If you don’t know what The Lecture Experiment is, you can read all about my experience of how it came to be in my previous post.

An awesome sunrise I saw this morning (a new dawn is coming)

Okay, Alhamdulillah I’ve been contemplating and thinking of a whole bunch of things I can do for this. Here’s what I’ve done so far:

MASSIVE ACTION PLAN

1. Make Du’a to Allah (SWT) for what I want (using the exactness of my ‘result’ statement) constantly/everyday.
2. Secure recording device and borrowing the camera to tape.
3. Look up prices for my dream camera, prices for DVDs, talk to friends about the project
4. Get permission from the speaker to tape and sell his lecture
5. Get permission from the Masjid to tape and sell the lecture (and offer them some of the profit).
6. Do a 5-minute trial run at home to test the taping
7. Be at the Masjid on Saturday (April 18, 2009, when the program will be) at 4:00 pm; set up, execute the production.
8. Edit and complete the master copy of the DVD
9. Start duplicating and selling the DVD

Okay, basically, all of the above was taken from the introductory post. It’s my M.A.P to where I want to be. What’s written in blue is what I’ve already accomplished and what’s written in red is what has been “half-accomplished.” Let me explain exactly what I’ve done so far.

1. Make Du’a to Allah (SWT) for what I want (using the exactness of my ‘result statement) constantly/everyday

I’ve been making my du’a to get the camera I want (in order to produce videos that will, in turn, please Allah (SWT) )

2. Secure recording device and borrowing the camera to tape.

3. Look up prices for my dream camera, prices for DVDs, talk to friends about the project

I put these two together for a reason. I’ve already borrowed my brother-in-law’s camera to tape the lecture. I looked up some prices for the camera I want to get (roughly $700). And I’ve talked to my friend Mohammad about the project (who was ready to help for free, I love that guy, ). However, after ruminating on the quality of the lecture and the price I’d sell the DVD for, re-watching The Strangers, a lecture that was recorded and sold by brother Belal and served as an inspiration for this project, and reading “Produce an A-Grade Lecture…With Hotness” (by Belal Khan) I knew that I wanted to make this a better quality DVD. So, I took a look at my personal resources (I have a lavalier mic that actually might be useless due to incompatibility), and then looked at my other resources (by asking my friend if he’d had a camera and recording device). Alhamdulillah, he has both a camera and a device that can record. I asked to borrow them and he gladly is going to give them to me (still need to be tested).

4. Get permission from the speaker to tape and sell his lecture

This was probably something that began to strike fear in me (which is what usually holds back people from doing projects like this). The Imam (who is giving the lecture) actually has his own office at the Masjid he’s at (the lecture’s at a different Masjid). I’d called him yesterday, after my call with brother Belal, and he unfortunately wasn’t there. So, I’d left a message (my voice trembling) asking permission to record his lecture to make into a DVD for sale (with part of the profits going toward the host Masjid). Then, today, again, I called (I think I’m calling too late) the brother and received the answering machine again. I left another message, this time shorter (not rambling) and my voice sounding a bit stronger (still a little fear). InshaAllah, I’m going to keep calling him and leaving messages (as indirectly advised by brother Belal) and if there’s no resposne (even after I ask the Masjid’s permission, who will InshaAllah say yes), then he just might have to be informed on the day. I’m not sure if this is the best option but it could be a last resort. Though, I doubt he’d object (as long as some of the money will be going to the Masjid, which it will).

~~~

In other news, I’m also still working toward my camera in all ways. While doing all of the above, I also received a button order for 100 buttons ($50). There are 4 different designs (25 each) and I’ve just designed them so they’re ready to print. InshaAllah I’m getting paid for it tomorrow and I’ll make the buttons sometime this coming week (I have to deliver them on Wednesday, so I’ll work on them little-by-little, alternating between that order and this project).

So InshaAllah, expect some more updates and hopefully a final post with a success (A video of celebration recorded with my new camera).

Until next time,

Remember that when you walk towards Allah, he comes running to you! So take the first step and do something!

(Concept from Hadith 38, Forty Hadith, Imam Nawawi)

Waslaamu Alaikum Wa Rahmatullahi Wa Barakatuh