As-Salaamu-Alaikum!
So insha-Allah, we’re going to start shipping out The Flip video cameras as promised. We’re going to start shipping them out on Tuesday May 26, 2009. If you won one, then you should’ve already received a congratulations e-mail. Insha-Allah, next week, you’ll get another e-mail with an overnight courier tracking number for your package.
Actual Product Photo of The Baitul Nikah Video Pak. (Click to Enlarge)
If you look at the pic above, you’ll see an actual product shot of what you’ll be getting … minus my apple mighty mouse, of course 
. I took that picture in my home office, so you can get an idea of what it would look like in yours. You’ll also notice that you’re getting a Baitul Nikah mousepad. Something a little extra we threw in. This entire package is worth over $250.00 and if you were one of our winners, you just got it absolutely free, alhamdulilah!
More flips are going out every month now. We changed the promotion. We’re shipping out 100 flips, every month, until the end of 2009! Winners are chosen by a number of factors, the main one being that you must complete your main profile by uploading a 2-minute introduction video and answering a minimum of 12 questions. All content is screened by our staff, so you just can’t upload anything to try and win.
I have to say that I’m impressed with the quality of profiles that are being set up at Baitul Nikah. I knew that video would bring a more high-end experience and a more serious user. We’ve watched videos of people from all different types of backgrounds, having fun setting up their video profiles. Interesting people answering questions with sincere responses. This is an experience that you just can’t get at a “picture site”, where it’s just a bunch of blind flirting going on in IM chat rooms or through a few e-mail exchanges.
Video speeds up the process of finding out if you really have chemistry with the other person and it makes them PROVE who they are and if they’re FOR REAL. Social media users want a more authentic experience when it comes to services like ours and we’ve given it to them. Allahu-Akbar!
So enjoy your new Flip Camera. Spice up your profile and be creative by taking The Flip with you and answering questions on the go! When answering questions like “What do you like to do for fun” … instead of telling people … SHOW THEM! The Flip makes it easy and fun. Record your video answers in beautiful wide-screen High Definition and then upload them to our site by just plugging The Flip in your computer. We made finding a spouse EASY, FUN, HALAL and FREE for a limited time! Â …Â So what are you waiting for?
Go set up your video profile right now, so other muslim marriage seekers can find you TODAY!
As-Salaamu-Alaikum!
So why video? One word … Authentic! … See it’s hard to fake video. No one is going to upload video of themselves if they’re not serious. No one is going to upload video of themselves if they’re up to no good. No one is going to upload video of themselves if they’re trying to hide, like at most Muslim Marriage sites, where if they’re trying to be anonymous, you now have to ask yourself … WHY? … What or who are you hiding from?
Video is fun! You can express yourself. And when you watch people on video answering questions, it’s very different from just reading responses. You can see and hear emotion. It’s almost like being there in person. Especially when watching videos on Baitul Nikah in full wide-screen high definition! You can see exactly who you’re dealing with and can make a better upfront decision if you and that person have chemistry or not.
TV is now being combined with the internet. Video online is now becoming a standard. If you’re not embracing it, you’re behind - period! The fact is that people are becoming more savvy and making smarter decisions when it comes to meeting people and buying things online. Why do you think most people now go to YouTube to see product reviews from REAL PEOPLE before they lay out any cash on something new? Because they’d rather see a real person give an honest review instead of reading a bunch of hype.
Video is going to become the new standard for meeting people online, insha-Allah. The days of being anonymous are over. We’ve all heard the sad news stories of people being killed by someone they met on the internet. They chatted online through instant messaging, exchanged a few e-mails and then decided to meet. Next thing you know, they’re dead in a dumpster somewhere. Anyone who is serious about meeting someone online, especially for marriage, will seek out services that are screened and make people prove who they are. Video is one of the best ways to do it!
At Baitul Nikah, all of our members’ profiles are video. Photos are optional. If you decide to upload photos, you can’t even do that until you have at least 13 videos uploaded first. Members must upload a video introduction of themselves and then answer a minimum of 12 questions on video BEFORE their profile is even considered for screening. We then screen videos to make sure they are Halal and to make sure that all questions are answered fully. We don’t allow anyone through who is looking to date or who is not taking the process seriously by giving two word answers. We look to bring our members REALÂ marriage prospects who are not going to waste your time.
As-Salaamu-Alaikum!
At 99% of the other Muslim Marriage sites out there, you automatically search for a date I mean spouse, by age & location. Then you are usually given some advanced filtering options, like height, eye color, hair color, and a lot of other things that make the search process purely superficial. Personally I think it’s boring, so at Baitul Nikah we decided to shake things up and make the search process more fun, while also adding some substance.
Once you’ve set up your main video profile inside Baitul Nikah, which consists of 13 videos, your profile is then reviewed for approval. Once approved, you can now answer more questions and upload unlimited videos to build a bigger profile and you can also begin searching for a spouse. Below you can see one of our search walls.
Searching for LOVE inside BaitulNikah.com
At Baitul Nikah, when you search, you have a choice. If you want to search based on looks and first impressions, you can do so by choosing the option to watch “video introductions” from all of our members. You will then be taken to a video wall where you can pick out members based on “first sight attraction” and then view their video introduction. If you want to base your search on more substance, then you can decide to use the search wall above and select categories that interest you. After selecting a category, you will then be taken to a wall of relevant questions within your chosen category. At this point, you can now pick interesting questions and then you’ll be taken to a video wall where you can see everyone who answered those questions.
If your search produces too many results, then you can refine your search by filtering the videos by age, country, state, zip code, if a member has children or not and if they practice polygamy or not. You can choose as few or as many filters as you want. After watching a video answer, you can then choose to view that member’s entire video profile and then interact with them.
Now … I’ve already seen people who’ve answered at least 30 questions inside their video profile. So think about it … if a person answers 30 to 50 to 100 questions and you can watch 2-minute video answers on each question … that’s an hour to over 3 hours of answers from someone ON VIDEO! That’s a pretty solid marriage interview and from there you can make an informed decision as to whether or not it’s worth your time to meet this person offline, in the presence of a Wali, insha-Allah. At this point you know exactly who you’re dealing with. You were able to actually see them and hear real responses, so meeting them isn’t awkward like trying to meet someone after you’ve exchanged a few e-mails.
I don’t know about you, but if I’m using the internet to search for a spouse, I’d rather get to know someone this way, instead of the alternatives that 99% of the other Muslim Marriage sites have to offer, which I’ll be covering in my next post.
As-Salaamu-Alaikum!
I’ve been married since I was 18-years old. My first marriage didn’t work out. She was a new Shahada, her parents were non-Muslim and they made it extremely difficult for her to practice Islam and because of that, our marriage suffered. I re-married again at age 20 and I’ve been married to the same woman for the last 13-years and Alhamdulilah we have 7 children. 4 boys and 1 girl who are here now and then two more on the way insha-Allah (twins!) – One boy and 1 girl. Allahu-Akbar!
I know that finding someone isn’t easy. I was blessed to have a friend of the family introduce me to my wife and her family. It was truly a blessing from Allah. He made it easy for the both of us, but most times it doesn’t work out like that nowadays and that’s why I created BaitulNikah.com
I take this privilege of helping you find YOUR special someone very seriously. Although I can’t promise a happy ending, my goal is to build the world’s largest video matrimonial network for Muslims and to keep my service Halal. If I can help you find someone to marry, fall in love with, hang out and have fun with, have a bunch of kids with, to increase the ummah and help each other get to Jenna … well then I did my job. That is my vision for Baitul Nikah!
Baitul Nikah is not a faceless corporation. You can trust that there is a completely Muslim staff here, who practices Quran and Sunna, running the day-to-day operations of Baitul Nikah and it is our passion to help you succeed in finding a husband or a wife to complete your deen, insha-Allah. I want to welcome you to Baitul Nikah and may Allah make it easy for you to find what your heart seeks. Amin.
As-Salaamu-Alaikum!
If you plan on joining Baitul Nikah today and you don’t have our new “Love Cam”, then you can use these alternatives …
If you’re on a Mac, here’s what I suggest … Record your videos in Photo Booth. It’s really easy, and if you’re on the latest Mac OS X, then the Photo Booth App should have come with your computer. Photo Booth has a one click record option, it works with your built-in or existing webcam and it even displays the recording time, so you can keep track of how long your videos are. This is really good, because all videos you upload to Baitul Nikah must not exceed 2-minutes. If you’re more video savvy and you want to do some editing to your videos, then record them in iMovie.
If you decide to record from your built-in webcam, then I suggest you use iGlasses. It’s only $10 bux and it’s worth it! It will give you control of the features in your built-in webcam and allow you to control zoom, brightness, color, etc. You can’t normally do this on a built-in webcam for Mac. I don’t know why. I need to talk to Steven P. about that … And be sure to use the “Enhanced” setting. It will make the lighting in your videos look much, much better!
Now if you don’t have a built-in webcam on your Mac, or even if you do, but you want to record videos right from your computer and you want the best possible picture … Go get a Logitech QuickCam Pro 9000. They usually run about $129.00 at BestBuy or you can find them online. Just do a Google search. But these webcams, in my opinion, are the best webcams on the market! Go to YouTube.com and do a search for “Logitech QuickCam Pro 9000 Review”. You’ll see a ton of video reviews with people raving about them. The picture is beautiful! They record in HD, but not on a Mac, only on PC. I know … sucks right … for us Mac lovers, but anyway, this webcam far surpasses the built-in webcam on the Mac and they have a Mac version of this cam. Try Apple.com or your nearest Apple Store. It won’t record in HD on your Mac, but it’s really, really close. I would definitely get it!
If you’re on a PC and you want to record from your computer then I definitely suggest getting a Logitech QuickCam Pro 9000. Â It does record in HD on a PC! They run about $99 bux. (Cheaper on a PC for some reason). It even comes with software to record your videos. Makes it really easy! You can also record your videos in “Windows Movie Maker”. It should be bundled with XP or Vista.
Get our “Love Cam”. You can record on the go, from anywhere! Very flexible. The most affordable way to get HD right in the palm of your hands and your videos will come out beautiful! Works with both Mac and PC.
As-Salaamu-Alaikum!
If you didn’t already know, we’re giving away 100 Flip Minos next week! The HD model. They normally cost $230.00 if you buy one yourself, but if you decide to try Baitul Nikah next week and you’re one of the first 100 users to set up a complete profile, we’re going to send you one absolutely FREE!
The Flip Mino records in wide-screen high definition. It fits in your pocket or your purse and it’s fun to use! The Flip makes it soooooo easy to set up your video profile at Baitul Nikah. It has one button to record and stop record. Who can’t do that? … Then when you’re done, just plug it into your computer with the built in USB arm at the top and BAM … you can upload video at the click of your mouse!
The Baitul Nikah "Love Cam". A mini High-Definition Recorder
Let’s say you wanted to answer a question from our marriage forum under the “Food & Entertainment” Category and that the question was: “What’s your favorite restaurant and what’s your favorite dish?”
Well … you could be out at your favorite restaurant and eating your favorite dish and all you have to do is pull out your shiny new “Love Cam” and answer the question right there on the spot! You can record your video answer, save it and then upload it to Baitul Nikah when you get home!
Easy. Easy. Easy!
Besides … how cool and interesting would you be if you answered all your questions that way instead of just sitting in front of the computer. That’s kinda boring. But with The Flip, you can record anywhwere at any time!
So yes, we’re giving away these cool little camcorders for FREE. You can save $230 bux, but we are giving away a limited number, so if I were you … I WOULDN’T WAIT! Get yours now and be prepared. We only accept two types of video uploads. High quality 640 x 480 resolution or High-definition 1280 x 720. We prefer HD, which is another reason why we’re giving these away.
Insha-Allah you will only see beautiful clear videos inside Baitul Nikah. We screen all videos for quality. We also screen for profanity, nudity, offensive behavior, spam advertising, etc. So make sure your stuff is Halal. We launch in 4 days insha-Allah!
As-Salaamu-Alaikum!
Just finished praying Fajr and I’m blogging again. This seems to be a nasty habit, but what else am I gonna do … sleep? 4 hours of that and I’m bored. Let’s get the day started!
Internet dating and matrimonial websites are big business. It’s a huge market and very competitive. These sites fall under the “community” or “social networking” category. Take Match.com for example. According to Alexa today, it’s the 353rd most visited site on the internet, out of over 70 million other sites! E-Harmony.com is the second largest. And the list continues on, but here’s where it starts to get interesting …
95% of these sites are not run by Muslims, but they claim to serve the Muslim community and they also claim to have Muslim members. Just do a Google search for the term “Muslim Marriage” and you’ll see what I mean. You’ll see clever ads from Match.com and E-Harmony.com, which are NON-MUSLIM CORPORATIONS, advertising ISLAMIC DATING! … You’ll even find some of the so-called “Muslim owned sites” doing the exact same thing, because Shaitan threatens them with poverty and they are trying to be competitive in the market. Besides this … they know that a lot of us are out there dating INSTEAD OF LOOKING TO MARRY, and so they offer a service that seeks to help you further engage in that sin and transgression. Read my lips …
O-N-L-I-N-E D-A-T-I-N-G = BIG DOLLARS AND WE’RE BEING TARGETED!
Why?
Maybe it was that study from JWT that said Muslim Comsumers in the U.S. alone, represent a combined disposable income in excess of $170 billion a year.
These companies know that we (The Muslims) are growing rapidly in numbers every year, we represent a huge market and they know that we’re online searching for a companion. Especially the younger generation. Just look at Myspace.com, etc… They know that most are easily led astray and so if they say “Muslim Dating” or “Islamic Dating” or “Muslim Singles” it tricks the eye and the brain of most, to go and click where they see references made to Islam. You get sucked in, thinking it’s ok and then you end up on a DATING SITE that promotes zina, gay and lesbian relationships, etc… and you already know that this is Hiram for us.
PERFECT EXAMPLE: Muslima.com
This site uses the word “Muslima”. They use the right pictures (people making salat, etc…) to suck you in, blah — blah — blah, but guess what … THE SITE IS NOT RUN BY MUSLIMS! It’s run by a large NON-MUSLIM MEDIA CORPORATION THAT ALSO RUNS A LARGE NUMBER OF DATING AND GAY AND LESBIAN WEBSITES, SO WHY WOULD WE AS MUSLIMS SUPPORT THEM?
These companies are social media houses without morals and they’re looking to capitalize on every market available in the online dating world, so they have sites that support dating for just about every religion, sexual preference and even race! You can take your pick. Black only. White Only. Indian only. Arab only. Jewish only. Gay only. Alien only … well … maybe not alien, but I’m sure someone out there is on the computer late at night with 10 cups of Starbucks, working on DateAnAlien.com right now … … but seriously …
You have to be careful on the internet if you don’t know what you’re doing and if you do know what you’re doing and you’re supporting websites like this, then you should fear Allah and search for a halal solution. Since Baitul Nikah is not live yet, then I would suggest trying another service but DO YOUR DUE DILIGENCE FIRST and be sure of the social environment that you are subscribing to. This a huge topic which cannot be covered in one blog post and I have not covered all the bases. I will reveal more, but do your own research and educate yourself.
As-Salaamu-Alaikum!
Have you ever subscribed to what was supposed to be an online Muslim Marriage Service, and when you began to set up a profile, they started asking stupid questions like…
* Do you drink alcohol? If so, do you drink socially, etc … ?
* Do you smoke cigarettes, etc …
* Are you Sunni? … Are you this or that?
* Do you have a sixth toe and have a profile at DateAnAlien.com … … no seriously…
Now stupid may sound harsh, but to me that’s just what it sounds like. Especially being that I thought I was at a Muslim operated website, where Muslims already know that these intoxicants are Hiram for us, so why would we be doing those things? … And if we were actually engaging in this type of behavior … WHY WOULD I EXPOSE MY SIN AND TELL YOU THAT? … duh!
Think about it…
1.
You’re asking me if I drink and if so … do I drink socially? Are you kidding me? Like that’s supposed to make me a better, more well adjusted alcoholic or something. Somebody please explain this to me, because I’m lost! I thought there was a Muslim behind this site. You know what I mean?
2.
You ask me if I smoke cigarettes, etc … I don’t know. Maybe this one could be valid. Maybe they want to make sure that they match you up with other Muslim chain smokers, so you can form a club and wear cool jackets. … I don’t know.
3.
You ask am I Sunni, Shia, or this one and that one. I thought we were just Muslims. I never read anywhere in the Quran or Sunna where Allah (S.W.A) and his Messenger (S.A.W.) said anything about “sectioning off” the Ummah. I thought we were supposed to hold on to the rope of Allah all together and not be divided. I don’t know … maybe it’s just me.
This is why you have to be careful on the net, because more than likely … if you were at a Muslim Marriage site and it was asking questions like you see above … chances are the people behind the site were not Muslims … and if they were … SUBHANA-ALLAH! … I have no further comment.
Soon insha-Allah, you won’t have to worry about these issues. BaitulNikah.com to the rescue!
So what’s been your experience at other Muslim Marriage sites?
As-Salaamu-Alaikum!
Here’s a video with Sheikh Adly talking about boyfriend-girlfriend issues. It’s pretty clear what is Halal and what is Hiram, but S.M. (the person anonymously asking the questions in this video) isn’t taking NO for an answer!
What’s your view on the whole boyfriend-girlfriend issue?
As-Salaamu-Alaikum!
Are you tired of cheap, so-called Muslim Marriages sites, filled with empty profiles, fake or outdated pictures, scammers looking for a green card, people looking to “hook up” and are not at all serious about marriage? … Subhana-Allah! … We are too. So we decided to fix things.
BaitulNikah.com is the world’s first online Islamic Matrimonial Service, powered solely by high definition video! Our search model allows marriage minded Muslims from all over the world to meet each other in a Halal third-party environment, from the comfort of their home, through a webcam and high-speed internet connection.
We’re pioneering a new standard in the online Muslim Marriage arena, by utilizing a search model that’s based on Quran and Sunna, profiles that are entirely based on video to prove authenticity and by including the Wali in the search process.
Now you can SEE and HEAR your potential spouse answer questions in beautiful wide-screen high definition! That’s right. No more creepy profiles with fake or outdated pictures. No more empty profiles with unanswered questions. No more surfing through page after page of loooooooong exaggerated bios that put you to sleep. And no more not knowing exactly who you’re dealing with online. Alhamdulilah, we fixed it! … Now you can search in all video … Yay!
Baitul Nikah is a high-end solution for Muslims who practice Quran and Sunna and want to do things right. You can meet and interact with REAL PEOPLE and then decide if you’d like to meet them offline, face-to-face, in the presence of a Wali.
Starting April 20, 2009 - you’ll be able to try Baitul Nikah free for a limited time!
Get your webcams ready!
Show some love. Leave a comment!
