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اسلامی نظامِ حکومت قسط ۔ 1

Tue, 13 Nov 2012 11:22:52 +0000

اسلامی نظامِ حکومت قسط ۔ 1

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Mon, 22 Oct 2012 18:03:31 +0100

business branding characterization profiling

Is Kosher Meat Ḥalāl? A Comparison of the Halakhic and Sharʿī Requirements for Animal Slaughter

Mon, 22 Oct 2012 16:47:33 +0100

Terminology Equivalents Chart

Hebrew

Arabic

kosher

ḥalāl

shechita

dhabīḥa

shochet

dhābiḥ

halakha

sharīʿa

treif

ḥarām

Introduction

Observant Muslims and Jews only eat ḥalāl and kosher products, and face many of the same problems in finding appropriate meat products in the modern, secularized world. Due to the dearth of kosher meat products available, and even higher scarcity of ḥalāl meat, many Muslims feel comfortable purchasing kosher meat, believing that all kosher meats (and by extension kosher products) are necessarily ḥalāl. Other Muslims, due to either political or theological reasons, believe that it is impermissible to purchase or consume anykosher meat products.

This paper seeks to discuss the question of the Islamic legal ruling on consuming koshermeat products. Therefore, political questions and personal values, which do not dictate the general ruling (aṣl) with respect to such products, will not be discussed.

Generally speaking (and as per Q. 4:160 and 3:50), halakhic laws are stricter than Islamic ones. This is shown not only in the foods that are permissible or impermissible, but also in the laws pertaining to slaughtering, cooking and consuming foods. Since the normative applications of Jewish law are stricter than those for Islamic law, in most cases these laws will not affect Muslims who wish to consume kosher, but would affect Jews who might be interested in ḥalāl meat. The most pertinent examples will be discussed in this paper.

Prohibitions Regarding Types of Animals and Foods

Both Jewish and Islamic laws prohibit the consumption of carrion, swine, insects, rodents and blood. Additionally, any food that is poisonous or immediately harmful to the human body would be prohibited. All solid food items prohibited by the Sharīʿa are also prohibited in Jewish law.

There are a number of significant items prohibited in the halakha but allowed by theSharīʿa. The Qurʾān itself mentions the most common example, viz., certain types of animal fat (see Q. 6:146). Halakhic law specifies which types of fats and nerves are prohibited.[1]The majority of madhhabs allowed the Muslim to consume these parts that are typically not considered kosher after a Jewish slaughter. The only exception to this is the Mālikī school, which deems the consumption of these parts impermissible.

Other examples of items that are prohibited for Jews but allowed for Muslims include:

- Sharks, shellfish and crustaceans (lobster, crabs, etc.) [Note: for the Ḥanafīs these animals are also not permitted].

- Some types of birds (e.g., ostrich, emu).

- Camels (because it does not have a proper ‘split hoof’).[2]

Interestingly enough, the locust is an animal that is explicitly mentioned and allowed by bothhalakhic and Sharʿī texts.

Also note that Jewish law forbids mixing meat and dairy products together. Different Jewish authorities have different interpretations and rules for implementation – some even require two sets of kitchen utensils and separate areas of refrigerators for these two products. There is, of course, no equivalent in Islamic law.

Jewish law also has stringent rules regarding the religious washing and usage of utensils. For example, if a ceramic or porcelain utensil is used to cook a non-kosher food, that utensil can never be purified and used for kosher cooking. However, if a metallic utensil has been used, it must be cleaned with soap and water, then left for a period of time, then immersed in boiling water under the supervision of an expert, before it may be used to cook with.[3]Islamic law, on the other hand, would only require the regular washing of any such utensil and would permit its subsequent usage to cook or consume ḥalāl products in.

The permissibility of gelatin and rennet are ongoing discussions in both faiths. The exact same spectrum of opinions exists in both Muslim and Jewish circles. It appears that most mainstream Jewish and Muslim authorities would not permit regularly available gelatin, since it is derived from either pork or non-ritually slaughtered animals (with minority dissenting opinions on both sides). Proper kosher gelatin is therefore typically derived from kosher fish (and, in even rarer cases, from kosher slaughtered animals, or from certain cows that have died natural deaths,[4] or from vegetable products). However, it should be noted that a product that is marked as kosher does not necessarily mean that all Jewish authorities believe it to be so. In fact, most yoghurt and candy products that are marked with circle-K are not approved by most Conservative and Orthodox Rabbis. Hence, Muslims need to know the different types of symbols used by the Jewish food industry, and their corresponding opinions, before they make a choice on whether a product that is marked askosher is in fact ḥalāl or not.

Cheese, on the other hand, appears to be an issue where the spectrum of opinions are the same, but the majorities of each are different. Most Jewish authorities would only allow cheese if produced from kosher rennet; most Muslim authorities would allow cheese from non-ḥalāl rennet because of the issue of istihlāk.[5] In both groups, there are dissenting minority opinions, but the minorities are on opposite sides.

There are some halakhic restrictions on vegetables and plants (for example, the orlah, or fruit that grows during first three years after planting), and Jewish law is also stricter than Islamic law regarding insects found in fruits and vegetables, but these laws are not relevant to this discussion. Additionally, there are specific halakhic commandments for preparing Passover breads and prohibiting other foods that would also not concern Muslims.

For Muslims, the most common product that is allowed in Jewish law but prohibited in Islamic law are alcoholic beverages. Jewish law permits the consumption of ‘kosher’ beer and wine.

Similarities in Slaughtering an Animal

Once we understand the halakhic procedure for slaughtering animals, it will be possible to arrive at an Islamic verdict regarding its status.

First, the similarities. Jewish law and Islamic law both require that:

1) The animal must be alive when it is slaughtered (hence stunning or other procedures to render the animal unconscious should be avoided).

2) The animal must be killed with a sharp knife (hence, a blow to the head would render the animal treif and ḥarām).

3) The knife must cut the neck arteries of the animal: in particular, the trachea, esophagus, cartiod arteries and jugular veins should be cut, while leaving the spinal cord intact.

4) The blood must be drained out.

5) There must be minimal harm to the animal – a painless and quick slaughter is required.

All of these are points of agreement between Jewish and Islamic law.

Minor Differences

There are some minor differences between the requirements of the two faiths. These difference would generally be negligible and irrelevant to Muslims, but not to observant Jews.

1) Jewish law requires a specific type of person (called a shochet) to slaughter. Typically, the shochet is an observant male Jew trained in the practice of slaughter. Islamic law allows any male or female Christian, Muslim or Jew to sacrifice as long as that person follows the proper procedure of slaughtering. Therefore, it is primarily for this reason that a dhabīḥaanimal can never be kosher for observant Jews because the slaughter would be performed by a Muslim.

2) The perfection of the knife blade – Jewish law requires visual and physical inspection; Islamic law only requires a sharp knife even if there are some imperfections (e.g., minor abrasions and nicks would be permissible in Islam).

3) Jewish law requires one continuous stroke for a slaughter (moving the knife back and forth would be allowed), whereas Islamic law would prefer one stroke, but the slaughter would not be invalidated if the slaughterer quickly followed a first improper stroke with another one.

4) In Jewish law, the knife must be at least two times the size of the animal’s neck, and perfectly straight, whereas there is no such requirement in Islam.

5) Jewish law completely forbids stunning, and a stunned animal would be treif; Islamic law is not unified on this point, as most authorities would consider stunning makrūh, but as long as the animal is alive and has a pulse, the slaughter would still be considered ḥalāl.

6) Depending on which Islamic madhab one followed, the number of passages in the neck of the animal cut might be less for some opinions of Islamic law (however, a perfect cut in both religions would require the esophagus, trachea, arteries and jugular).

7) While the disconnecting of the spine is prohibited in both laws, in Jewish law this would render the animal treif, whereas according to the majority opinion in Islamic law, this ismakrūh but does not render the animal ḥarām (note that some authorities would view such an act as making the animal ḥarām).

8) Jewish law requires a visual inspection of the lungs and some other internal organs of the animal after slaughter. Specific defects associated with these organs makes the animal treif, whereas the total absence of any imperfection (i.e., adhesion-free lungs) renders the animal a higher level of kosher, called glatt kosher. If such a level of perfection was not achieved, but the procedure was followed, the meat would merely be kosher. And some type of defects would in fact render the animal treif even after proper slaughter. There is no equivalent to such a post-slaughter examination in Islamic law.

9) The animal’s blood must be allowed to flow into the earth (or on the ground) in Jewish law (for example, it should not be gathered in a bowl), whereas there is no such prohibition in Islamic law. In practice, most Muslims slaughter and spill the blood on the ground as well.

10) Islamic law encourages, but does not require, that the animal faces the qiblah. Since this is not a requirement according to any madhhab, it is irrelevant to the question of whether kosher is ḥalāl.[6]

11) While the Jewish invocation (i.e., blessing) is not a necessary requirement for the meat to be considered kosher, it is in practice never left. This issue will be discussed in a separate section.

From all of these points, it is clear that these factors will not render kosher meat ḥarām; most are in fact rulings that make the halakhic laws stricter than their Sharʿī equivalents, and even the Islamic ones on this list are recommendations and not requirements. Hence, from the perspective of the Sharīʿa, these factors are not relevant.

Of course, because of some or most of these factors (especially the first one), ḥalāl meat cannot be considered kosher by Jewish authorities.

Major Difference – the Tasmiya Issue

There is one major differences between the two laws that cannot be overlooked and could potentially result in a verdict of taḥrīm,[7] and that is the issue of the tasmiya.

The Islamic opinions on mentioning Allāh’s name at the time of sacrifice are well-known. It is clear that the majority of scholars (and the explicit texts of the Qurʿān and Sunnah) require the utterance of tasmiya before an animal is slaughtered. It is with this opinion in mind that we proceed. (It goes without saying that, for the minority who do not require tasmiya, obviously if they do not require a Muslim to mention the name of Allāh then a priori they would not require a non-Muslim to do so).[8]

Halakhic law states that the shochet should verbally bless the act of slaughter with a specific blessing.[9] While this blessing is not considered an essential requirement, in practice it is always done, and it is realistically inconceivable that a shochet intentionally abandons this blessing.[10]

The formulation of this blessing translates as:

“Blessed are you , Adonai [G-d], our G-d, Lord of the World, Who Sanctified us through His Commandments and instructed us concerning proper animal slaughter”

The wording clearly praises God, and therefore would be acceptable to the vast majority ofmadhhabs, since it is not a necessary requirement that the blessing be said in Arabic. However, the issue comes with respect to a unique blessing for each animal.

Since the Jewish faith insists that the name of the Lord only be invoked with good cause, theshochet does not repeat this blessing for each and every animal. Instead, the shochetconsiders one blessing to suffice for a series of animals with the condition that each animal is slaughtered without any significant pause or break from the previous one. [11]

Therefore, in theory, a shochet could sacrifice a few cows, and maybe even up to a hundred chicken, with one blessing.

All of this, of course, has relevance to the Sharʿī ruling on an animal.

For the minority that does not require tasmiya (in particular, the Shāfʿī school), this issue would not be relevant, and therefore kosher would be ḥalāl.

For those who subscribe to the position that allows one tasmiya for multiple slaughters,kosher meat would also be ḥalāl.

For those who require a specific tasmiya for each individual animal (in particular, the Ḥanafī school), kosher meat would not be ḥalāl unless it was known for sure that a blessing was given for that animal.

As a side point, there are reference to some Christian groups who required a slaughterer to sacrifice in the name of God.[12]

Conclusion

In light of all that has preceded, and in this author’s opinion:

- While the Qurʿān explicitly allows us to offer (and therefore sell) ḥalāl meat to Jews, most observant Jews would not consider ḥalāl to be kosher because the animal would be slaughtered by a non-Jew (and there would be other factors as well).

- All kosher foods are permissible as long as 1) no significant amount of alcohol is present, and 2) any gelatin is from kosher slaughtered cattle or non-animal sources. If alcohol is used either for taste or in intoxicating amounts, the food prepared would be ḥarām; and any gelatin derived from animals not slaughtered with tasmiya is also ḥarām.

- Kosher meat being ḥalāl would depend on which madhhab one follows for the tasmiya: if one follows the opinion that one tasmiya suffices for multiple animals, kosher slaughtered animals would be ḥalāl. However, if one requires one tasmiya per animal, then in general such animals would be ḥarām unless one can verify that the blessing was said for that particular animal.

In this author’s opinion, since the halakhic blessing is done over a specific group of animals and the slaughter is continuous, this blessing can suffice to fulfill the requirements of thetasmiya for that group of animals, and Allāh knows best.

Lastly, it is important that stronger ties be developed between observant Muslims and Jews so that we benefit from each other’s experiences, unite against Islamophobic and anti-Semitic efforts to ban ritual animal slaughter, and perhaps also manage to influence somekosher plants to say a tasmiya for every animal.

[1] This is based on Leviticus 7:3. Generally, Jewish law does not allow fat surrounding the kidneys, the abdominal fats, the fats surrounding the stomach and intestines, and the tail fat. The nerve that is forbidden is one that is in the hind-quarters. Since it is labor-intensive to remove this nerve, generally the hind-quarters of an animal are sold to non-Jews.

[2] Many Qurʿānic exegetes consider this to be an example of Q. 3:93; others also add the ruling of animal fats, but this latter opinion clearly contradicts Q. 6:146.

[3] This discussion is necessarily simplistic and brief.

[4] These are so-called ‘Indian cows’; since Hindus are not allowed to kill cows, any cow that dies is left untouched. Jewish law allows the bones of such an animal, if left untouched for a long period of time, to be used for the manufacture of gelatin.

[5] I have written a paper about this, published online. See:http://muslimmatters.org/2007/07/09/of-mice-and-men-the-cheese-factor/.

[6] Since this law is irrelevant to the halakha, some modern Jewish authorities have allowed taking this condition into account when performing kosher slaughters.

[7] Of course, we are not talking about the issue of adding alcohol to the meat while it is being cooked. Jewish law permits the consumption of certain types of alcohol and the mixing of wine with meat products. Any such production of meat would obviously be ḥarām for Muslims.

[8] It is relevant to point out that Ibn Ḥanbal’s position regarding the tasmiya for Ahl Kitābsacrifices is explicit – and as far as I know, everything narrated to the contrary is mujmal. Ḥanbal reports that Abū Abdillāh said, “There is no problem with the sacrifice of the Kitābīas long as he sacrifices for Allāh and in the name of Allāh (idhā ahallū lillāhi wa sammū ʿalayhī).” [Aḥkām Ahl al-Dhimmah, 1/189]. This was also the explicit position of Ibn Taymiyya and Ibn al-Qayyim. It should also be noted that most authorities who allowed the sacrifice of the Kitābī without mentioned Allāh’s name also allowed it if they mentioned other than Allāh’s name [ibid., 1/191-3].

Also, the reader is encouraged to see Ibn Taymiyya’s risāla on this issue, in Jāmiʾ al-Masāʾilof Dr. Bakr Abu Zayd (Riyad: Dār al-ʿĀlim, 1429), vol. 6, p. 377-89. In it, he states that the obligation of saying the tasmiya before hunting or slaughtering an animal is even more clear than the obligation to recite Fātiḥa in the prayer.

It is the intention of the author to write a brief treatise on this issue as well, insha Allāh.

[9] It is important to note that the blessing is for the act of sacrifice, and not for an animal or for the instrument.

[10] Therefore, from an Islamic standpoint, the shochet who does not mention the blessings will be fī ḥukm al-nāsī (i.e., the one who accidentally forgets), and the majority of scholars would deem such a slaughter as permissible, in contrast to the one who intentionally does not mention Allāh’s name.

[11] Most modern Rabbis allow the shochet to utter the phrase ‘bismillāh Allahu akbar’ in Arabic before each slaughter, since that does not interfere with the rules of halakha. This practice should be encouraged and Muslims should inform local Jewish slaughterhouses that they would become potential customers if the shochet could do this.

[12] In the Syriac-language Nomocanon of Barhebraeus (d. 1286), a Christian butcher is instructed to recite the phrase ba-shma d’elaha haya, “In the name of the living God.” Gregorius Barhebraeus, Nomocanon, ed. Paul Bedjan (Paris: Harrassowitz, 1898); taken from Freidenreich (cit.)

10 Interesting Facts about Princess of Wales - Diana

Sat, 01 Sep 2012 01:53:41 +0100

10. The 118 Charities She Supported.

Because of her strong admiration to Mother Teresa’s noblest character, she developed strong attachment to succor those people who are in need. In fact, some of the 118 charities that she has supported while she’s still alive, and even she died has carried the legacy and the name that she had in continuing the legacy that she has started. Some of them are The Eating Disorders Association Dr. Barnardo’s, The British Red Cross Centrepoint, The Leprosy Mission, and The Crusade to Ban Anti-Personnel landmines, Soho English National Ballet, and many more.

9. Her eldest Sister Romance with Prince Charles

Only few knew about the whirlwind romance of her former husband, Prince Charles to her elder sister. In fact, Prince Charles dated her eldest sister, Sarah Spencer in the late seventies, but it was a short romance then. They actually met while Prince Charles was dating her sister, and there was indeed a resentment on the part of Sarah Spencer, when he was about to marry her sister Diana. Despite of the unlikely, and untimely meeting, their love for each other blossomed, and came to its finality when they vowed to each other before the holy altar to be married in 1981 wherein more than a decade after, that marriage were discontinued through a formal divorced.

8. She suffered Chronic Bulimia

She became the role of being charitable, but she had been a standing witness of overcoming serious type of depression which is called chronic bulimia. This is a type of eating disorder that Princess Diana suffered and overcame wherein some had stated that it was due to her failing marriage with Prince Charles. To those who were not aware, she experienced this disorder in 1981 and she sought several treatments back then. It is to be understood that even before she tied a knot to her husband, Prince Charles, she was already diagnosed of this health problem. All of these things were revealed in the book entitled Diana: Her True Story which was written by Andrew Morton. She did combat the effects of it in her life when she became open and courageous in revealing before the public the ordeal that she was experiencing. People might have misunderstood her, and others who are also enduring it, but misconception, and wrong notions about it were given light because of her strength to face the world and admit that she had chronic bulimia.

7. She Became Nanny

Diana was a very discreet, simple, and loving person. In fact, she accepted a job to be a nanny and at the same time assistant for kindergarten at the Young England which was located in Knightsbridge. She was working for 3 days in a week wherein her assignment was to look after the boy named Patrick Robertson. In fact, no one really knew that Princess Diana was already dating Prince Charles and she was only 19 years old then, and Charles was 32.

6. She Loved Mother Teresa

The relationship that Diana has chose to established with Mother Teresa did not put a bridge between them despite that Mother Teresa lived in India while Diana lived in England. Hence, they have so many similarities aside from the good deeds, and charitable works that they shared and did together. In fact, because of so much love that Diana had for her, she considered and treated Mother Teresa as her mother. Who would have imagined that after Diana’s death, in just a week, Mother Teresa also passed away due to natural death? They even extended admiration to each other wherein Mother Teresa exclaimed that Diana was her daughter, while Diana reciprocated that love by humbly saying that she was a very, very small Mother Teresa.

5. Four of Her Ancestors Were Mistresses

The term mistress is the title being given or called to the unmarried lover of the king of England. For everyone’s information, four of Diana’s ancestors became mistresses to British Kings. Based on the history, the primary reason of her parent’s divorce during that time was the series of philandering or unfaithfulness on the part of his father which also left a deep stigma and wound on Diana’s life. Nonetheless, she was able to overcome the ill-feelings and effects, that she experienced during her childhood when she fell-in love to Prince Charles. Moreover, there were few names mentioned about the illegitimate children that her father had with her mistresses, but the names on her ancestry who had been mistresses to Kings in Britain were not named.

4. Her British Aristocracy

Diana has actually descended from different notable ancestry lines such as James. She might be a commoner, but she was included in the line of British Aristocracy that rooted down from King Charles II. Her biological father was actually a direct descendant of King Charles II. She was even related to some of the famous people in the US like the 8 U.S. Presidents, George Washington, Franklin D. Roosevelt, Calvin Coolidge, John Adams, Grover Cleveland, Millard Fillmore, John Quincy Adams, and Rutherford B. Hayes.

3. Diana’s Physical Characteristics

When it comes to her personality, she was a typical shy type of girl who was known for keeping traditional and conservative principles and background. Hence, she was really attractive. She stands 5’10 tall, has blue eyes, blond hair, photogenic, and had an almost perfect body figure. Moreover, she kept her natural and pleasant attitude to everyone even to the media despite that she’s not feeling good inside especially during the toughest moment in her life that she had nothing to share her disappointments, agony, and sorrows when there was a rumor circulating that her husband was cheating on her prior to her marriage which became evident with her sudden weight loss. It could be compared prior to her wedding, and after the wedding.

2. She Became Lady Diana Spencer

She received the title of Lady Diana Spencer right after her father became the 8^th earl of Spencer after her grandfather died, Albert Spencer in 1975. She was only 14 years old then when the official title or address was given to her. Hence, despite of that, she remained humble and quiet while growing up, but she had shown great interest in dancing and music.

1. Her Family Lineage

Her whole name was Diana Spencer or Diana Frances, and her parents’ names were Earl Spencer or Edward John Spencer and Franches Roche. She was born and raised in Sandringham, Norfolk on July 01, 1961. Her family was an important line and family for the Royal Family because of their close alliances for few generations. She was the fourth child among the 5 children of her parents, and her parents got divorced when she was barely 7 years old.

faisalkhan99: “You can cut all the flowers but you cannot keep...

Wed, 29 Aug 2012 12:00:05 +0100

faisalkhan99:

“You can cut all the flowers but you cannot keep spring from coming.” —- Pablo Neruda

faisalkhan99: Facebook Photos - You Never Get to “see” the...

Sat, 04 Aug 2012 23:52:06 +0100

faisalkhan99:

Facebook Photos - You Never Get to “see” the whole story!

faisalkhan99: Facebook Photos - You Never Get to “see” the...

Sat, 04 Aug 2012 23:52:05 +0100

faisalkhan99:

Facebook Photos - You Never Get to “see” the whole story!

bnusrat: Pakistan’s first NIC, that of ZA Bhutto. (Taken with...

Fri, 03 Aug 2012 20:54:21 +0100

bnusrat:

Pakistan’s first NIC, that of ZA Bhutto. (Taken with Instagram at Bhutto Graveyard)

what does Semantic Search mean for marketers?

Wed, 18 Jul 2012 12:37:16 +0100

1. Understand How Your Business Fits Into the Schema

If you happened to be responsible for the search marketing efforts at Warner Bros’, you should understand that “The Dark Knight Rises,” is no longer a text string; it is a CreativeWork.

Similarly, the Andrea Bocelli 2012 tour is a string of Events that have Reviews and is associated with a Person; the Asus U46E is a Product with Reviews, which can be purchased at certainPlaces; and Joel and Co. Construction is a LocalBusiness with an AggregateRating that has a specific ContactPoint.

2. Understand How Google Uses Semantic Data

The “Dark Knight Rises” is just one example of how Google is helping users make sense of a certain CreativeWork. Semantic data manifests in different ways for different types of queries.

Just for the sake of comparison, consider a query for the LocalBusiness, “Joel and Co Construction.”

Google has inferred that “Joel and Co Construction” is associated with a specific Place, which is illustrated in the Google Map that is displayed in the right column and in the search result and Google is also showing a variety of AggregateRatings for the various review sites that analyze Joel and Co. Construction.

Developing a firm grasp of how semantic search is influencing your specific entity type(s) has become a necessity.

3. Apply Semantic Markup to Your Site Based on What Google is Using

At a minimum, you should apply the semantic markup that Google is already leveraging in your vertical. For a LocalBusiness like Joel and Co. Construction, this can be facilitated by leveraging Google Places and associating it with your official website (the Joel and Co. example shows how the associated Google Places profile can append semantic data to the their official Website result).

Businesses without development resources should begin looking for opportunities to use third-party solutions. WordPress (for example) has a variety of plugins designed to add semantic markup to company websites.

4. Consider Applications of Semantic Markup Based on What Google is Likely to do

Schema.org contains a relatively broad set of attributes for its various entity types. Some of these attributes may have little or no impact on the actual search results; however there are others that seem to fit with Google’s trajectory.

For example, the offers schema can be applied to various entity types like Events, CreativeWorks,and Products. Given Google’s recent launch of Google Offers (beta), it seems logical that Google would offers they find via web search to populate the new application. Consequently, it may be worth considering how to markup offers on your site if you’re looking to get ahead of the pack.

4 Steps to Estimating Organic Keyword Profitability

Wed, 18 Jul 2012 12:25:29 +0100

One method of gauging organic keyword profitability and traffic potential is to run a quick and dirtyPPC campaign. It’s an effective way to evaluate new verticals and gathering some actual data, but it’s not always a fit for every client.

Paid search aside, you can run a four-step forecasting model to estimate organic keyword profitability.

This profitability forecasting process assumes you’ve already done your initial keyword research and you’ve got a list of terms and phrases you intend to target. If you haven’t, then it’s potentially a five step process.

Step 1: Gather Keyword Search Volume

Start by dumping your entire list of keywords into the Google Keyword Tool. You can add up to 100 keywords at a time to get corresponding search volume data.
Since this about discovering new keyword opportunities, check the box that says “Only show ideas closely related to my search terms” so you’re only pulling search data for the specific keywords on your list and not other ideas and variations.
Set the match type to either “exact match” or “phrase match.” I prefer to run my analysis using phrase match because theoretically it takes into account traffic from long tail variations of my seed keywords that I might be overlooking.
Download the results.

Step 2: Calculate Keyword Click-Through-Rate

Next take your keyword list and forecast for monthly CTR based on position in the SERPs.

With Google continually changing the face of the SERPs to include blended and personalized results and Google’s own web assets, this is hard to gauge with a high degree of precision. But the folks at Slingshot SEO did a pretty good job with their Google CTR Study analysis. You can use that data analysis to map to click rates for Google keyword rankings from any position 1 through 10 on your keyword targeting list.

If you’re working on an aged site with Webmaster Tools implemented, you might also grab site-wide CTR (you’ll need to download and average it yourself from WMT since average CTR isn’t an exposed data point) and use that as a data point, since you could argue that it’s a more honest estimate given it’s tied to your own site performance.

Step 3: Calculate Conversion Rates

When determining the conversion rate component of the forecasting model, I prefer working with real conversion data (be it site-wide or segment specific) available in an established site’s analytics.

If you’re working with a brand new site or exploring affiliate revenue potential in a new vertical and don’t have the luxury of real conversion data, it’s a little trickier. In those cases, you can use conversion rate averages from the MarketingSherpa’s 2012 Search Marketing Benchmark Report, which pegs organic conversion rates at a median of 4 percent and an average of 8 percent.

In my own projections where real data is unavailable, I like to forecast using up to three different conversion points: a conservative range of 1 to 2 percent, a more robust 3 to 4 percent and an optimistic 5 to 6 percent.

Step 4: Forecast Keyword Revenue Potential

For this step, you need to plug in a “profitability” computation, whether it be average value per sale, or lifetime value of a customer, or price per lead if you’re doing lead gen, etc.

Note that you can also leave this column blank in your projection if you don’t have access to this data yet, but then you’re really only forecasting for potential traffic and conversions and not overall profitability.

When you’ve completed this process, you’re going to have a spreadsheet that looks something like this:

The above is a brief snapshot from a larger SEO site audit report we ran for a site owner who was debating whether to invest in selling corporate gifts, and wanted an estimate on potential keyword profitability.

This example uses a Google rank of position No. 3 and we applied the client’s existing organic conversion data of 1.75 percent.

We plugged in existing order values across the site as the revenue calculation. We also ran a number of reports with forecasts for different SERP rankings for hundreds of keywords and plugged in a range of higher conversion rates, since the site owner was working with a conversion rate optimization expert and was optimistic about improving rates.

Final Thoughts on Keyword Profitability

Running these sort of forecasts will help you predict the potential profitability of your target keyword verticals, which should help you or your client make a more informed business decision about where to invest capital.

Obviously, this is an estimate and an inexact science, but that’s the nature of any revenue modeling. A working example like this is probably as close as you’re going to get without real world data to draw from.

It’s also worth noting that there are a range of SEO variables at play here that could directly impact site performance, rankings and potential CTR (like domain age, back link profile, competitive degree of the SERPs, brand presence and user behavior, seasonality, overall SERP volatility, etc.), which is why you should run a number of forecasts with different rankings and conversion rates to try and account for as many case scenarios as possible.

7 Habits of Highly Effective SEO

Wed, 18 Jul 2012 11:52:16 +0100

Habit 1: Be Proactive

Instead of reacting to or worrying about conditions over which they have little or no control, proactive people focus their time and energy on things they can control. The problems, challenges, and opportunities we face fall into two areas—Circle of Concern and Circle of Influence.

Proactive people focus their efforts on their Circle of Influence. They work on the things they can do something about: health, children, problems at work. Reactive people focus their efforts in the Circle of Concern—things over which they have little or no control: the national debt, terrorism, the weather. Gaining an awareness of the areas in which we expend our energies in is a giant step in becoming proactive.

In our world, being proactive means you can’t chase an algorithm.

What we can focus on are those things that we can control, which is develop a sound web presence that the search engines “should want to” rank – one that:

Presents a quality user experience.
Has quality/resourceful/unique content.
Has earned links through methods that most would call “good marketing”.

There are many things that are within our circle of influence, such as:

Selecting the right keywords to target.
Building quality websites.
Making sure that content is crawlable/indexable.
Developing sitemaps.
Maintaining clean code.
Promoting content.
Distributing press releases.

While we must be aware, and understand, things like Google Panda/Penguin and other major changes in the algorithms, if we focus on doing “good marketing”, all other things should fall in line, and major algorithm changes shouldn’t be a concern.

You want to try to build a company’s web presence that the search engines should want to rank. Perhaps, that way, you aren’t reacting to algorithms but actually working “ahead” of any algorithm changes.

Habit 2: Begin with the End in Mind

So, what do you want to be when you grow up? That question may appear a little trite, but think about it for a moment. Are you—right now—who you want to be, what you dreamed you’d be, doing what you always wanted to do? Be honest. Sometimes people find themselves achieving victories that are empty—successes that have come at the expense of things that were far more valuable to them. If your ladder is not leaning against the right wall, every step you take gets you to the wrong place faster.

Habit 2 is based on imagination—the ability to envision in your mind what you cannot at present see with your eyes. It is based on the principle that all things are created twice. There is a mental (first) creation, and a physical (second) creation. The physical creation follows the mental, just as a building follows a blueprint. If you don’t make a conscious effort to visualize who you are and what you want in life, then you empower other people and circumstances to shape you and your life by default. It’s about connecting again with your own uniqueness and then defining the personal, moral, and ethical guidelines within which you can most happily express and fulfill yourself. Begin with the End in Mind means to begin each day, task, or project with a clear vision of your desired direction and destination, and then continue by flexing your proactive muscles to make things happen.

I have often asked prospects this very question (“What do you want to be when you grow up?”). Without knowing where you’d like to be, how do you get there? What are the goals?

When I hear “I want to rank for this one specific keyword”, I am very inclined to elect not to work with that company. I’m not about “empty” success.

When I hear “we’d like to grow sales by X” or “we’d like to grow traffic by Y,” then I know that there is potential in an ongoing relationship.

Once we’ve determined that there may be a fit, it is the responsibility of any good SEO to lay out a plan based upon the end goals, and begin the process of developing the necessary steps to achieve the end goal.

Habit 3: Put First Things First

To live a more balanced existence, you have to recognize that not doing everything that comes along is okay. There’s no need to overextend yourself. All it takes is realizing that it’s all right to say no when necessary and then focus on your highest priorities.

Habit 1 says, “You’re in charge. You’re the creator.” Being proactive is about choice. Habit 2 is the first, or mental, creation. Beginning with the End in Mind is about vision. Habit 3 is the second creation, the physical creation. This habit is where Habits 1 and 2 come together. It happens day in and day out, moment-by-moment. It deals with many of the questions addressed in the field of time management. But that’s not all it’s about. Habit 3 is about life management as well—your purpose, values, roles, and priorities. What are “first things?” First things are those things you, personally, find of most worth. If you put first things first, you are organizing and managing time and events according to the personal priorities you established in Habit 2.

Often, when performing a competitive analysis, we find websites that are quite successful (getting a lot of quality organic search traffic for keywords that we’d like to target). When we can identify those top competitors and uncover the reasons why they are successful, we can reverse engineer their success and build a program based upon “best practices”.

When you compare the reasons why a competitor may have more success than you, you can begin to develop a program based upon address those “holes” (deficiencies) and scope out a project plan, accordingly.

If you’re like most, you may not have an unlimited budget and you’ll need to prioritize your efforts. For some, link building may be the most glaring need. For others, a lack of content to support ranking for keywords in the issue.

However you go about getting to the end goal, you must understand the end goal – first – in order to understand the prioritization of steps necessary to be successful.

For SEO programs, most agree upon a common “hierarchy of needs”. As a general rule, this is a good illustration of those (SEO) needs:

Habit 4: Think Win-Win

Win-win sees life as a cooperative arena, not a competitive one. Win-win is a frame of mind and heart that constantly seeks mutual benefit in all human interactions. Win-win means agreements or solutions are mutually beneficial and satisfying. We both get to eat the pie, and it tastes pretty darn good!

A person or organization that approaches conflicts with a win-win attitude possesses three vital character traits:

Integrity: sticking with your true feelings, values, and commitments

Maturity: expressing your ideas and feelings with courage and consideration for the ideas and feelings of others

Abundance Mentality: believing there is plenty for everyone

From an industry standpoint, someone who has done a tremendous job in understanding this “habit” very well is Rand Fishkin. From my recollection, Fishkin was the first person to take his “corporate website” and turn it (largely) into a blog.

Fishkin then proceeded to “give away” his IP (Intellectual Property). Anything that he knew, or thought, or whatever was posted for the community at large to read, disseminate, comment and – yes – share (links).

I don’t know when that was, but it seemed very early (Rand, if you read this, I’d love for you to comment). Fishkin understood something that took me a while to wrap my head around: the more you give, the more you get. This has been the foundation of my advice for folks getting into social media, and it’s something that I can now demonstrate results from, myself.

My company’s website has earned most of its links through our blog. We try to write helpful, interesting posts and we promote those posts. Sometimes, we earn some pretty significant/“good” links.

I’ve also been writing for Search Engine Watch and/or Clickz for a little over 5 years now, and have been a speaker at industry conferences for a little over 6 years. “Giving away” content is a good thing (I’ve earned speaking engagements, new business and – yes – some links, because of these efforts). You get rewarded, if not immediately.

Convincing companies (clients, in my case) that they, too, need to consider this can be a challenge. But, if you step forward with proving helpful/resourceful content (even if your competitors are reading it), you position yourself as a thought-leader and can win “on the back end.”

Habit 5: Seek First to Understand, Then to be Understood

Communication is the most important skill in life. You spend years learning how to read and write, and years learning how to speak. But what about listening? What training have you had that enables you to listen so you really, deeply understand another human being? Probably none, right?

If you’re like most people, you probably seek first to be understood; you want to get your point across. And in doing so, you may ignore the other person completely, pretend that you’re listening, selectively hear only certain parts of the conversation or attentively focus on only the words being said, but miss the meaning entirely.

Without understanding this principle, you may try to target keywords that you think everyone should be searching for, rather than doing the research to see how people actually search for your products and/or services.

How many SEOs out there have worked with companies that are clearly determined to push forward on their way of describing their products/services, even though research shows that no one is searching in that manner? I refer to this as CEO-itis. That is, the CEO has his vernacular and is very determined to have a website full of fluff content rather than crafting content to be more in line with reality.

When you listen first, and then understand, you have a much better chance at success. The same can be said about success social media marketing efforts.

Habit 6: Synergize

To put it simply, synergy means “two heads are better than one.” Synergize is the habit of creative cooperation. It is teamwork, open-mindedness, and the adventure of finding new solutions to old problems. But it doesn’t just happen on its own. It’s a process, and through that process, people bring all their personal experience and expertise to the table. Together, they can produce far better results that they could individually. Synergy lets us discover jointly things we are much less likely to discover by ourselves. It is the idea that the whole is greater than the sum of the parts. One plus one equals three, or six, or sixty—you name it.

A proper SEO effort is one in which PPC works with SEO, PR works with SEO, social marketing works with SEO, copywriting works with SEO, video/image teams work with SEO, web design/development teams work with SEO, and IT teams work with SEO.

Getting this synergy in place can lead to beautiful results. However, if synergy isn’t in place, you can’t expect to realize optimal results.

Habit 7: Sharpen the Saw

Sharpen the Saw means preserving and enhancing the greatest asset you have—you. It means having a balanced program for self-renewal in the four areas of your life: physical, social/emotional, mental, and spiritual.

Sharpen the Saw keeps you fresh so you can continue to practice the other six habits. You increase your capacity to produce and handle the challenges around you. Without this renewal, the body becomes weak, the mind mechanical, the emotions raw, the spirit insensitive, and the person selfish.

SEO, when done well, isn’t a one-and-done affair. Optimization of results, via analytics review/analysis, usability reviews, on-going tweaking/refining of on-page/off-page SEO and conversion optimization lead to better and better results, over time.

You must sharpen the saw and always consider how things can be better. Certainly, new and interesting opportunities present themselves all the time.

If you had “completed” an SEO effort several years ago, you might not have been taking advantage of “new” opportunities such as local, news SEO, video SEO, shopping feed optimization or even blogging/social promotion.

Things change, and we must always look for ways to be better at our craft and seek out new/interesting opportunities for advancement of the SEO efforts.

Top 10 tips on losing weight for summer

Mon, 25 Jun 2012 17:31:05 +0100

1. Smaller meals: Eat often but in small portions. Four to six smaller meals at regular intervals throughout the day will reduce the calorie intake more effectively than three big meals. Eat your last meal as early in the evening as possible, preferably before 9 pm. Take a walk after your dinner and oily, heavy, processed foods should be a big no-no.

2. Drink plenty of water: Water is the elixir of life and no more so than in the scorching Indian summer. Drink at least 10 glasses of water per day to bust fluid retention. It also flushes out the toxins. This is a natural remedy to keep your body hydrated and slim.

3. Exercise daily: There is no sure fire solution to losing weight and keeping it off without factoring in exercise in your daily regimen, especially if you send most of your day working in an office behind a computer. Jogging, brisk walking, yoga and cardio exercises are the best metabolism boosters. Regular yoga and aerobic exercise will keep your body fit and slim.

4. Avoid aerated/sweet drinks: Don’t for a moment think that Coke, Pepsi and gang are thirst quenchers of any sort. These fizzy drinks are full of calories and to be avoided at all cost. Even sweetened drinks like Frooti and Slice have high calorie content. These should be replaced by fresh fruit juice, home-made lassi and coconut water.

5. Say no to junk food: Double cheese burst pizza, burgers, pasta, pastries, French fries, nuggets, fried chicken - these tasty treats are mostly refined carbohydrates and starchy, full of calories and high in fat content. Instead, eat fresh fruits and home cooked food.

6. Eat vegetables and fibre: Vegetables have high fibre content and should be a part of your daily diet even if you are a committed non-vegetarian. Not only does it provide essential vitamins and iron, fibre is also good for overall digestion and metabolism. Raagi, wheat, brown rice and green leafy vegetables are all certified fatbusters.

7. Take the stairs instead of escalators: Next time you’re about to take the lift or escalator at the mall, office, apartment block, airport or Metro station – stop and take the stairs instead. You’ll be surprised how soon you start taking the stairs without even thinking about it.

8. Avoid crash diets: Fad and crash diets might get the kilos of you for a short while but it’s definitely going to come back, and sooner than you think. Skipping meals is a worst thing that you can do to your body. And, in fact, the fat tends to come back in double quantities, making you fatter than you were. Eat regular, healthy meals instead.

9. Regular check-ups: Busy schedules or ignorance can lead to unhealthy lifestyles. There are a number of medical factors that can affect the metabolism rate, for instance, thyroid and sugar. Regular visits to the family physician can help curb a chronic ailment.

10. Sleep sufficiently, drink green tea: At least six hours of sleep is a must for the body. Sleeping odd hours or lack of sleep can have a telling impact on the body and can result in sudden weight gain. Replace tea and coffee, which are high in fat and carbs, with green tea. Green tea contains anti-oxidants which boosts metabolism, targeting stored fats and reducing them.

Video

Thu, 26 Apr 2012 00:36:54 +0100

Android-iOS-Mobile-Advertising

Mon, 23 Apr 2012 10:58:55 +0100

Android-iOS-Mobile-Advertising

zabandaraz: ret se but na banā ai mere achchhe fann-kār ek...

Wed, 18 Apr 2012 15:29:01 +0100

zabandaraz:

ret se but na banā ai mere achchhe fann-kār
ek lamhe ko thahar maiṅ tujhe patthar lā dūṅ
maiṅ tere sāmne aṅbār lagā dūṅ, lekin
kaunse rang kā patthar tere kām ā’egā?

surḳh patthar jise dil kahtī hai be-dil dunyā
yā wuh pattharā’ī hū’ī ānkh kā nīlā patthar
jis meṅ sadiyoṅ ke tahayyur ke pare hoṅ ḍore?
kyā tujhe rūh ke patthar kī zarūrat hogī
jis pih haqq bāt bhī patthar kī tarha girtī hai?

ik wuh patthar hai jise kahte hain tahzīb-i safaid
us ke marmar men siyāh khūn jhalak jātā hai
ek insāf kā patthar bhī to hotā hai magar
hāth men tesha-i zar ho to wuh hāth ātā hai

jitne mi`yār haiṅ is daur ke sab patthar haiṅ
jitne afkār haiṅ is daur ke sab patthar haiṅ
shi`r bhī raqs bhī taswīr o ġhinā bhī patthar
merā ilhām terā zihn-i rasā bhī patthar
is zamāne men to har fann kā nishāṅ patthar hai
hāth patthar haiṅ tere merī zabāṅ patthar hai

ret se but na banā ai mere achchhe fann-kār

————————————————————-

My good artist, don’t build idols of sand!
Wait a moment, and I’ll bring you stones.
I’ll pile them up before you — and yet…
what colour must the stone be to be useful to you?

The red stone, called a heart by the heartless world?
Or the blue stone of that petrified eye
in which centuries of bewilderment have traced their lines?
Have you need of the stone of the soul
onto which truth falls, itself like a stone?

There is the stone called “White Civilization”;
black blood glistens in its marble.
There is the stone of Justice, too — but
it is held only by him who holds of an axe of gold.

The standards of this age are all stones.
The ideas of this age are all stones.
Poetry, dance, painting, music — stones.
My inspiration, your sharp wit are stones;
in this time, the stone is the sign of every art.
Your hands are of stone. My tongue is stone.

My good artist, don’t build idols of sand.

Cafe on Netherlands and Belgium border. Both sides are happy...

Wed, 18 Apr 2012 11:31:36 +0100

Cafe on Netherlands and Belgium border. Both sides are happy with it… Will we ever see this in Pakistan and India?

Share Your WiFi, Earn Some Cash, Do Some Good

Wed, 18 Apr 2012 10:37:45 +0100

You probably can’t use all the bandwidth you pay for each month on your home internet plan. The standard residential Comcast plan offers users 250 GB a month—maxing out would entail sending 50 million emails—and the median user draws only two to three gigs a month. Adam Black, founder of KeyWiFi, wants to put all that excess capacity to good use—and earn you some money in the process.

Right now, about a third of Americans don’t have access to broadband at home. The biggest cost isn’t the computer, it’s the monthly connection—just as your cell service contract is usually a bigger expense than the cost of the phone. Black argues that a peer-to-peer approach to sharing wireless bandwidth will cut that cost for urban dwellers.

“The way we look at the world is there’s lots of spare bandwidth out there, just like there’s lots of cars parked on the street and lots of spare rooms,” Black says, referencing two already-successful markets for collaborative consumption services, personal car sharing and peer-to-peer room rentals. He wants to do the same, making KeyWiFi the AirBnB of internet access.

Black gives the example of a retail store with an average internet connection. It’s open from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., and “right next door to that shop, living above it or across the street, are lots of kids in average- or low-income families who cannot afford $700 a year to get online.”

Black wants to make it possible for that shop to set up a wireless hotspot anyone can access for an affordable monthly fee. Eventually, he says, his technology could let the hotspot owners customize public access, allowing no more than two people to log on to the network during the day but unlimited use at night, for example. “It’s kind of like time-share WiFi,” Black says. Each user paying KeyWiFi a monthly fee of about $10, two-thirds of which gets kicked back to the hotspot hosts.

Landlords have been interested, too. “Not only would service charges cover heat and gardening, but also WiFi,” Black theorizes. By that model, landlords would buy bulk bandwith at a discount from sharing-friendly ISPs, and dole it out using KeyWiFi to tenants, lowering the cost for everyone to $10 a month—though that could mean slower service, depending on how much bandwidth the landlord buys.

Another possible application is public housing. KeyWiFi is piloting a program with the East River Development Alliance, a community group in Long Island City, Queens where about 3,000 families live in public housing. It’s a natural place to prove that lowering the monthly cost of logging on can increase the reach and social promise of the internet. KeyWiFi has launched an IndieGoGo crowdfunding campaign to help fund the program.

It would become a “natural mesh network” Black says, with some higher-income families signing up to host, and others choosing which neighbor to piggyback off of. “There are people there who will not get online” on their own, but they would if their neighbors had a hotspot.“By acting locally in your own self interest, to maximize your bandwidth use,” he says, “you are helping to expand the internet.”

The system is entirely web-based, so users buy an account from KeyWiFi to access the company’s open hotspots. KeyWiFi has developed a system that tells the network who is logging on and through which router, enabling people to keep their networks private or semi-private.

The company will divide fees based on how many hotspots users tap into: If you use just one hotspot, the two-thirds of your monthly fee all goes to that one supplier. If you use two or more, it gets split between the two you used most. “As we grow we will reduce our commission,” he says. “We’ll set a price that people think is fair.” Some customers, like cafes or public businesses, could reap real benefits. “If they get 20 to 30 people to sign on, they can turn a profit.”

True peer-to-peer bandwidth sharing, though, depends on whether current internet service providers allow their bandwidth to be re-sold, and most residential plans don’t. ISPs aren’t keen on letting people resell their product for a profit, especially when it would mean they have to foot the bill for the increased demand for bandwidth.

“The fact that some ISPs are choosing not to see this opportunity is a bit of a shame,” Black says of those that prevent reselling bandwidth, precluding their customers from hosting a KeyWiFi hot spot.

However, not all ISPs are against the idea. The FCC requires cable and phone companies to grant access to their networks to smaller internet service providers who can resell bandwidth they buy in bulk as they see fit, so Black plans to work with those ISPs to start. Some of them are socially conscious, while others are flying under the residential customer radar, targeting small businesses or other specific market segments. Black thinks the chance to turn the idle asset of excess bandwidth into a revenue-raiser will motivate customers to switch ISPs, and that smaller ones will want to pick up the business.

birth of a book

Tue, 17 Apr 2012 21:12:03 +0100

birth of a book

"Our religion should not be a shield behind which we hide from the world but a driving force that..."

Tue, 17 Apr 2012 20:41:00 +0100

““Our religion should not be a shield behind which we hide from the world but a driving force that inspires us to innovate and contribute to our surroundings””

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Princess Basma Bint Saud Bin Abdulaziz

10 Muslim Women Every Person Should Know

Fri, 30 Mar 2012 09:55:35 +0100

10 Muslim Women Every Person Should Know