essence of zakaatul fitr is stated in the following hadeeth:

On the authority of ibn 'Abbaas (RAA): The Messenger of Allaah enjoined zakaatul fitr so as to purify the fast from vain talk (and other evils committed while fasting), and to feed the poor....

So, it's not just about the recipient. It's about both donor and recipient. And "to feed the poor" means to give them what to eat. If you give money, there are a thousand and one other things they can do with it rather than eat (paying debts, etc.) The goal isn't to enrich or assist in paying debts, but to give the poor something to eat.

Allaah himself already knows that the poor need money, and that's why Zakaatul maal has been made obligatory upon the rich to be given to the poor. That one has enriching poor Muslims as its end goal. So, Allaah has perfectly arranged everything, and we should be careful not to distort things with our own intellect. We can never be wiser than the one who created our intellects in the first place.

May Allaah grant us success in both worlds.

shawl:
But common trades were done majorly by barter. Items such as dates, and barely were commonly used.

Yes, and clothing was among the items commonly traded by barter at the time. Yet, the Prophet didn't sanction giving out clothing instead of food. And none of his companions did the same.

shawl:
This could well inform the reason for the Prophet, saw, setting them as unit of measurement.

The word "could" in your statements depicts possibility/uncertainty as the Prophet never revealed a reason for enjoining giving out food rather than other items. Islamic rulings aren't deduced from uncertainty. That's why it's best for Muslims to stick with what is certain, i.e. giving out food.

shawl:
I disagree with you that it can be clearly established from the quoted hadith that whether or not money can be used has been answered. The quoted hadith does not indicate this, read again:

The Companion of the Prophet, Abu Sa`eed al-Khudree, radi Allahu 'anhu, said, "In the Prophet's time, we used to give it (Zakatal-Fitr) as a sa` of food, dried dates, barley, raisins or dried cheese".

Moreover, some of the items listed in this narration were not attributed to the prophet, saw, namely: food, raisin or dried cheese. It only showed what the people would offer. In fact, these additional items: food, raisin or dried cheese are not mentioned in the hadith of Ibn Umar, rad, which is the hadith that is attributed to the holy prophet, saw, and that hadith only mentioned dates and barely.

Therefore, it can be seen that the sahaba i kiram, rad, already used substitute items. So if we were to stick with your rigidity, we only could offer dried dates or barely for zakatul fitr, period. But no. The sahaba, rad, already understood that the instruction of the prophet, saw, only served to establish the unit of measurement which is why they would use equivalent items such as (other) food (items), raisin or dried cheese. Moreover, when hazrat Muawiya became the caliph and by which time wheat had become available, he unitized the measurement of wheat against dates and the sahaba, rad, accepted it as well (sahih muslim).

Once you understand this concept of unitizing the measurement, then it becomes easy to extrapolate. And this is not something of today. It is well practiced by salafus salihin. It is reported that this practice of using money has been permitted since the time of Umar II. That is a very early tabi period. They are the successor to the sahaba, rad. And they inherited this understanding from them (that it can be unitized to other items of value), musannaf.

Well, whether you agree or disagree is your choice, and I have no control over that. Mine is to show you what the truth is.

From the same hadeeth you quoted, you can see that all the different items mentioned by the companions were food items. It simply implies that ONLY food items are allowed for zakaatul fitr.

You said some of the items listed were not attributed to the Prophet (SAW). This statement of yours is just amazing. Let me start with the following hadeeth:

Narrated ibn Umar (RAA): Allah's Messenger (SAW) enjoined the payment of one Sa' of dates or one Sa' of barley as Zakaatul fitr on every Muslim--slave or free, male or female--and he ordered that it be paid before the people went out to observe the 'eid prayer.

Truly, this hadeeth doesn't contain foods like raisins, or dried cheese. But in the first hadeeth you quoted, the companions said, "In the Prophet's time, we used to give..." This simply means the companions gave other foods aside dates and barley, but they never went beyond food items (as there's nothing to indicate that). Secondly, the Prophet must have sanctioned the other foods since it was done while he was still alive. We all know that hadeeth is defined as not only the sayings and deeds, but also the silent approvals of Prophet Muhammad. For him not to have prohibited the other foods, that means it's allowed to give them. But he never sanctioned giving out money. So, the substitute items used by the companions were sanctioned by the Prophet and they were all food items.

The fact that the companions gave out other foods available aside dates and barley forms the basis of the ruling that any staple food available in one's locality can be given as zakatul fitr. That's why rice, beans, etc. will be valid as foods to be given out here in Nigeria.

If you have any hadeeth by a companion that indicates that money or items other than food were given out, kindly cite it here.

Your statement, "If we were to stick by your rigidity" only shows that you've formed your own mindset about me. But that's just fine an dandy. The rigidity of the pioneers of this deen is the reason why this deen has remained preserved to date. The rigidity lacked by the Christians is the reason why they have been long lost. So, if you have problems with being rigid upon the path of the Prophet and his companions, go and know that it's the only thing worth being rigid about.

I believe there's enough clear evidence for whoever wants to take heed and avoid the doubtful. Again, you'll never find anyone fault giving out food. If there's "controversy" over giving out money, giving out food remains the safest option.

May Allaah increase us all upon goodness and steadfastness on His path.

SULBELL:
I truly appreciate ur consistency but realistically how do u think i will feel or how happy will i be with my family if all we could get as zakat ul fitri is four modus of millet? Kindly answer objectively.
With that act the donor has fulfil his obligations and but was the purpose of intent meet?

May Allaah increase you upon good, my brother. The truth is, zakaatul fitr is an act of ibaadah, which must only be done as the Prophet enjoined.

We are on no position to think on behalf of the recipient. A truly poor person will appreciate having garri rather than have nothing at all. And a truly poor person will be happy each time he remembers that he has some food in store, even if he hasn't been able to cook it. You might not appreciate this if you haven't mingled with people who are really, really poor. I've seen where a group of destitutes and beggars were fighting seriously over a bowl of table salt. Imagine that!

Like someone rightly commented, ours is to obey Allaah and expect our reward from him. This act isn't one that we should expect to be appreciated by the recipient. Whatever the recipient does with the food is his or her own choice.

And if you're so much concerned about the welfare of the recipient, you can get additional rewards by adding some money to the food items after giving them out. You'll be rewarded for that too, insha Allaah, for giving sadaqah. But food is the basic thing to be given out.

Wallaahu a'lam.

shawl:
The prophet himself, saw, is aware that this position of yours will not be feasible in all nuances. Remember the hadith of Muadh bin Jabal, ra.

Mu'adh ibn Jabal states that when the Prophet (PBUH) sent him to Yemen, he asked:

"what will you do if a matter is referred to you for judgement?" Mu'adh said: "I will judge according to the Book of Allah." The Prophet asked: "what if you find no solution in the Book of Allah?" Mu'adh said: "Then I will judge by the Sunnah of the Prophet." The Prophet asked: "And what if you do not find it in the Sunnah of the Prophet?" Mu'adh said: "Then I will make Ijtihad to formulate my own judgement." The Prophet patted Mu'adh's chest and said "Praise be to Allah who has guided the messenger of His Prophet to that which pleases Him and His Prophet."[Abu Daud]

The hadeeth you quoted even faults your position rather than support it. Mu'adh said he will resort to ijtihad ONLY AFTER there is no solution in the book of Allaah and in the Sunnah of the Prophet (SAW). In this case of zakatul fitr, the sunnah has already made things clear, and that knocks off the need for formulating judgement based on ijtihaad.

olayinka63:
the issue of money payment is simple . for example if you determine to use rice as your zakatul fitr payment then you will just calculate the money equivalent of four much for one head then you can give this amount of money to the needy. note that 4 mudus is equivalent to 14 tins of milk therefore just get the amount of 14 time of rice or maize or garri or beans etc and give it out per head or add many heads together.

It's not about what is simple. It's about what the Prophet and his companions exemplified. They are our models, whom Allaah enjoined us to follow if we want to land in the same destination (paradise) as they did.

Truth is, none of the several hadeeths on zakatul fitr indicated that the Prophet sanctioned giving money instead of food. Neither did any of his companions do that--not even the very rich ones among them. And that's despite the fact that money was available during the Prophet's time, and there were companions who had problems that only money could solve.

To clear the whole thing, the Prophet warned to to stay away from doubtful matters and hold on to what is not doubtful. Since there is no controversy whatsoever over giving out food, it's better we all stick with that rather than give out money (which has no basis and is a subject of controversy).

But I'd like to remind my brothers and sisters that this deen has been perfected and made complete by Allaah (SWT). And whatever was not part of the religion during the time of the Prophet can never become a part of the religion during our own time.

May Allaah continue to keep us steadfast upon His path, make us better Muslims, and grant us success in both worlds (Aameen).

shawl:
And in the absence of that authentic prophetic tradition that lays bare the rule, what do you do?

You simply stick to what the Prophet did and stay away from what he never did.

Iype:
Salamualaykum, Money is very much allowed in our present day than food or grains because of the purpose why 7akatul fitr is performed, which is to make others or the needy happy on the day of eid celebration.
If rice or other grains are being given to the needy, how do you want them to be happy when there is no money to buy pepper, meat or fish, drinks, or even gas for their stove or are they expected to eat the uncooked grains?
I believe that a person who is given money from zakatul fitr can use it to take his family to an eatery even if all he could afford is meat pie n water. I know he will be happier than a person with grain n no cash to prepare it with.

Brother, bear in mind that there was money during the time of the Prophet. And there were companions who had problems that only money could solve, but yet, the Prophet enjoined giving out food for zakah. Lets avoid holding positions that cannot be traced to our model (the Prophet) .

shawl:
I believe @domack99 is stating the position of Al Imam Abu Hanifa, ra, a verified true scholar whose position cannot be dismissed as mere human logic. Moreover, no narrations have prohibited the use of money. We should also realize that we should not make hard for ourselves what Allah or his messenger, saw, has not made difficult for us.

The only authority whose position cannot be dismissed is the Prophet (SAW). Even the Imams of the 4 madhhabs did admit that they are not infallible. And they all stated that if an authentic prophetic tradition contradicts their positions, their positions should be discarded.

Yes, there are no narrations prohibiting the use of money, but there are narrations warning us from doing things in ways contrary to how the Prophet did them.

If your argument were to be casted into every issue, there will be serious problems. Is there any narration that prohibits observing 6 rakahs for solatu zuhr instead of 4? Is there any narration that prohibits fasting for 40 days instead of 30? The answer is NO. But does the absence of express prohibitions amount to freedom to do anything we like? NO!

If the rich companions like AbdurRahman ibn Awf and Abubakr all complied by using food despite having money, then that speaks volumes.

The truth is only giving food is supported by clear evidence. There is no safer option than doing exactly what the Prophet exemplified.

Wallaahu a'lam.

domack99:
Error Five is debatable, And i will prefer to give cash than food stuff, if we are to abide y this in this present day, the needy person will eventually sell some of the food stuffs to solve his or her problem.

Also the need of the needy closer to us varies, while some are in die need of medical assistance others might need food, cloth etc.

Money was readily available during the time of the prophet (SAW), yet he and his companions used food, not money. They were the pioneers of this deen who understand it more than we do. This religion isn't based on human logic. Lets all stick with the sunnah.

For zakaatul maal, money is given. For zakaatul fits, food is given. Wallahu a'lam.

domack99:
Error Five is debatable, And i will prefer to give cash than food stuff, if we are to abide y this in this present day, the needy person will eventually sell some of the food stuffs to solve his or her problem.

Also the need of the needy closer to us varies, while some are in die need of medical assistance others might need food, cloth etc.

Money was readily available during the time of the prophet (SAW), yet he and his companions used food, not money. They were the pioneers of this deen who understood it more than we do. This religion isn't based on human logic. Lets all stick with the sunnah.

For zakaatul maal, money is given. For zakaatul fitr, food is given. Wallahu a'lam.

OP, nice try. But I think there's something you weren't very plain about.

Digital Point and Warrior Forums are internet marleting forums that have as their members bloggers, affiliate marketers, and other people who want to make money online. You can only think about attracting traffic from such forums if you're targeting the same audience that they're targeted at. For those in other blogging niches, those forums are useless!

In addition, it's worth noting that those forums are targeted at a global audience. So, if you're targeting Nigerians with your blog, those forums are just useless!

So, it's better to find multi-topic forums like NL or search the web for forums that have your target audience as their members.