Menumbuhkan Suasana Ibâdah di dalam Rumah

Al-Ustadzah Ummu Ishaq Zulfa Husein Al-Atsariyyah

Bagi seorang muslim ataupun muslimah menjalani kehidupan rumah tangga adalah bagian dari ibadah kepada Allah Subhanahu wa Ta’ala

Karena disadari, hidup berumah tangga merupakan pelaksanaan dari sunnah(1) Rasulullah Shallallahu ‘alaihi wa sallam, di mana beliau mengancam orang yang membenci sunnah ini sebagai orang yang tidak menyepakati jalan yang beliau lalui

Shahabat Nabi yang mulia Anas bin Malik radhiallahu ‘anhu menuturkan...

جاَءَ ثَلاَثَةُ رَهْطٍ إِلَى بُيُوْتِ أَزْوَاجِ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ يَسْأَلُوْنَ عَنْ عِبَادَةِ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ، فَلَمَّا أُخْبِرُوا كَأَنَّهُمْ تَقَالُّوْهَا، فَقَالُوْا: وَأَيْنَ نَحْنُ مِنَ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ؟ قَدْ غَفَرَ اللهُ لَهُ مَا تَقَدَّمَ مِنْ ذَنْبِهِ وَمَا تَأَخَّرَ. قَالَ أَحَدُهُمْ: أَمَا أَنَا فَأَناَ أُصَلِّى اللَّيْلَ أَبَدًا. وَقَالَ آخَرُ: أَنَا أَصُوْمُ الدَّهْرَ وَلاَ أُفْطِرُ. وَقاَلَ آخَرُ: أَنَا أَعْتَزِلُ النِّسَاءَ فَلاَ أَتَزَوَّجُ أبَدًا. فَجَاءَ رَسُوْلُ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ فَقَالَ: أَنْتُمُ الَّذِيْنَ قُلْتُمْ كَذَا وَكَذَا؟ أَمَا وَاللهِ إِنِّي لأَخْشَاكُمْ لِلَّهِ وَأَتْقَاكُمْ لَهُ، لَكِنِّي أَصُوْمُ وَأُفْطِرُ، وَأُصَلِّي وَأَرْقُدُ، وَأَتَزَوَّجُ النِّسَاءَ، فَمَنْ رَغِبَ عَنْ سُنَّتِي فَلَيْسَ مِنِّي

Datang tiga orang shahabat ke rumah istri Nabi Shallallahu ‘alaihi wa sallam guna menanyakan tentang ibadah Nabi Shallallahu ‘alaihi wa sallam. Ketika dikabarkan bagaimana ibadah beliau, seakan-akan mereka menganggapnya kecil. Mereka berkata: ‘Di mana posisi kita dibanding Nabi Shallallahu ‘alaihi wa sallam? Sementara Allah telah mengampuni dosa-dosa beliau yang telah lalu dan yang akan datang’. Salah seorang dari mereka berkata:

“Adapun aku, aku akan shalat malam semalam suntuk’. Yang satu lagi berkata: “Aku akan puasa sepanjang masa dan tidak pernah berbuka’. Yang lainnya mengatakan: “Aku akan menjauhi wanita maka aku tidak akan menikah selama-lamanya.” Datanglah Rasulullah Shallallahu ‘alaihi wa sallam dan dikabarkan ucapan mereka itu kepada beliau. Maka beliau pun bersabda: “Apakah kalian yang mengatakan ini dan itu? Demi Allah, aku adalah orang yang paling takut kepada Allah di antara kalian dan paling bertakwa kepada Allah. Akan tetapi aku puasa dan aku juga berbuka, aku shalat dan aku juga tidur, dan aku menikahi para wanita. Siapa yang membenci sunnahku(2) maka ia bukan termasuk orang yang berjalan diatas jalanku”

(HR. Al-Bukhari no. 5063, kitab An-Nikah, bab At-Targhib fin Nikah dan Muslim no. 3389, kitab An-Nikah, bab Istihbabun Nikah)

Demikianlah, karena menikah adalah ibadah, hidup berumah tangga adalah ibadah sehingga dalam perjalanan rumah tangganya sehari-hari tak lepas dari nilai ibadah. Ia upayakan agar rumah tangganya selalu dipenuhi dengan amalan ketaatan, perbuatan baik dan takwa yang dilakukan seluruh penghuni rumah. Ia memerintahkan mereka, menganjurkan dan mendorong mereka untuk beramal shalih, karena demikianlah yang diperintahkan Rabbnya Subhanahu wa Ta’ala:

وَأْمُرْ أَهْلَكَ بِالصَّلاَةِ وَاصْطَبِرْ عَلَيْهَا لاَ نَسْأَلُكَ رِزْقًا نَحْنُ نَرْزُقُكَ وَالْعَاقِبَةُ لِلتَّقْوَى

“Perintahkanlah keluargamu untuk mengerjakan shalat dan bersabarlah atasnya. Kami tidak meminta rizki kepadamu bahkan Kamilah yang memberimu rizki dan balasan yang baik itu bagi orang-orang yang bertakwa” (Thaha: 132)

Al-’Allamah Asy-Syaikh Abu Abdillah Abdurrahman bin Nashir As-Sa‘di(3) rahimahullahu berkata menafsirkan ayat وَأْمُرْ أَهْلَكَ بِالصَّلاَةِ:

“Anjurkan keluargamu untuk menegakkan shalat, dorong mereka untuk mengerjakannya baik shalat yang wajib maupun yang sunnah. Perintah untuk melakukan sesuatu mencakup perintah untuk melakukan seluruh perkara yang dibutuhkan guna menyempurnakan sesuatu tersebut. Sehingga perintah shalat dalam ayat ini mencakup perintah untuk mengajari keluarga tentang amalan shalat, apa yang bisa memperbaiki shalat, apa yang bisa merusaknya, dan apa yang bisa menyempurnakannya

وَاصْطَبِرْ عَلَيْهَا Yakni:

"Bersabarlah dalam menegakkan shalat, dengan hukum, rukun, adab-adab, dan khusyuknya. Karena hal itu berat bagi jiwa, akan tetapi sepantasnya jiwa itu dipaksa dan dibuat bersungguh-sungguh untuk mengamalkan shalat. Sabar bersama amalan shalat itu berlangsung terus menerus. Karena bila seorang hamba mengerjakan shalat sesuai dengan apa yang diperintahkan, niscaya amalan agama selain shalat akan lebih terjaga dan lebih lurus. Namun bila ia menyia-nyiakan shalat, niscaya amalan lainnya lebih tersia-siakan”

(Taisir Al-Karimir Rahman, hal. 517)

Allah Subhanahu wa Ta’ala memuji salah seorang nabinya yang mulia, Nabi Ismail ‘alaihissalam, dengan firman-Nya:

وَاذْكُرْ فِي الْكِتَابِ إِسْمَاعِيْلَ إِنَّهُ كَانَ صَادِقَ الْوَعْدِ وَكَانَ رَسُوْلاً نَبِيًّا. وَكَانَ يَأْمُرُ أَهْلَهُ بِالصَّلاَةِ وَالزَّكَاةِ وَكَانَ عِنْدَ رَبِّهِ مَرْضِيًّا

“Dan ceritakanlah (wahai Muhammad kepada mereka) kisah Ismail (yang tersebut) di dalam Al-Qur`an. Sesungguhnya Ismail adalah seorang yang benar janjinya dan dia adalah seorang rasul dan nabi. Dia menyuruh keluarganya untuk mengerjakan shalat dan menunaikan zakat, dan dia adalah seorang yang diridhai di sisi Rabbnya.” (Maryam: 54-55)

Al-Allamah Abu Ats-Tsana` Syihabuddin As-Sayyid Mahmud Al-Alusi Al-Baghdadi(4) rahimahullahu berkata:

“Allah Subhanahu wa Ta’ala berfirman وَكَانَ يَأْمُرُ أَهْلَهُ بِالصَّلاَةِ وَالزَّكَاةِ (Dia menyuruh keluarganya untuk mengerjakan shalat dan menunaikan zakat) dalam rangka menyibukkan diri dengan yang paling penting yaitu seorang lelaki (suami/kepala rumah tangga) setelah ia menyempurnakan dirinya ia mulai menyempurnakan orang yang paling dekat dengannya

Allah Subhanahu wa Ta’ala berfirman:

وَ أَنْذِرْ عَشِيْرَتَكَ اْلأَقْرَبِيْنَ

“Berilah peringatan kepada keluarga/kerabatmu yang terdekat” (Asy-Syu`ara’: 214)

وَ أْمُرْ أَهْلَكَ بِالصَّلاَةِ

“Perintahkanlah keluargamu untuk mengerjakan shalat” (Thaha: 132)

قُوْا أَنْفُسَكُمْ وَأَهْلِيْكُمْ نَارًا

“Jagalah diri kalian dan keluarga kalian dari api neraka” (At-Tahrim: 6)

Atau ia bertujuan untuk menyempurnakan semua orang dengan terlebih dahulu menyempurnakan mereka (anggota keluarganya/orang yang terdekat dengannya) karena mereka merupakan qudwah/contoh teladan yang akan ditiru oleh manusia” (Ruhul Ma‘ani, 9/143)

Sabda Nabi yang mulia turut menjadi pendorong untuk menganjurkan keluarganya kepada kebajikan. Abu Hurairah radhiallahu ‘anhu berkata: Rasulullah Shallallahu ‘alaihi wa sallam bersabda...

رَحِمَ اللهُ رَجُلاً قَامَ مِنَ الّليْلِ فَصَلَّى وَأَيْقَظَ امْرَأَتَهُ فَصَلَّتْ, فَإِنْ أَبَتْ نَضَحَ فِي وَجْهِهَا الْمَاءَ. وَ رَحِمَ اللهُ امْرَأَةً قَامَتْ مِنَ الّليْلِ فَصَلَّتْ وَأَيْقَظَتْ زَوْجَهَا فَصَلَّى, فَإِنْ أَبَى نَضَحَت فِي وَجْهِهِ الْمَاءَ

“Semoga Allah merahmati seorang lelaki (suami) yang bangun di waktu malam lalu mengerjakan shalat dan ia membangunkan istrinya hingga istrinya pun shalat. Bila istrinya enggan, ia percikkan air ke wajahnya. Dan semoga Allah merahmati seorang wanita (istri) yang bangun di waktu malam lalu mengerjakan shalat dan ia membangunkan suaminya hingga suaminya pun shalat. Bila suaminya enggan, ia percikkan air ke wajahnya”

(HR. Abu Dawud no. 1308 kitab Ash-Shalah, bab Al-Hatstsu ‘ala Qiyamil Lail, An-Nasa`i no. 1609 bab At-Targhib fi Qiyamil Lail dan Ibnu Majah no. 1336 bab Ma Ja`a Fiman Ayqazha Ahlahu Minal Laili, dihasankan Asy-Syaikh Muqbil dalam Ash-Shahihul Musnad Mimma Laisa fish Shahihain, 2/303)

Al-Allamah Al-‘Azhim Abadi rahimahullahu menerangkan hadits di atas dengan menyatakan bahwa:

"Allah merahmati seorang lelaki yang shalat tahajjud pada sebagian malam dan ia membangunkan istrinya ataupun wanita yang merupakan mahramnya, baik dengan peringatan atau nasehat hingga si istri pun mengerjakan shalat walau hanya satu raka‘at.

Bila istrinya enggan untuk bangun karena kantuk yang sangat atau perasaan malas yang lebih dominan, ia memercikkan air ke wajah istrinya. Yang dimaukan di sini adalah ia berlaku lembut kepada istrinya dan berusaha membangunkannya untuk mengerjakan amalan ketaatan kepada Rabbnya selama memungkinkan, karena Allah Subhanahu wa Ta’ala berfirman:

وَتَعَاوَنُوْا عَلَى الْبِرِّ وَالتَّقْوى

“Tolong menolonglah kalian dalam perbuatan kebaikan dan ketakwaan”

Hadits ini menunjukkan bolehnya bahkan disenangi memaksa seseorang untuk melakukan amal kebaikan. Sebagaimana hadits ini menerangkan tentang pergaulan yang baik antara suami dengan istrinya, kelembutan yang sempurna, kesesuaian, kecocokan dan kesepakatan di antara keduanya

(Lihat Aunul Ma‘bud, kitab Ash-Shalah, bab Al-Hatstsu ‘ala Qiyamil Lail)

Nabi Shallallahu ‘alaihi wa sallam juga bersabda:

إِذَا أَيْقَظَ الرَّجُلُ أَهْلَهُ مِنَ اللّيْلِ فَصَلَّيَا أَوْ صَلَّى رَكْعَتَيْنِ جَمِيْعًا، كُتِبَا في الذَّاكِرِيْنَ وَالذَّاكِرَاتِ

“Apabila seorang lelaki (suami) membangunkan keluarganya di waktu malam hingga keduanya mengerjakan shalat atau shalat 2 rakaat semuanya, maka keduanya dicatat termasuk golongan laki-laki dan perempuan yang berzikir”

(HR. Abu Dawud no. 1309 kitab Ash-Shalah, bab Al-Hatstsu ‘ala Qiyamil Lail, dan Ibnu Majah no. 1335 bab Ma Ja`a Fiman Aiqazha Ahlahu Minal Laili. Dishahihkan Asy-Syaikh Al-Albani dalam Shahih Abi Dawud, Shahih Ibni Majah, dan Al-Misykat no. 1238)

Dalam riwayat yang dikeluarkan An-Nasa`i disebutkan dengan lafadz:

إِذَا اسْتَيْقَظَ الرَّجُلُ مِنَ اللّيْلِ وَأَيْقَظَ امْرَأَتَهُ فَصَلَّيَا رَكْعَتَيْنِ, كُتِبَا مِنَ الذَّاكِرِيْنَ اللهَ كَثِيْرًا وَالذَّاكِرَاتِ

“Apabila seorang lelaki (suami) bangun di waktu malam dan ia membangunkan istrinya lalu keduanya mengerjakan shalat 2 rakaat, maka keduanya dicatat termasuk golongan laki-laki dan perempuan yang banyak mengingat/berdzikir kepada Allah”

Yang dimaksud dengan keluarga dalam hadits di atas meliputi istri, anak-anak, kerabat, budak laki-laki maupun perempuan (Aunul Ma‘bud, kitab Ash-Shalah, bab Al-Hatstsu ‘ala Qiyamil Lail)

Dan hadits di atas tidaklah menunjukkan syarat harus suami yang membangunkan istrinya namun yang dimaukan adalah bila salah seorang dari keduanya terbangun di waktu malam maka ia membangunkan yang lain (Syarhu Sunan Ibni Majah, Al-Imam As-Sindi, 1/401)

Sungguh beruntung pasangan suami istri atau keluarga yang mengamalkan hadits diatas karena mereka akan tercatat sebagai orang-orang yang banyak berzikir kepada Allah. Dan ganjarannya, mereka akan beroleh ampunan berikut pahala yang besar, sebagaimana Rabbul ‘Izzah berfirman:

اَلذَّاكِرِيْنَ اللهَ كَثِيْرًا وَالذَّاكِرَاتِ أَعَدَّ اللهُ لَهُمْ مَغْفِرَةً وَأَجْرًا عَظِيْمًا

“Kaum laki-laki dan perempuan yang banyak berzikir kepada Allah, Allah menyiapkan bagi mereka ampunan-Nya dan pahala yang besar” (Al-Ahzab: 35)

Kasih sayang dan kelembutan seorang suami ataupun seorang istri kepada keluarganya semestinya tidak menghalanginya untuk menasehati dan menganjurkan mereka agar senantiasa meningkatkan ibadah kepada Allah Subhanahu wa Ta’ala. Sebagaimana hal ini diperbuat qudwah shalihah dan uswah hasanah kita, Rasul yang mulia Shallallahu ‘alaihi wa sallam kepada keluarganya. Di mana beliau Shallallahu ‘alaihi wa sallam membangunkan mereka untuk mengerjakan shalat malam. ‘Aisyah radhiallahu ‘anha mengabarkan:

كَانَ النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ يُصَلِّى وَأَنَا رَاقِدَةٌ مُعْتَرِضَةً عَلى فِرَاشِهِ, فَإِذَا أَرَادَ أَنْ يُوْتِرَ أَيْقَظَنِي فَأَوْتَرْتُ

“Adalah Nabi Shallallahu ‘alaihi wa sallam shalat malam sedangkan aku tidur dalam keadaan melintang di atas tempat tidurnya. Bila beliau hendak shalat witir beliau pun membangunkan aku, maka aku pun mengerjakan witir”

(HR. Al-Bukhari no. 997 kitab Al-Witr, bab Iqazhun Nabiyyi Shallallahu ‘alaihi wa sallam Ahlahu bil Witr dan Muslim no. 1141, bab I‘tirad baina Yadayil Mushalli)

Ummu Salamah radhiallahu ‘anha, istri beliau yang lain juga berkisah:

أن النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ اِسْتَيْقَطَ لَيْلَةً, فَقَالَ: سُبْحَانَ اللهِ مَاذَا أُنْزِلَ الْلَّيْلَةَ مِنَ الْفِتَنِ, مَاذَا أُنْزِلَ مِنَ الْخَزَائِنِ, مَنْ يُوْقِظُ صَوَاحِبَ الْحُجرَاتِ؟ يَا رُبَّ كَاسِيَةٍ فِي الدُّنْيَا عَارِيَةٍ فِي الآخِرَةِ

“Suatu malam Nabi Shallallahu ‘alaihi wa sallam terbangun. Beliau bersabda: “Maha suci Allah, fitnah apakah yang diturunkan pada malam ini dan perbendaharaan apakah yang diturunkan pada malam ini? Siapakah yang akan membangunkan para penghuni kamar-kamar itu(5). Berapa banyak orang yang berpakaian di dunia ini namun di akhirat ia telanjang”

(HR. Al-Bukhari no. 1126, kitab At-Tahajjud, bab Tahridlin Nabiyyi Shallallahu ‘alaihi wa sallam ‘ala Qiyamil Laili wan Nawafil min Ghairi Ijab)

Tidak sebatas istri-istrinya, bahkan Rasulullah Shallallahu ‘alaihi wa sallam juga membangunkan anak dan menantunya untuk mengerjakan shalat, sebagaimana dikisahkan Ali bin Abi Thalib radhiallahu ‘anhu:

أَنَّ رَسُوْلَ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ طَرَقَهُ وَفَاطِمَةَ بِنْتَ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ لَيْلَةً, فَقَالَ: أَلاَ تُصَلِّيَانِ؟

Suatu malam Rasulullah Shallallahu ‘alaihi wa sallam pernah mendatanginya dan Fathimah putri Nabi, seraya berkata: “Tidakkah kalian berdua bangun untuk mengerjakan shalat?”

(HR. Al-Bukhari no. 1127 kitab At-Tahajjud, bab Tahridlin Nabiyyi Shallallahu ‘alaihi wa sallam ‘ala Qiyamil Laili wan Nawafil min Ghairi Ijab dan Muslim no. 1815, kitab Shalatul Musafirin wa Qashruha, bab Ma Ruwiya Fiman Namal Laila Ajma‘ Hatta Ashbaha)

Ibnu Baththal rahimahullahu berkata:

“Hadits ini menunjukkan keutamaan shalat malam (shalat lail/tahajjud) dan membangunkan keluarga serta kerabat yang tidur agar mengerjakan shalat malam tersebut” (Fathul Bari, 3/15-16)

Ath-Thabari rahimahullahu menyatakan;

"Seandainya Nabi Shallallahu ‘alaihi wa sallam tidak mengetahui adanya keutamaan yang besar dalam shalat lail niscaya beliau tidak akan mengusik putrinya dan anak pamannya pada waktu yang memang Allah jadikan sebagai saat ketenangan/istirahat bagi makhluk-Nya. Akan tetapi Nabi Shallallahu ‘alaihi wa sallam memilih keduanya agar memperoleh keutamaan itu daripada merasakan lelapnya dan enaknya tidur. Beliau lakukan hal tersebut dalam rangka menjalankan firman Allah Subhanahu wa Ta’ala: وَأْمُرْ أَهْلَكَ بِالصَّلاَةِ (Perintahkanlah keluargamu untuk shalat) (Fathul Bari, 3/16)

Demikianlah seharusnya hidup berumah tangga. Sepasang insan yang beriman kepada Allah dan hari akhir selalu dipenuhi dengan ibadah dan amal ketaatan kepada Allah, ajakan dan anjuran kepada anggota keluarga untuk mengerjakan kebaikan dan melarang dari kemungkaran. Sehingga kita dapatkan keluarga muslim adalah keluarga yang senantiasa berlomba-lomba kepada kebaikan, terdepan dalam menjalankan titah Ar-Rahman:

فَاسْتَبِقُوا الْخَيْرَاتِ

“Berlomba-lombalah kalian kepada kebaikan” (Al-Baqarah: 148)

سَابِقُوا إِلَى مَغْفِرَةٍ مِنْ رَبِّكُمْ وَجَنَّةٍ عَرْضُهَا كَعَرْضِ السَّمَاءِ وَاْلأَرْضِ أُعِدَّتْ لِلَّذِيْنَ آمَنُوا بِاللهِ وَرُسُلِهِ ذَلِكَ فَضْلُ اللهِ يُؤْتِيْهِ مَنْ يَشَاءُ وَاللهُ ذُو الْفَضْلِ الْعَظِيْمِ

“Bersegeralah kalian kepada ampunan dari Rabb kalian dan kepada surga yang luasnya seluas langit dan bumi yang disediakan bagi orang-orang yang beriman kepada Allah dan rasul-rasul-Nya. Yang demikian itu adalah keutamaan Allah, diberikan-Nya kepada siapa yang Dia kehendaki dan Allah memiliki keutamaan yang besar” (Al-Hadid: 21)

Wallahu ta‘ala a‘lam bish-shawab

Footnote:

1 Yang dimaksud dengan sunnah di sini adalah jalan/cara bukan sunnah yang merupakan lawan dari wajib/fardlu

2 Membenci sunnahku yakni meninggalkan jalanku dan mengambil selain jalanku (Fathul Bari, 9/133)

3 Lahir 12 Muharram 1307 H (1886 M) dan wafat 24 Jumadits Tsaniyah 1376 H (1955 M)

4 Wafat th. 1270 H

5 Yang beliau maksudkan adalah istri-istri beliau agar mereka bangun guna mengerjakan shalat (Fathul Bari 3/15)

Ana edit (dalam pemformatan) dari sumber rujukan: http://www.asysyariah.com/print.php?id_online=347

(Qiyamullail) Menegakkan Shalat Tahajjud

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

"Dengan menyebut nama Allah yang Maha Pengasih lagi Maha Penyayang"


[Tips] Bangun Malam-Malam
(Qiyamullail) Menegakkan Shalat Tahajjud



1. ”Memahami Keutamaan Shalat Malam”

* Shalat tahajjud adalah shalat yang paling utama setelah shalat wajib
o “Sebaik-baik puasa setelah puasa ramadhan adalah puasa bulan muharram dan sebaik-baik shalat setelah shalat wajib adalah shalat lail” [Hadits Riwayat. Muslim no. 1163]
o “Sholat yang paling utama sesudah sholat fardhu adalah qiyamul lail (sholat di tengah malam)" (Muttafaqun ‘alaih)
* Orang yang menegakkan qiyamullail akan terpelihara dari gangguan setan, dan bangun di pagi hari dalam keadan segar dan bersih jiwanya
o Suatu hari pernah diceritakan kepada Rasulullah shallallahu ‘alaihi wa sallam tentang orang yang tidur semalam suntuk tanpa mengingat untuk sholat, maka beliau menyatakan: “Orang tersebut telah dikencingi setan di kedua telinganya” (Muttafaqun ‘alaih)
o Rasulullah shallallahu ‘alaihi wa sallam juga menceritakan: “Setan mengikat pada tengkuk setiap orang diantara kalian dengan 3 ikatan (simpul) ketika kalian akan tidur. Setiap simpulnya ditiupkanlah bisikannya (kepada orang yang tidur itu): “Bagimu malam yang panjang, tidurlah dengan nyenyak.” Maka apabila (ternyata) ia bangun dan menyebut nama Allah Ta’ala (berdoa), maka terurailah (terlepas) satu simpul. Kemudian apabila ia berwudhu, terurailah satu simpul lagi. Dan kemudian apabila ia sholat, terurailah simpul yang terakhir. Maka ia berpagi hari dalam keadaan segar dan bersih jiwanya. Jika tidak (yakni tidak bangun sholat dan ibadah di malam hari), maka ia berpagi hari dalam keadaan kotor jiwanya dan malas (beramal shalih)” (Muttafaqun ‘alaih)

* Mengetahui di malam hari itu ada 1/3 malam terakhir dimana Allah Subhanahu wa Ta’ala akan mengabulkan doa orang yang berdoa, memberi sesuatu bagi yang meminta, dan mengampuni yang memohon ampunan-Nya

o Hadits yang diriwayatkan oleh Abu Hurairah bahwasannya Nabi bersabda: "Allah turun ke langit dunia setiap malam pada 1/3 malam terakhir. Allah lalu berfirman, Siapa yang berdoa kepada-Ku niscaya Aku kabulkan! Siapa yang meminta kepada-Ku niscaya Aku beri! Siapa yang meminta ampun kepada-Ku tentu Aku ampuni. Demikianlah keadaannya hingga terbit fajar" (HR. Bukhari no. 145 dan Muslim no. 758)
o "Rabb (Tuhan) kami yang Maha Suci lagi Maha Tinggi turun kelangit dunia tiap malam ketika tersisa 1/3 malam terakhir seraya berkata: "Siapa berdo´a kepada-Ku pasti Aku kabulkan, siapa meminta kepada-Ku pasti Aku beri dan siapa memohon ampun kepada-Ku pasti Aku ampuni ia"(HR. Bukhari - Muslim)
o "Posisi Rabb (Allah) yang paling dekat dengan hambanya adalah dipenghujung malam, jika anda mampu untuk berzdikir kepada Allah pada saat itu maka lakukanlah" (HR. At-Tirmidzi, Ibn Huzaimah dll dengan sanad shahih)
o "Pintu-pintu langit dibuka pada pertengahan malam lalu penyeru-pun menyeru: "Apakah ada orang berdo´a, pasti dikabulkan do´anya. Apakah ada orang meminta, pasti diberi permintaannya. Dan apakah ada orang yang sumpek (banyak problem), pasti dihilangkan darinya. Maka tidaklah seorang muslimpun yang berdo´a saat itu melainkan pasti Allah mengabulkannya kecuali zaniah (pelacur yang belum bertaubat) dan `Asysyaar (Seorang yang mengambil harta manusia dengan cara bathil)" (Hadits shahih diriwayatkan at-Tabhrani)
o “Sesungguhnya, di malam hari ada satu waktu. Tidaklah seorang muslim berdoa kepada Allah mohon kebaikan dunia dan akhirat di malam itu, kecuali Allah pasti mengabulkan permohonannya. Waktu tersebut ada pada tiap-tiap malam” (HR. Muslim No. 757)
o “Rabb kalian turun setiap malam ke langit dunia tatkala lewat tengah malam, lalu Ia berfirman: “Adakah orang yang berdoa agar Aku mengabulkan doanya?” (HR Bukhari 3/25-26)
o Dalam riwayat lain disebutkan, bahwa Allah Subhanahu wa Ta’ala berfirman: “Barangsiapa yang memohon ampun kepada-Ku, niscaya Aku mengampuninya, siapa yang memohon (sesuatu) kepada-Ku, niscaya Aku pun akan memberinya, dan siapa yang berdoa kepada-Ku, niscaya Aku akan mengabulkannya” Hal ini terus terjadi sampai terbitnya fajar. (Tafsir Ibnu Katsir 3/54)
o Dari Abdullah bin Amr bin Ash bahwasanya rasulullah bersabda: “shalat yang paling dicintai Allah adalah shalatnya nabi Daud, dan puasa yang paling dicintai oleh Allah adalah puasanya nabi Daud, beliau tidur separuh malam, bangung sepertiganya, tidur seperenamnya, dan berpuasa satu dan tidak berpuasa satu hari” (muttafaq alaih).

* Menjadikan sebab masuk surga
o Rosululloh sholallohu ‘alaihi wa sallam bersabda, “Wahai sekalian manusia, sebarkanlah salam, berilah makanan, sambunglah tali persaudaraan dan sholatlah ketika manusia terlelap tidur pada waktu malam niscaya engkau akan masuk surga dengan selamat” (HR. Ibnu Majah, dishohihkan oleh Al Albani)
o Menaikkan derajat di surga: “Sungguh di dalam surga tedapat kamar-kamar yang bagian dalamnya terlihat dari luar dan bagian luarnya terlihat dari dalam. Kamar-kamar itu Allah sediakan bagi orang yang memberi makan, melembutkan perkataan, mengiringi puasa Romadhan (dengan puasa sunah), menebarkan salam dan mengerjakan sholat malam ketika manusia lain terlelap tidur” (HR. At Tirmidzi, dihasankan oleh Al Albani)

2. Membangkitkan 'Azzam (Keinginan Kuat) untuk Bangun Shalat Malam

* "Berusaha merasakan penuh kesadaran mendalam, keinginan yang kuat serta harapan menggebu-gebu"
o Kerinduan yang teramat sangat teruntuk taqarrub kepada Allah di keheningan malam dengan bangun malam-malam mengisinya dengan shalat dan ibadah
* Kuatkan rasa cinta kita kepada Allah, apalagi dengan mengerjakan sholat malam kita akan bercakap-cakap dengan Allah 'azza wa jalla lebih dekat. Betapa tiap patah kata yang kita ucapkan benar-benar munajat kepada Allah
o Meyakini bahwa Allah 'azza wa jalla pasti akan memperhatikan dan menyaksikan apa saja yang terlintas dalam hati dan benak kita
o Memahami, seseorang yang benar-benar ingin dicintai Allah pasti akan berusaha menyendiri (berkhalwat) dengan-Nya, merasakan lazatnya bermunajat sepenuh hati dan kekuatan. Sehingga akan menyebabkan tahan (kuatnya) beribadah sepanjang malam...
o Saat untuk menatap diri pada-Nya di heningnya malam, mengadu menyampaikan segala keluh gelisah kita setelah aktivitas seharian , meratap pada-Nya menderu sedan tangis menjemput ketenangan jiwa

3. Berusaha Menunaikanya Berarti Kita Telah Mentaati Perintah Allah dan Rasul-Nya dan Allah Akan mengangkat Kita ke Tempat yang Terpuji
وَمِنَ اللَّيْلِ فَتَهَجَّدْ بِهِ نَافِلَةً لَّكَ عَسَى أَن يَبْعَثَكَ رَبُّكَ مَقَامًا مَّحْمُودًا

* “Dan pada sebagian malam hari, shalat tahajjudlah kamu sebagai ibadah nafilah bagimu, mudah-mudahan Rabb-mu mengangkatmu ke tempat yang terpuji” (Al-Isro’:79)
o Dr. Muhammad Sulaiman Abdullah Al-Asyqor menerangkan: “At-Tahajjud adalah sholat di waktu malam sesudah bangun tidur. Adapun makna ayat “sebagai ibadah nafilah” yakni sebagai tambahan bagi ibadah-ibadah yang fardhu. Disebutkan bahwa sholat lail itu merupakan ibadah yang wajib bagi Rasulullah shallallahu ‘alaihi wa sallam, dan sebagai ibadah tathowwu’ (sunnah) bagi umat beliau” (lihat Zubdatut Tafsir, hal. 375 dan Tafsir Ibnu Katsir: 3/54-55)
* Ketika Allah menyebutkan sifat-sifat orang yang bertakwa bahwa mereka:

كَانُوا قَلِيلًا مِّنَ اللَّيْلِ مَا يَهْجَعُونَ
وَبِالْأَسْحَارِ هُمْ يَسْتَغْفِرُونَ
“Mereka sedikit sekali tidur di waktu malam; dan di akhir-akhir malam mereka memohon ampun (kepada Allah)” (Adzariyat : 17-18)

o Allah Ta’aala berfirman tentang sifat 'ibadur-Rahman:

وَالَّذِينَ يَبِيتُونَ لِرَبِّهِمْ سُجَّدًا وَقِيَامًا

+ "Dan orang yang melalui malam hari dengan bersujud dan berdiri untuk Tuhan mereka (Shalat malam)" (QS. Al-Furqan: 64)

تَتَجَافَى جُنُوبُهُمْ عَنِ الْمَضَاجِعِ يَدْعُونَ رَبَّهُمْ خَوْفًا وَطَمَعًا وَمِمَّا رَزَقْنَاهُمْ يُنفِقُونَ
فَلَا تَعْلَمُ نَفْسٌ مَّا أُخْفِيَ لَهُم مِّن قُرَّةِ أَعْيُنٍ جَزَاءً بِمَا كَانُوا يَعْمَلُونَ

o "Lambung mereka jauh dari tempat tidurnya (untuk shalat malam), sedang mereka berdo´a kepada Tuhannya dengan rasa takut dan harap, dan mereka menafkahkan sebagian dari rezki yang kami berikan kepada mereka. Seorangpun tidak mengetahui apa yang disembunyikan untuk mereka yaitu (bermacam-macam nikmat) yang menyedapkan pandangan mata sebagai balasan terhadap apa yang telah mereka kerjakan" (QS. As-Sajdah: 16-17)

4. Meneladani Rasulullah, Sebaik-baik Teladan yang Kita Diperintah untuk Mengikutinya

يَا أَيُّهَا الْمُزَّمِّلُ

قُمِ اللَّيْلَ إِلَّا قَلِيلًا

نِصْفَهُ أَوِ انقُصْ مِنْهُ قَلِيلًا
أَوْ زِدْ عَلَيْهِ وَرَتِّلِ الْقُرْآنَ تَرْتِيلًا

o “Hai orang yang berselimut (Muhammad), bangunlah (untuk shalat) di malam hari, kecuali sedikit (daripadanya), (yaitu) seperduanya atau kurangilah dari seperdua itu sedikit, atau lebih dari seperdua itu, Dan bacalah Al-Qur’an itu dengan perlahan-lahan” (Al-Muzzammil: 1-4)
o Dari aisyah -Radhiallahu ‘Anha berkata: "Bahwasannya Rasulullah -Shallallaahu ‘Alaihi Wa ‘Ala Alihi Wa Sallam shalat malam sampai pecah-pecah (bengkak) kedua kakinya, lalu akupun berkata kepada Beliau: "Mengapa Anda lakukan ini wahai Rasulullah, padahal telah diampuni dosa anda yang lalu dan yang akan datang?" Beliau -Shallallaahu ‘Alaihi Wa ‘Ala Alihi Wa Sallam bersabda: "Tidakkah sepatutnya aku menjadi hamba yang bersyukur" (HR. Bukhari - Muslim)
o Al-Aswad bin Yazid berkata: “Aku pernah bertanya kepada ‘Aisyah Radhiallaahu anha tentang shalat malam Rasulullah Shalallaahu alaihi wasalam. ‘Aisyah menjawab: “Biasanya beliau tidur di awal malam, kemudian tengah malamnya beliau bangun mengerjakan shalat malam. Bila merasa ada keperluan beliau segera menemui istri. Beliau segera bangkit begitu mendengar seruan azan. Beliau segera mandi bila dalam keadaan junub. Jika tidak, maka beliau segera berwudhu’ lalu berangkat (ke masjid untuk) shalat” (HR. Al-Bukhari)
o Shalat malam rasulullah sangat mengagumkan: Abu Abdillah Hudzaifah ibnul Yaman Radhiallaahu anhu mengisahkan: "Pada suatu malam, aku pernah shalat tahajjud bersama Rasulullah Shalallaahu alaihi wasalam . Beliau mengawali shalat dengan membaca surat Al-Baqarah, saya berkata di dalam hati, “Mungkin setelah membaca kira-kira seratus ayat, ternyata beliau terus tidak berhenti, saya berkata lagi di dalam hati, “Mungkin, beliau selesaikan pembacaan surat Al-Baqarah. Dalam satu raka’at ternyata beliau terus memulai surat Ali Imron kemudian terus mem-bacanya saya berbicara di dalam hati: (mungkin) beliau mau ruku setelah selesai Ali-Imron, ternyata beliau terus membaca surat An Nisa sampai habis. Beliau membaca surat-surat tersebut dengan bacaan tartil. Setiap kali membaca ayat yang menyebutkan kemahasucian Allah Ta’ala beliau selalu bertasbih (mengucapkan subhanallah). Setiap kali membaca ayat yang berisikan permohonan, beliau pasti berdoa. Setiap kali membaca ayat yang menyebutkan permintaan berlindung diri kepada Allah Ta’ala, beliau segera mengucapkan ta’awwudz. Ketika ruku’ beliau membaca: Subhaana Rabbiyal ‘Adzhiim (“Maha Suci Rabbku Yang Maha Agung”) Lama ruku’ beliau hampir sama dengan lama berdiri. Kemudian beliau mengucapkan: Sami’allahuliman hamidah, Rabbana lakal hamdu “Allah Maha mendengar terhadap hamba yang memuji-Nya. Ya Rabb kami, segala puji bagi-Mu.” Kemudian beliau tegak berdiri (i’tidal), hampir sama lamanya dengan ruku’. Kemudian beliau sujud dan membaca: Subhaana Rabbiyal ‘A’la ( “Maha Suci Rabbku Yang Maha Luhur.” ) Lama sujud beliau hampir sama dengan lama i’tidal.” (HR. Muslim)

5. Qiyamullail Adalah Kebiasaan Orang-Orang Shalih dan Calon penghuni Syurga
إِنَّ الْمُتَّقِينَ فِي جَنَّاتٍ وَعُيُونٍ
آخِذِينَ مَا آتَاهُمْ رَبُّهُمْ إِنَّهُمْ كَانُوا قَبْلَ ذَلِكَ مُحْسِنِينَ
كَانُوا قَلِيلًا مِّنَ اللَّيْلِ مَا يَهْجَعُونَ
وَبِالْأَسْحَارِ هُمْ يَسْتَغْفِرُونَ

o “Sesungguhnya orang-orang yang bertakwa itu berada dalam taman-taman surga dan di mata air-mata air, sambil mengambil apa yang diberikan oleh Rabb mereka. Sesungguhnya mereka sebelum itu (di dunia) adalah orang-orang yang berbuat kebaikan, (yakni) mereka sedikit sekali tidur di waktu malam, dan di akhir-akhir malam mereka memohon ampun (kepada Allah)” (Adz-Dzariyat: 15-18)
o "Hendaklah kalian melakukan sholat malam, karena sholat malam itu adalah kebiasaan orang-orang sholih sebelum kalian, dan ibadah yang mendekatkan diri pada Tuhan kalian serta penutup kesalahan dan sebagai penghapus dosa” (HR. Tirmidzi no. 3549, Al Hakim I/380, Baihaqi II/502. Dihasankan oleh Syaikh Al Albani dalam Irwa Al Ghalil II/199/no. 452)
o “Sebaik-baik lelaki adalah Abdullah (yakni Abdullah bin Umar bin Khaththab radhiyallahu ‘anhuma, -ed) seandainya ia sholat di waktu malam” (HR Muslim No. 2478 dan 2479). Beliau shallallahu ‘alaihi wa sallam pernah menasihati Abdullah ibnu Umar radhiyallahu ‘anhuma: “Wahai Abdullah, janganlah engkau menjadi seperti fulan, ia kerjakan shalat malam, lalu ia meninggalkannya” (HR Bukhari 3/31 dan Muslim 2/185)

6. Meneladani Kesungguhan Para Salafus Shalih Dalam Menegakkan Qiyamul Lail

o Disebutkan dalam sebuah riwayat, bahwa tatkala orang-orang sudah terlelap dalam tidurnya, Ibnu Mas’ud radhiyallahu ‘anhu justru mulai bangun untuk shalat tahajjud, sehingga terdengar seperti suara dengungan lebah (yakni Al-Qur’an yang beliau baca dalam sholat lailnya seperti dengungan lebah, karena beliau membaca dengan suara pelan tetapi bisa terdengar oleh orang yang ada disekitarnya, ed.), sampai menjelang fajar menyingsing
o Al-Imam Al-Hasan Al-Bashri rahimahullah pernah ditanya: “Mengapa orang-orang yang suka bertahajjud itu wajahnya paling bercahaya dibanding yang lainnya?” Beliau menjawab: “Karena mereka suka berduaan bersama Allah Yang Maha Rahman, maka Allah menyelimuti mereka dengan cahaya-Nya"
o Abu Sulaiman berkata: “Malam hari bagi orang yang setia beribadah di dalamnya, itu lebih nikmat daripada permainan mereka yang suka hidup bersantai-santai. Seandainya tanpa adanya malam, sungguh aku tidak suka tinggal di dunia ini”
o Al-Imam Ibnu Al-Munkadir menyatakan : “Bagiku, kelezatan dunia ini hanya ada pada 3 perkara, yakni qiyamul lail, bersilaturrahmi dan sholat berjamaah”

7. Mengingat, Kemuliaan Seorang yang Beriman Ada Pada Shalat Malamnya

* Ketika Jibril datang pada Rosulullah shalallahu ‘alaihi wa sallam lalu berkata, “Hai Muhammad, kemuliaan orang beriman adalah dengan sholat malam. Dan kegagahan orang beriman adalah sikap mandiri dari bantuan orang lain” (HR. Al Hakim, dihasankan oleh Al Albani, Silsilah Al Ahadits Ash Shahihah no. 831)

إِنَّ نَاشِئَةَ اللَّيْلِ هِيَ أَشَدُّ وَطْءًا وَأَقْوَمُ قِيلً

* "Sesungguhnya bangun di waktu malam adalah lebih tepat (untuk khusyuk) dan bacaan di waktu itu lebih berkesan" (QS. Al-Muzammil: 6)
o Qiyamul lail merupakan amalan utama, lebih utama daripada shalat sunnah di siang hari; karena di waktu sepi kita akan lebih ikhlas kepada Allah dan karena beratnya meninggalkan tidur, serta kelezatan bermunajat kepada Allah azza wajalla terutama pada kemuliaan 1/3 akhir malam

* Maka berusaha menjadikan qiyamullail kebiasaan dan kebutuhan pokok kita
o Sebagaimana betapa butuhnya kita akan kasih-sayang Allah menghamba pada-Nya, maka kita buktikan dengan senantiasa menghadap pada-Nya di 1/3 malam akhir, berkesendirian dengan-Nya

8. Meniatkan ('azzam yang kuat-affirmasi diri) Sebelumnya Untuk Bisa Bangun Memuliakan Keheningan Malam dengan Beribadah Kepada Allah

* Berusaha bersikap adil teruntuk dunia dan akhirat kita
o Mengingat: “Jika malam-malam kita sebelumnya telah sekian lama kita habiskan untuk tidur saja, sudah saatnya mulai malam ini kita bangun membasuh muka dengan air wudhu' dan lekas menyongsong perjumpaan dengan-Nya”
o Serta, sudah adilkah jatah waktu kita antara dunia dan akhirat dalam keseharian kita?, maka mari kita menggenapi ketidak-adilan kita selama ini pada agama dan akhirat kita serta urusan diri kita kepada Allah dengan bersegera...
+ Mulai malam ini, saat Allah masih memberi kesempatan pada diri kita sebelum kesempatan itu tiada (Allah mencabut-Nya)...

* Menjadikan tiap malam kita menjadi malam-malam yang paling berkesan, penuh dengan doa-doa kita memohon ampun kepada Allah bercakap-cakap erat dengan-Nya dan bukanya malah bertabur dosa dan kemaksiatan
o Buktikan kita benar-benar mengharap hidayah dan kekuatan dari Allah dengan menghadap di 1/3 malam-Nya, sehingga hati kita akan menjadi bersih, dan diberi kemudahan menuju jalan kebaikan dan keselamatan akhirat kita
o Dan semoga kita termasuk golongan hamba-Nya yang beruntung
o Merasakan manfaatnya bagi jiwa kita; dengan melaksanakannya akan mendatangkan pencerahan pada jiwa dan ketenangan batin kita
o Mencukupkan malam-malam kita sebagai tempat berkeluh kesah hanya kepada Allah. Dengan sederas mungkin tangis kita, biarlah air mata meluap menunjukkan kelemahan dan ketidak-berdayaan diri kita hidup di dunia ini
o Tatkala seorang hamba menyembunyikan amal ibadah tertutup pekatnya malam, insya Allah Allah akan menutup pula aib-aib kita terhindar dari segala keburukan amalan kita

9. Mengusahakan Hal-hal Yang Akan Mempermudah Kita Bangun Malam

* Mengusahakan tidak terlalu banyak makan dan minum sebelumnya
o Yang akan membuat perut terlalu kenyang dan mata mengantuk (terasa berat) untuk bangun ditengah malam
* Mengusahakan untuk tidur pada siang hari meskipun sebentar
o Sebab dengan adanya tidur siang tersebut akan memudahkan kita untuk bangun malam
* Berusaha senantiasa memuliakan masjid dan menitipkan hati kita disana
o Dengan meramaikanya untuk ibadah dan shalat berjama'ah diawal waktu (teruntuk laki-laki)
o Sehingga akan terbiasa, menyatu menjadi jati diri keislaman kita untuk senantiasa menjaga waktu-waktu ibadah kita kepada Allah secara berjamaah penuh kesadaran
* Berusaha sedekat mungkin bergaul merekatkan diri pada orang-orang shaleh
o Orang yang akan memberi kita nasehat (mengingatkan dan memberi masukan) akan kesalahan dan kekurangan diri kita

كُنتُمْ خَيْرَ أُمَّةٍ أُخْرِجَتْ لِلنَّاسِ تَأْمُرُونَ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ وَتَنْهَوْنَ عَنِ الْمُنكَرِ وَتُؤْمِنُونَ بِاللّهِ

+ "Kalian adalah umat terbaik yang dilahirkan untuk manusia; melaksanakan amar makruf nahi mungkar dan beriman kepada Allah" (QS Ali Imran [3]: 110)
o Dan bukanya malah berteman dengan pencari kesenangan saja yang biasanya malah menjerumuskan (menyesatkan)

10. Berusaha meninggalkan Maksiat, Dosa dan Perbuatan Bid'ah

* Al-Imam Hasan Al-Bashri pernah menegaskan...
o “Sesungguhnya orang yang telah melakukan dosa, akan terhalang dari qiyamul lail.” Ada seseorang yang bertanya: “Aku tidak dapat bangun untuk untuk qiyamul lail, maka beritahukanlah kepadaku apa yang harus kulakukan?” Beliau menjawab : “Jangan engkau bermaksiat (berbuat dosa) kepada-Nya di waktu siang, niscaya Dia akan membangunkanmu di waktu malam” (Tazkiyyatun Nufus, karya Dr Ahmad Farid)
* Berusaha untuk senantiasa mengawasi diri (menghisab diri) tiap amalan kita
o Bahkan dari segala yang terlintas dalam benak kita serta informasi yang layak (boleh masuk) dalam ingatan (perhatian) kita

11. Memanfaatkan Segala Sumber Daya Yang Kita Miliki Untuk Bisa Bangun Shalat Malam

* Seperti beker, alarm HP dan program-program reminter shalat (seperti mawaqit untuk HP yang sudah support java), dll serta teman, dan suami-istri untuk saling membantu serta berjamah melaksanakanya
* Selain saling membangunkan suami-istri, dan keluarga juga saling membangunkan tetangga atau teman dengan menelpon/misscal melalui HP-nya. Saling berta'awun dalam kebaikan dan taqwa
o “Allah memberi rahmat kepada seorang suami yang bangun malam lalu shalat dan (tidak lupa) membangunkan istrinya kemudian ia shalat juga. Jika istrinya enggan, dia (boleh) memerciki wajah istrinya dengan air. Allah memberi rahmat kepada seorang istri yang bangun malam kemudian mengerjakan shalat, dan ia tidak lupa membangunkan suaminya. Jika suaminya malas bangun, ia boleh memerciki wajah suaminya dengan air” (HR Abu Daud)

12. Mempersiapkan Diri Sebelumnya Dengan Tidur Diawal Waktu dan Meniatkan Untuk Bangun Shalat Malam

* "Disunnahkan bagi seorang muslim tidur dalam keadaan suci, dan barangsiapa yang bermalam dalam keadaan suci maka malaikat turut bermalam bersamanya, dan ia tidak bangung kecuali malaikat berkata: Ya Allah, ampunilah hambamu fulan, karena ia bermalam dalam keadaan suci" (HR. Ibnu Hibban)
* Disunnahkan segera tidur (tidur di awal malam dan menjauhkan diri dari begadang kecuali dalam hal-hal yang baik) agar bisa bangun untuk shalat malam dengan segar, dan disunnahkan bangun ketika mendengar adzan
o Sebagaimana sabda rasulullah: "Jika ia bangun dan berdzikir kepada Allah, maka lepaslah satu ikatan, jika berwudhu’ maka lepas satu ikatan, dan jika shalat, lepas satu ikatan, maka ia masuk waktu pagi dengan segar dan jiwanya tenang, kalau tidak, maka ia masuk waktu pagi dg jiwa yg tidak tenang dan malas" (Muttafaq 'alaih)
o Rasulullah membenci tidur sebelum shalat 'isya dan berbicara sesudah shalat 'isya sebagaimana disebut dalam hadits riwayat Ibnu Mas'ud:

"Tidak diperkenankan bercakap-cakap di malam hari kecuali bagi orang yang sedang mengerjakan shalat atau sedang bepergian" (HR. Ahmad, As-Suyuti menandainya sebagai hadits hasan)

* Ketika akan tidur memperhatikan adab-adab tidur
o Seperti membaca do'a sebelum tidur, membaca ayat kursi, membaca 2 ayat terakhir dari surat Al Baqarah, membaca Surat Al Kaafirun, dll
* Sunnah sebelum tidur berniat qiyamullail, jika ia tertidur dan tidak bangun, maka ditulis baginya apa yg ia niatkan, dan tidurnya merupakan sedekah dari Allah padanya
o Termasuk permohonan untuk dibangunkan agar bisa menunaikan shalat malam
o Dan menjaga niat ikhlas karena mengharap wajah (ridha) Allah semata

* Seorang muslim seharusnya berusaha bangun malam dan tidak meninggalkannya, karena nabi sendiri melakukan qiyamul lail hingga kakinya pecah-pecah

13. Persiapan Sebelum Shalat Tahajjud

* "Jika ia bangun dan berdzikir kepada Allah, maka lepaslah satu ikatan, jika berwudhu’ maka lepas satu ikatan, dan jika shalat, lepas satu ikatan, maka ia masuk waktu pagi dengan segar dan jiwanya tenang, kalau tidak, maka ia masuk waktu pagi dengan jiwa yang tidak tenang dan malas" (Muttafaq alaih)
* Begitu bangun tidur usap wajah dengan kedua telapak tangan kita seraya membaca doa bangun tidur atau sekurang-kurangnya mengucapkan...
o Alhamdulillah..., dilanjutkan dengan membaca QS. Ali Imran ayat 190
* Disunnahkan bagi orang yang mengerjakan shalat lail untuk bersiwak (menggosok gigi lebih dahulu sebelum wudu') dan membaca ayat-ayat terakhir dari surat Ali Imran mulai dari firman Allah...

إِنَّ فِي خَلْقِ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالأَرْضِ وَاخْتِلاَفِ اللَّيْلِ وَالنَّهَارِ لَآيَاتٍ لِّأُوْلِي الأَلْبَابِ

o Artinya: "Sesungguhnya dalam penciptaan langit dan bumu dan silih bergantinya malam dan siang terdapat tanda-tanda bagi orang-orang yang berakal” [Ali Imran : 190] dibaca sampai akhir surat
* Disunnahkan shalat tahajjud di rumah, membangunkan keluarganya dan sekali-kali shalat mengimami mereka
* Tidak shalat dalam keadaan mengantuk, jika sangat mengantuk segera tidur

14. Sunnah Memulai Shalat Lail Dengan 2 raka’at Yang Ringan (pendek). Hal itu dilakukan hingga datangnya semangat untuk memanjangkan raka’atnya setelah 2 rakaat yang pendek tersebut

* Rasulullah Shallallahu ‘alaihi wa sallam bersabda :
o “Apabila salah seorang diantara kalian mendirikan shalat lail hendaklah membuka shalatnya dengan shalat 2 raka’at yang ringan (surat-surat yang dibaca pendek. Pent)" [Hadits Riwayat. Muslim no. 768]

15. Sunnah Memulai Shalat Malam Dengan Do'a yang Shahih dari Rasulullah Shallallahu ‘Alaihi wa Sallam

“Ya Allah, Rabb Jibril, Mikail dan Israfil. Wahai Pencipta langit dan bumi. Wahai Rabb yang mengetahui yang ghaib dan nyata. Engkau yang menjatuhkan hukum (untuk memutuskan) apa yang mereka (orang-orang Nasrani dan Yahudi) pertentangkan. Tunjukkanlah aku pada kebenaran apa yang dipertentangkan dengan seizin-Mu. Sesungguhnya Engkau menunjukkan pada jalan yang lurus bagi orang-orang yang Engkau kehendaki” [Hadits Riwayat. Muslim no. 770, Abu Dawud no. 767, Ibnu Majah no. 1357]

16. Sunnah Memanjangkan Shalat Malam

* Rasulullah Shallallahu ‘alaihi wa sallam ditanya: “Shalat apakah yang paling baik?” Rasulullah menjawab : “Yang panjang qunutnya (lama berdirinya)” [Hadits Riwayat. Muslim no.756]

Qunut dalam hadits ini memiliki banyak arti berdasarkan banyak riwayat. Dalam Hadyus Saari Muqaddimah dari Fathul Baari oleh Ibnu Hajar hal. 305 (Cet. Daar Abi Hayyaan) pasal Qaf Nun disebutkan tentang makna qunut antara lain do’a, berdiri, tenang, diam, ketaatan, shalat, kekhusu’an, ibadah, dan memperpanjang berdiri. Pent.
Juga sunnah memperpanjang sujud dan memanjangkan berdiri membaca al-Qur’an (membaca surat panjang yang kita kuasai). Serta sesekali membaca dengan keras dan sekali-kali pelan

17.Sunnah Berta'wudz (Memohon Perlindungan Allah) Ketika Membaca Ayat tentang 'Adzab dengan ucapan:

“Aku berlindung kepada Allah dari Adzab Allah”
Dan Memohon Rahmat Allah Ketika Membaca Ayat tentang Permohonan dengan ucapan
“Ya Allah aku meminta kepadaMu dari karuniaMu”
Dan Bertasbih Ketika Membaca Ayat-Ayat yang Mengandung Pujian tentang Ke-Maha-Sucian Allah
Hal diatas berdasar hadits Rasulullah Shallallahu ‘alaihi wa sallam

“Rasulullah Shallallahu ‘alaihi wa sallam membaca (ayat) dengan tartil apabila beliau melewati satu ayat tasbih maka beliaupun membaca tasbih. Apabila melewati ayat permohonan (tentang rahmat,-ed) maka beliaupun memohon. Dan apabila melewati ayat memohon perlindungan, maka beliaupun memohon perlindungan (bertaawudz)…” [Hadits Riwayat. Muslim no. 772]

18. Disunnahkan (Orang yang Mengerjakan Shalat Malam) Berdoa Dengan Do'a Shahih yang Diajarkan Nabi Shallallahu ‘Alaihi wa Sallam

“Ya Allah, bagiMu segala puji, Engkaulah Penegak langit dan bumi dan segala isinya. BagiMu segala puji, milikMu kerajaan langit dan bumi serta segala isinya. bagiMu segala puji (Engkau) Pemberi cahaya langit dan bumi (serta segala isinya). bagiMu segala puji, Engkau penguasa langit dan bumi. bagiMu segala puji Engkau lah Yang Maha benar, janji-Mu itu benar adanya dan pertemuan dengan-Mu itu benar adanya. FirmanMu itu benar, surga itu benar, neraka itu benar, para nabi itu benar, Nabi Muhammad itu benar (utusanMu), kiamat itu benar adanya. Ya Allah, kepadaMu aku bertawakal, kepadaMu aku kembali, kepadaMu aku mengadu dan kepadaMu aku berhukum. Ampunilah dosaku di masa lalu, masa yang akan datang, yang tersebunyi serta yang nampak (Karena Engkau adalah Maha Mengetahui itu daripada aku). Engkau-lah Yang terdahulu dan Yang terakhir (Engkau Tuhanku) dan tidak ada Tuhan kecuali Engkau atau tidak ada Tuhan (bagiku) kecuali Engkau” [Hadits Riwayat Bukhari no. 1120, 6317, 7385 dan Muslim no. 2717]

Dan juga memanjatkan do'a yang menjadi hajat dan keinginan kita kepada Allah serta berusaha memperbanyak membaca wirid (dzikir) serta jika masih ada waktu bisa mengerjakan shalat sunnah yang lain (sebelum ditutup dengan shalat witir)

Nomer 17 - 21 dikutip dari: kitab Aktsaru Min Alfi Sunnatin Fil Yaum Wal Lailah, edisi Indonesia Lebih Dari 1000 Amalan Sunnah Dalam Sehari Semalam, Penulis Khalid Al-Husainan, Penerjemah Zaki Rachmawan] yang sumbernya dari : Sholat-sunnah-malam

19. Mengakhiri dengan salat witir

Dari 'Aisyah ummul mukminin radhiyallahu ‘anha, ia bercerita...

“Rasulullah Shallallahu ‘alaihi wa sallam biasa mengerjakan shalat 11 raka’at pada waktu antara selesai shalat Isya –yaitu, suatu waktu yang oleh orang-orang disebut sebagai atamah- sampai Shubuh sebanyak 11 rakaat, dengan salam setiap 2 raka’at dan mengerjakan shalat witir satu raka’at. Dan jika mu’adzin telah berhenti dari mengumandangkan adzan shalat Shubuh dan sudah tampak jelas pula fajar olehnya dan beliau juga sudah didatangi oleh muadzin, maka beliau segera berdiri dan mengerjakan 2 rakaat ringan, dan kemudian berbaring di atas lambung kanannya sehingga datang muadzin kepada beliau untuk mengumandangkan iqamah”

(Hadits shahih. Diriwayatkan oleh Muslim, di dalam kitab Shalaatul Musaafirin wa Qashruha, bab Shalaatul Lail wa Adadu Raka’aatin Nabi Shallallahu ‘alaihi wa sallam fil Lail wa Annal Witr Rak’atan wa Anna Rak’ah Shalaatun Shahiihah, (hadits no. 736. Dan asal hadits berada pada Al-Bukhari. Lihat Jaami’ul Ushuul (VI/91-96).

Dari Abu Bashrah Al-Ghifari, dia bercerita, Rasulullah Shallallahu ‘alaihi wa sallam bersabda...

“Sesungguhnya Allah telah menambah untuk kalian satu shalat, yaitu witir. Oleh karena itu, kerjakanlah ia di antara shalat Isya sampai shalat Shubuh”
(Hadits shahih. Diriwayatkan oleh Ahmad di dalam kitab, Al-Musnad (VI/7 dan 397). Dan dinilai shahih oleh Al-Albani di dalam kitab Silsilah Ash-Shahihah (hadits no. 108)

Jadi, kedua hadits di atas secara jelas menujukkan bahwa shalat malam dan witir itu waktunya dimulai dari setelah shalat Isya (yang oleh orang-orang disebut dengan atamah) sampai waktu Shubuh
Dan pernyataan yang menyebutkan bahwa akhir waktunya adalah Shubuh, diperkuat oleh apa yang ditegaskan dari Nabi Shallallahu ‘alaihi wa sallam

“Dan jika salah seorang di antara kalian khawatir (akan) masuk waktu Shubuh, maka hendaklah dia mengerjakan shalat satu raka’at shalat witir sebagai penutup bagi shalat yang telah dikerjakannya” (Takhrij hadits ini akan diberikan selanjutnya pada pembahasan berikutnya)

Ibnu Nashr mengatakan:
”Yang menjadi kesepakatan para ulama adalah bahwa antara shalat Isya sampai terbit fajar merupakan waktu shalat witir. Dan mereka berbeda pendapat mengenai waktu setelah itu sampai shalat Shubuh dikerjakan. Dan telah diriwayatkan dari Nabi Shallallahu ‘alaihi wa sallam bahwa beliau memerintahkan untuk mengerjakan shalat witir sebelum terbit fajar” (Mukhtashar Qiyaamil Lail, hal. 119)

Maka bisa saya katakan,
"Yang terbaik bagi orang yang khawatir tidak bisa bangun, di akhir malam untuk mengerjakan shalat di awal waktu. Sedangkan bagi siapa yang yakin akan bangun, maka yang terbaik baginya adalah mengakhirkan pelaksanaan shalat witir sampai akhir malam"
Hal ini didasarkan pada apa yang ditegaskan dari Jabi Radhiyallahu ‘anhu, di mana dia bercerita. Rasulullah Shallallahu ‘alaihi wa sallam telah bersabda.

“Barangsiapa khawatir tidak bangun di akhir malam, maka hendaklah dia mengerjakan shalat witir di awal waktunya. Dan barangsiapa yang serius hendak bangun di akhir malam, maka hendaklah dia mengerjakan shalat witir di akhir malam, karena sesungguhnya shalat di akhir malam itu disaksikan (oleh para Malaikat). Dan demikian itu lebih baik”
(Hadits shahih. Diriwayatkan oleh Muslim di dalam kitab Shalaatul Musaafiriin wa Qasruha, bab Man Khaafa an laa Yaquuma Aakhiral Lail fal Yuutir Awwaluhu, (hadits no. 755)
Tentang bab shalat witir ini dinukil dari kitab Bughyatul Mutathawwi Fii Shalaatit Tathawwu, Edisi Indonesia Meneladani Shalat-Shalat Sunnah Rasulullah Shallallahu ‘alaihi wa sallam, Penulis Muhammad bin Umar bin Salim Bazmul, Penerbit Pustaka Imam Asy-Syafi’i]. Sumber ana dapatkan dari Sini

Beberapa Kesimpulan Penutup
Hukum shalat malam adalah sunah muakkad (begitu sangat ditekankan untuk dilaksanakan, sedang setiap sunnah rasulullah adalah untuk kita tiru dan amalkan)
Waktunya adalah setelah sholat ‘isya sampai dengan sebelum waktu sholat shubuh

Akan tetapi, waktu yang paling utama adalah 1/3 malam terakhir dan boleh dikerjakan sesudah tidur ataupun sebelumnya

Jumlah rakaatnya paling sedikit adalah 1 rakaat

Berdasarkan sabda Rosululloh sholallohu ‘alaihi wa sallam,
“Shalat malam adalah 2 rakaat (salam) 2 rokaat (salam), apabila salah seorang di antara kamu khawatir akan datangnya waktu shubuh maka hendaklah ia shalat 1 rakaat sebagai witir baginya” (HR. Bukhori dan Muslim)

Dan jumlah rakaat paling banyak adalah 11 rakaat

Berdasarkan perkataan ‘Aisyah radhiyallohu ‘anha, “Tidaklah Rosululloh sholallohu ‘alaihi wa sallam:
"Tiadalah Rasulullah shalallahu 'alaihi wasallam menambah (rakaat), baik di bulan Ramadhan atau (di bulan) lainya lebih dari 11 rakaat" (HR. Al-Bukhari dan An-Nasa'i), walaupun mayoritas ulama menyatakan tidak ada batasan dalam jumlah rakaatnya

===================================================================

Demikianlah beberapa keutamaan, kemuliaan dan keindahan qiyamul lail

"Sungguh kita akan merasakan keindahannya bila hati kita telah diberi taufik oleh Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala dan tidak akan merasakan keindahannya bagi siapapun yang dijauhkan dari taufik Allah subhanahu wata'ala"

Semoga kita semua bisa senantiasa berusaha menjadi hamba-Nya yang beruntung tersebut; "diberi keutamaan menegakkan qiyamullail dengan beristiqamah"

"Dan mari kita berazzam (meng-i'tiqadkan diri sekuat mungkin) berusaha senantiasa menghidupkan malam-malam kita menjemput kemuliaan yang dianugerahi-Nya"

Wallahu waliyyut taufiq
Wallahu’alam bisshowab...

Hamba yang senantiasa mengharap kekuatan dari-Nya, mengharap penjagaan-Nya

Muhammad Ulinnuha

Ilmu Hikmah

“ MENGENAL KARAKTERISTIK ILMU HIKMAH “
Oleh : Mochamad Samuti

Dalam kebanyakan masyarakat kita pada umumnya apa yang disebut ilmu hikmah adalah ilmu yang berbau mistik atau goib-goiban, itulah pendapat penulis. Hikmah dalam arti sesungguhnya adalah manfaat jadi menurut hemat penulis Ilmu Hikmah adalah suatu pengetahuan yang bermanfaat bagi pengamalnya/yang menempuh dalam ilmu tersebut dan bermanfaat bagi yang lainnya. Banyak masyarakat kita terkecoh dan belum memahami ilmu hikmah atau istilah mereka (masyarakat) yaitu ilmu goib, ilmu karomah dan istilah ilmu-ilmu yang lainnya, sehingga mereka terjebak dalam satu hal yang semu yaitu goibnya saja baik dikalangan penempuh maupun bukan dan terlintas dibenak bahwa kalau mempunyai ilmu goib bisa ini dan itu dan rawan akan syirik, sombong, takabur, pamer serta bahkan mengaku-ngaku mampu begini dan begitu yang ujung-ujungnya mencari materi atau ketenaran (maaf).
Penulis sebelum mengenal apa itu Ilmu Hikmah pernah terjebak pada sesuatu yang semu yaitu kehebatan dan kemampuan yang tidak dimiliki oleh kebanyakan orang sehingga pelan dan pasti akan merasa bagga walau lisan berbicara tidak pernah pamer dan takabur tetapi hati kecil tidak bisa dibohongi, karena kita sebagai manusia dalam menempuh akan suatu hal pasti ada niat dalam hati kita apapun itu bentuknya.
Ilmu Hikmah dalam beberapa kitab diterangkan adalah suatu ilmu yang tidak butuh keyakinan seperti halnya “API” mau yakin mau tidak tapi pasti panas dan terbentuklah istilah “Ilmu tidak membutuhkan Keyakinan dan Keyakinan pasti membutuhkan Ilmu”, maka jika ada orang yang mengaku mempunyai Ilmu Hikmah atau goib-goiban maka dia harus bisa membuktikan secara ilmiah, logika dan sesuai tuntunan Agama Islam secara Syar’I (Ilmu Fiqih) kenapa harus begitu ? hemat penulis itu semua penting untuk kita agar tidak tersesat dan terjebak dalam dunia mistis atau dunia goib-goiban, di sini saya (Penulis।) tidak melarang akan pembaca untuk mempelajari Ilmu Goib-goiban (Ilmu Hikmah)alangkah baiknya kita mengetahuinya dulu sebelum kita terjun agar kita dalam menempuh perjalanan tersebut tidak tersesat dan mendapatkan hal yang semu bahkan Penulis mengajak pembaca bersama-sama berlajar akan hal itu karena Penulis secara nyata menyukai akan Goib-goiban ini, hayo kita belajar jadi Bayi : belajar merangkak, belajar berjalan dan belajar berbicara sesuai dengan kenyataan dan bimbingan bukan dalam kemunafikan yang mengatasnamakan Ilmu Hikmah (Ilmu Goib-goiban) sehingga kita menemukan siapa diri kita kalau masyarakat menyebutnya Menemukan Jati Diri tetapi dalam istilah Ilmu Hikmah bukan.

Tujuan Ilmu Hikmah dalam Kitab Hikmah disebutkan antara lain :
1. Mengendalikan Hawa Nafsu.
2. Memikirkan akan Akhirat.
3. Memikirkan jika nanti telah menjadi Bangkai (Mati).

Dalam Kaitannya mempelajari Ilmu Hikmah ada beberapa syarat dari semua itu (berdasarkan Kitab Hikmah) diantaranya :

1. MENGETAHUI DAN MENGAMALKAN ILMU FIQIH
2. HARUS SELALU SUCI/PUNYA WUDHU.
3. BERSIKAP WARA/RENDAH HATI.
4. MELAKSANAKAN YANG WAJIB/SHOLAT 5 WAKTU.
5. MEMPERBANYAK AMALAN ASSUNAH SEPERTI SHOLAT SUNAH, PUASA SENIN-KAMIS DAN
PUASA YANG BIASA DILAKUKAN OLEH ROSULLULLOH.
6 MENJAGA KEBERSIHAN HATI DARI SIFAT RIYA,DENGKI,HASUD DLL.
7 ISTIQOMAH/PANTANG MENYERAH/TIDAK PERNAH PUTUS ASA.
8 MENJALANKAN AKTIFITAS YANG NYATA SEPERTI BEKERJA DSB UNTUK MENUNJANG
KEHIDUPAN DUNIA.
9 MENJAGA LISAN DARI UCAPAN YANG SIA-SIA.
10. DILARANG KERAS/WAJIB HUKUMNYA BERCERITA TENTANG PENGALAMAN SPRITUAL KEPADA
ORANG LAIN KECUALI KEPADA AHLINYA (SEPERTI ULAMA YANG MENGERTI, MEMAHAMI,
DAN MEMBUKTIKAN ILMU HIKMAH SECARA NYATA YANG TIDAK MENYIMPANG DARI HUKUM-
HUKUM SYARA/ISLAM).
11. BERSABAR DALAM SEGALA HAL (TIDAK PERNAH BERKOMENTAR AKAN SUATU HAL TETAPI
MENERIMA APA ADANYA)
12. BERPENAMPILAN RAPI DAN WANGI.
13. IKHLAS (MENGERTI DAN MEMAHAMI SUATU PERISTIWA/KEJADIAN)


Semuanya harus dilakukan dan Wajib Hukumnya agar dalam menempuh perjalanan tersebut kita tidak kesasar dan dalam menempuhnya sesuai petunjuk Ulama.
Penulis menyadari akan persyaratan tersebut tidak mampu Penulis amalkan karena penulis tercipta dan diciptakan untuk manusia biasa, ada perkataan orang Bijak “ terimalah apa yang Alloh berikan padamu “ dan “ Pilihlah Hidupmu”, perkataan tersebut mengandung arti bahwa kita diciptakan oleh Alloh berbeda-beda dalam segala hal dan ini menandakan adanya yang menciptakan, coba bayangkan kalau semuanya jadi Orang Pinter/Paranormal (istilah kebanyakan orang) siapa yang jadi pasiennya (maaf), dan perkataan “Pilihlah Hidupmu” mengandung makna bahwa kita harus menentukan diri kita sendiri, kalau kita jadi tukang becak ya memang itu kenyataan, kalau memang ingin tidak jadi tukang becak cari yang lain semampu kita dan kuncinya satu dalam melakukan suatu perbuatan kita harus senang Insya Alloh barokah jadi semuanya tergantung kita dan dari semua kunci Ilmu Hikmah adalah Riil /kenyataan.

Saya hanya menyarankan agar berhati-hati dalam memilih dan berbuat, dalam perkembangan Zaman seperti sekarang ini banyak yang menjadi Korban yang berkedok Ilmu Hikmah dan Penulis prihatin akan hal ini, dan mudah-mudahan dari tulisan yang sepintas kurang berbobot ini penulis hanya bisa berdo’a mudah-mudahan kita diselamatkan dan disejahterahkan hidup kita Dunia dan Akhirat serta memang itu yang terpenting. (Robbana atina fiddun nya hasanah wafil akhiroti hasanah wakina ‘ada bannar) walhamdulilahirobbil “alamiin.

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Finally, if you’re interested in customizing this report and making even more profits from it, CLICK HERE.
© 2002 by Softniche Solutions
The information presented herein represents the view of the author as of the date of publication. Because of the rate with which conditions change, the author reserves the right to alter and update his opinion based on the new conditions.
The Report is for informational purposes only. Copyright permission is granted neither in whole nor in part, unless it is expressly granted by Ryan Deiss.
Ryan Deiss
Owner and Founder
Softniche Solutions
2727 Exposition #114
Austin, Texas 78703 (866) 889-6345 © 2002 by Softniche Solutions Page 2
99 Websites You Should Have Bookmarked...But Probably Don’t
INTRODUCTION: These “99 Websites” appeared as SiteSightings in my “Webs Worth Watching” Newsletter. In case you don’t know, a SiteSighting is any website that provides REAL VALUE to online business owners. In short, it’s the kind of site that’s worthy of a bookmark.
To get the full story on SiteSightings and the “Webs Worth Watching” Newsletter, be sure to visit:
--> http://www.SiteSightings.com
And while you’re there, remember to subscribe to “Webs Worth Watching”. It’s the only way to ensure that you never miss another SiteSighting or “From the Trenches” tip like the ones below...
1. Doteasy Web Hosting
http://www.doteasy.com
Free, bannerless web hosting...'nuff said. The only complaint I have is that reliability is not up to par with the paid hosts, but then again, what do you expect -- IT'S FREE! While I wouldn't use it to host my main site, it's great for testing mini sites and new products.
2. Link Counter
http://www.linkcounter.com
LinkCounter is a free service that tracks clicks on any link you want to track, from inside, outside, or within your site itself. It's a great way to track affiliate programs and link exchanges, or to create referring links for sites you trade traffic with. They provide you with an unbiased report that you can use to keep track of your outgoing and incoming hits.
3. Security Metrics
http://www.securitymetrics.com
Worried about your own site's security? Afraid you might be vulnerable to hackers? Don't wonder -- find out! Security Metrics will give your computer a "FREE Port Scan" where it will test for the 20 most common TCP/IP ports that are often vulnerable. If you're like me, the results will surprise you.
© 2002 by Softniche Solutions Page 3
4. S.C.O.R.E.
http://www.score.org
S.C.O.R.E stands for the Service Corps of Retired Executives, and they pride themselves on being the Counselors to Americas Small Business. In effect, S.C.O.R.E. is a non-profit group that offers FREE counseling to anyone who has, or is thinking about starting, a small business. I've utilized their trained counselors on numerous occasions, and have been grateful every time.
5. Spyonit
http://www.spyonit.com
Spyonit has dozens of FREE spy tools that allow you to keep tabs on all the sites and auctions that matter most to you. (Including your competition's.) There's too much there to describe it all, so go to the site now to check it out. They're also adding new "spies" fairly frequently, so check back often. Who knows what they'll come up with next?
6. TracerLock
http://www.tracerlock.com
TracerLock is another "spy" type tool that monitors search engines, UseNet groups, and personal ads for whatever word or phrase you tell it to. It's great for keeping tabs on the competition, and seeing what others are saying about you or your business. They have both a FREE and a paid service, so check it out.
7. ScumWare
http://www.scumware.com
If you've been keeping up with software or e-biz news, then you've no doubt heard of the controversy surrounding traffic stealing software such as Top Text and Surf+. This site is dedicated to eradicating the world of such thieves. It will tell you if your computer is currently "infected", and give you some lines of code that will disable the traffic thieves when they "invade" your site.
8. Trafficoloy
http://www.trafficology.com
This is easily my new favorite newsletter. Trafficology's creator, Wayne Yeager, gives away literally THOUSANDS of dollars each month for new and creative traffic generating ideas. He then turns around and gives these ideas to his subscribers for FREE. I've been receiving the newsletter for a few months now, and I have yet to be disappointed. While some of the ideas are WAY too crazy for me to EVER try, the newsletter is *always* entertaining, and often useful.
© 2002 by Softniche Solutions Page 4
9. Onebox
http://www.onebox.com
Onebox is an incredibly low-cost service (I believe I pay around $10 a month for it) that provides you with an email address, a fax number, and voice mailbox -- all in one place! If you're just starting out and you need a phone service, but don't want to pay hefty charges to your local phone company, this could be an ideal solution.
10. FreeAutoBot
http://www.freeautobot.com
If you've been holding off on purchasing an autoresponder service because you’re not willing to pay a monthly fee, you should consider taking a look at FreeAutoBot. Not only are they FREE, but they also don't place *any* ads in your messages and they allow an UNLIMITED amount of messages AND subscribers.
EDITOR’S NOTE: I used this service in the early days of my business, but later upgraded to a paid one for the increased options and support. Here’s my final word on these free autoresponder services: If you simply cannot afford to spend $10 or $15 a month for a paid service, then a free one such as FreeAutoBot will work. However, your list is the most important aspect of your business, so as soon as you can afford to switch to a paid service with a little more accountability, I would make the change.
And if you are in the market for a low cost, *advanced* autoresponder service, I’d check out AutorespondIt. Here’s the URL: http://www.AutorespondIt.com
11. Web Site Garage
http://www.websitegarage.com
I was timid to include this site as a SiteSighting, for fear that it was already too well known. The more I thought about it, however, the more I realized that this site is just too valuable to not feature it in this newsletter. I feel that strongly about it.
Web Site Garage provides services for maintaining and improving your website. It has a Free Tune Up feature, which checks your site for things like browser compatibility, load time, meta tags, and more. The tune up is free, so if you have a site, it's well worth your time to give this one a look.
12. PopUpMaster
http://www.popupmaster.com
When the owner of this site, who is also a member of the SiteSightings community, submitted it as a SiteSighting, I knew right away that it would make
© 2002 by Softniche Solutions Page 5
it into the newsletter. Popup creators are a dime a dozen on the web, but this one is the best I've seen by far.
It allows you to create all kinds of pop-ups, from standard ones, to exit-pops, and even pop-ups that use cookies so they only pop-up once per session. You just type in your specifications and click submit, and PopUpMaster does the rest. Best of all you can use it over and over again and never pay a thing. I even used it to create the pop-ups on my own site! Trust me, this one's a winner. Check it out.
EDITOR’S NOTE: This tool was completely free when I first ran the site in my newsletter, but since then the site’s owner, Steve Shaw, has totally repackaged and improved the software and has started charging for it. While it’s no longer the free resource that it once was, I still feel that the product is well worth the price.
For software that really puts a *spin* on pop-up marketing, be sure to check out my own product, Pop-Up Rotator. Here’s the link: http://www.PopUpRotator.com
13. Translating the Internet
http://www.t-mail.com
If you do a lot of business with people from other countries, or if you just have friends that speak another language, T-Mail could be just the thing for you.
They give you a FREE email account and it translates your incoming foreign language email into English. It also allows you to surf the web in foreign countries in English.
I realize this won't apply to everybody, but for those of you who do a lot of business outside of your native land, it could very well be a Godsend.
14. Free Email Directory
http://www.emailaddresses.com/guide_types.htm
Want your business to go international? This is the best place I've found to get email addresses around the world. Think globally, appear local. It has a few pop-ups, but hey, somebody has to pay the bills.
15. Yale's Web Style Guide
http://info.med.yale.edu/caim/manual/contents.html
This is the definitive web style guide covering everything that has to do with site and page design. If you're new, this site can be a great place to learn the basics. And if you're an experienced designer, this site is a great place to review the basics and polish your skills.
© 2002 by Softniche Solutions Page 6
16. Self Promotion.com
http://www.selfpromotion.com
The World Wide Web is littered with sites that want to tell you the best way to get your site listed in the major search engines. Search engine auto-submitters are also a dime a dozen, so it may surprise you to know that that's exactly what this site is all about.
The thing that sets this site apart, however, is this sentence (which can be found on the site's homepage): "If you feel the site is useful, then pay me what YOU think the advice and service is worth!"
That's right! The site owner actually offers access to his research, services, and programs for FREE! You only pay him what you think it's worth. A deal like that is certainly worth a look, wouldn't you agree?
17. World Submit Pro
http://www.worldsubmitpro.com
Here's another useful site for you webmasters out there. World Submit Pro offers many useful services for free, with the hopes that you'll upgrade to their paid services at a later date.
They currently offer FREE versions of their Webstats program (which is basically an advanced counter), a Mailing List program and a Web Polls program that’s great for researching new product ideas.
These are some of the most robust free trials I've ever seen for products such as these. If you're currently paying for any of these services, you could save some money by checking them out.
18. Coach Maria's Article Bank
http://www.coachmaria.com/articles/articlebanks.html
While I can't speak for Maria's consulting abilities (I've just never met her or heard anything about her), I can say that this is one of the best compilations I've seen of places to submit NEW articles. Some business owners have achieved maximum exposure by utilizing these free article submission sites. Hey it's worth a shot right?
19. QWK.MON
http://www.qwkmon.com
QWK.MON will monitor your site's server to make sure that they don't have too many downtimes. The fact of the matter is that server downtimes cost websites a
© 2002 by Softniche Solutions Page 7
LOT of money. Don't let your e-business be one of these. Let QWK.MON keep tabs on your server when you can't.
(Just so you know, the first URL you have them monitor is free, but it'll cost you if you want more sites monitored.)
20. Cheap Domains and $8.88 Domains
http://www.CheapDomains.ws
http://40megs.com/888.html
Domain name registrars are everywhere on the net, but this site has some of the lowest prices that I've ever seen. Just imagine, less than $10 for a little piece of Internet real estate...amazing! It makes Register.com and Network Solutions look like a couple of highway robbers. :-)
I for one have already purchased dozens of domains through from both of these registrars.
21. ScamBusters
http://www.ScamBusters.org
The submitter of this SiteSighting claims that it's the #1 site on Internet fraud. Well after visiting the ScamBusters site and signing up for their newsletter,
I'm inclined to agree.
I think my favorite part of the site is the Urban Legends section. If you've ever received an email about anti-perspirant causing cancer or some kid who needs a kidney transplant, (which I think all of us have) then I'm sure you'll appreciate it as well.
22. Seed Capital Network
http://www.SeedCapitalNetwork.com
The Seed Capital Network is a great place for businesses trying to raise start up money. With a database of over 1,500 private investors, the owners of this site boast that they have an 80-90% investor response rate.
If your business has all the money that it will ever need, then this site is not for you. If you're trying to locate a few investors, however, it could just possibly be the most useful site in this report. And hey, it's free, so what do you have to lose?
23. 123 Dreamweaver Tutorial
http://www.121DreamweaverTutorial.com
© 2002 by Softniche Solutions Page 8
This one is for all you current or prospective Dreamweaver users out there. (For those of you who don't know, Dreamweaver is one of the best WYSIWYG HTML editors on the market. I've used it for years and love it.)
Don't let the name fool you - this is not your normal web design tutorial site. Instead of text-based tutorials, this site offers actual video tutorials for FREE. Watch as a profession web designer builds a site from the ground up right before your eyes. I have no idea how they can afford to give this stuff away, but be sure you take them up on it while they still do.
EDITOR’S NOTE: This tool was completely free when I first ran the site in my newsletter, but since then the site’s owner has started charging for it. The good thing about it, however, is that he does still allow you to view some videos free of charge and so you can decide if it’s worth it to you to pay for it.
24. Pay Per Click Analysts
http://www.PayPerClickAnalyst.com
Pay per clicks are a great way to bring targeted traffic to your site, because you only pay when someone actually visits your site. It's a great idea, but now it's been copied so many times that it's impossible to keep up with which ones are worth getting listed in, and which ones you should avoid.
That's what makes Pay Per Click Analyst such a useful site. They keep tabs on all the new PPCs and tell you which ones are the best. If you're serious about marketing your online business, then this is one website that you need to have bookmarked.
25. Speed Color
http://www.speedcolor.com
SpeedColor.com is a whole new way to order commercial printing. With this site, you can get anything from business cards to books printed quickly and easily.
They offer instant online pricing, file transfers, proofs and more, all done over the web. This makes them extremely fast and easy. If you need anything printed, Speed Color is a great option.
26. Free Web Tools, Web Builder 101, and The Free Site
http://www.FreeWebTools.com
http://www.WebBuilder101.com
http://www.TheFreeSite.com
These sites are so closely related that I decided to just include them together as one SiteSighting. Each one of them offers free tools for webmasters and online business owners, so between the three you should be able to find something immediately useful to your business.
© 2002 by Softniche Solutions Page 9
27. Setup Generator
http://www.gentee.com/setupgen/index.htm
It seems like creating your own software product is the new hip thing to do, so I decided to include a SiteSighting that would directly benefit all you Bill Gates' out there.
Basically, Setup Generator is a simple freeware installer, designed to help you quickly and easily create installation setup files for your products. Not only does it make the installation process easier on your customers, it also adds a touch of professionalism to your product. Who wouldn't want that?
28. Hosted Scripts.com
http://www.hostedscripts.com
This site provides a lot of great cgi scripts for webmasters free of charge. And the best part is that they host them on their own servers so you don't have to know how to install cgi or even have it enabled on your server. The only downside is that they place ads on the pages that they host for you, but hey, they have to earn a living somehow. :-)
29. CJB.net
http://www.CJB.net
If you're using a long affiliate URL in your promotions, or have an email account that you'd like to get forwarded to your main one, then CJB.net may have just what you need.
They offer free sub-domains, as well as URL and email forwarding, which makes it more than worthy enough to hold a space in my favorites bar. The only downside is that you have the cjb.net ending on your URL, but it's still shorter than some of the affiliate links out there.
30. FreeMarketingVideos.com
http://www.freemarketingvideos.com
Every week this site puts up a new video that covers some aspect of web marketing. So far they've covered how to make and ebook, how to setup autoresponders, and how to make digital product covers for your products. And when you consider it's all free, it's definitely worth a bookmark in my book.
31. Who-Not How Review
http://who-nothow.com
© 2002 by Softniche Solutions Page 10
If you're sick of review sites that are really just people trying to sell their latest affiliate product, then Gordon Sears’ Who-Not How site and "Guru Review" newsletter will be a breath of fresh air.
Gordon isn't afraid to go after even the "big-boys" on the Internet (which he admits has got him into trouble before), but it certainly adds to his credibility in my book. I'd be sure to take a look at his site before you buy your next product.
32. Publicity Insider
http://www.publicityinsider.com
Even though this site sells a product, it still has a whole lot of free info on how to get quality PR for your business. And as a person who recently benefited from an online news article, I can tell you that it's quite possibly the best form of advertising you'll ever see.
33. GoToMyPC.com
http://www.GoToMyPC.com
I just have to say that I love this service. It's not free, but it sure is convenient! Imagine being able to access your home computer from any other computer with an internet connection. You can travel with confidence and know that if worse comes to worse, you'll always be able to get that file you forgot, or send that email that just can't wait. It's great!
34. Best Affiliate Tracking Software.com
http://www.Best-Affiliate-Tracking-Software.com
If you plan on starting your own affiliate program, I would make it a point to visit this site first. They'll help you choose the software or service that's right for you, and give you some useful tips along the way.
35. ePrompter
http://www.eprompter.com
ePrompter will check up to 16 of your password protected email accounts automatically as well as reply to, compose and even forward messages. Depending how many accounts you have, and how often you check them, this little tool could easily save you hours a day.
36. MySiteStinks.com
http://www.mysitestinks.com
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It's not cheap, but if your site isn't pulling the kind of results that you'd like, this site may be able to tell you why. Check it out for yourself and find out if your site STINKS!
Side Note: They also have a tool to tell your friends that their sites stink. I wouldn't be mean with it, but it could be a good joke if your friend has a sense of humor.
37. Vista Print
http://vistaprint.com
A lot of people already know about this site, but it's certainly worth mentioning again, just in case. I don't know how they can afford to do it, but Vista Print will give you 250 free, color business cards.
You'll have to pay for the shipping, but the quality is superb, and you really can't beat the price. If you haven't been to this site, be sure to check it out right away.
38. Click Tracker
http://www.webmasterinabox.net/ct/
This web site offers a free link and click tracking services, and even the pro version is ridiculously cheap. I especially like the fact that their software allows you to have your own domain in tracking URLs instead of the link tracker's URL.
39. Safe Internet Business Solutions
http://www.safeinternetbusiness.com
Scams are everywhere on the internet, but this site provides a haven from bad business practices.
Their mission is to provide safe Internet business solutions that offer high quality, free or low cost products, services and information; all backed by excellent customer service and a money back guarantee.
Their services include copywriting, web design, website analysis, domain and web hosting solutions. If you're in the need of any of these services, I would make a point of checking them out first.
40. PageSucker.com
http://www.PageSucker.com
This product will "suck" an entire webpage on to your hard drive so you can read it off-line. It's great for people who use dial-up connections, and best of all it's totally free.
© 2002 by Softniche Solutions Page 12
41. StatsFly
http://www.StatsFly.com
Here's an easy, copy and paste script that will give you more web site stats than you will ever be able to use. It's free if you don't mind the whole world being able to see your stats. Or you can pay $10 a month and have your stats page protected. (That's what I'd suggest. )
42. RefDesk.com
http://www.RefDesk.com
The submitter of this site said, "Think of something you want to know. It's there!" And you know what...he was right. :-) This site will help you find anything from people, to your local weather, to just about any other random fact that you could find the answer to anywhere else. Check it out if you need to do some product research.
43. FILExt
http://www.FILExt.com
How many times have you downloaded something only to have your computer tell you that it didn't recognize the file type? You then try to open it using the "Open As" feature, but even you don't know what the file extension stands for. That's where a site like FILExt comes in hand. FILExt has just about every software extension listed so you can easily do a search on your "mystery file".
44. Hostica
http://www.Hostica.com
I admit that I didn't have time to check this site out, but the submitter claims that they'll give you a domain free of charge without forcing an ad or banner on the site. They're site also offers web hosting at $0.25 a month, but like I said I haven't tested them. With prices like those, however, it may be worth checking out if you're on a shoestring budget.
45. MailWasher
http://www.MailWasher.net
The submitter of this SiteSighting claims that it has made his life better again by allowing him to manage all the spam. I haven't personally tested it out, but since it's free I'd say it's worth giving it a shot it you're like me and you receive a lot of spam.
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46. TurboNotes
http://www.TurboNotes.com
I've previewed free list hosts that are also ad free in this report before (see #10), but this one seems to have more features than anything else I've come across. I also like the fact that you can upgrade to a Pro account for only $47 a year and get even more features. If you're in the market for a list hosting solution, I'd give them look.
But if you’re in the market for a truly low cost, *advanced* autoresponder service, I’d check out AutorespondIt.
47. Ezine Ad Auction
http://www.EzineAdAuction.com
Ezine advertising is one of the cheapest and quickest ways to get the word out about a product or service. This site allows you to bid for ultra-cheap ad rates in a wide assortment of newsletters. If you're serious about marketing online, then this site is one that you need to have bookmarked.
48. Site Viewer
http://www.anybrowser.com/siteviewer.html
Sites created for one browser type can very often look horrible when viewed through other browsers. This site allows you to avoid such embarrassment by "viewing your own site as your visitors do." I'd make it a point of testing out your website using this tool before launching any new sites.
49. WebAssist
http://www.webassist.com
Give your ecommerce site PayPal functionality without having to touch a line of code. PayPal is one of the most popular payment processors online so by including them as a method of payment could very well increase your sales in and of itself.
50. Keyword Wizard
http://www.keywordwizard.com
There are a lot of sites out there that help you choose keywords for your site, but the thing I love about this one is that the program is downloadable. That means you don't have to get online or leave your site every time you want to do a little keyword research.
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It's a great tool for you search engine junkies out there. :-)
51. Query Server News Search
http://www.queryserver.com/news.htm
When I saw that this SiteSighting had been submitted by my friend Phil Wiley of http://www.ozemedia.com/, I knew it had to be good...
And boy was I right! Query Server News Search is a meta search engine that queries the following sources: ABC News, BBC News, CNN, The Financial Times, The Guardian, The Independent, The Los Angeles Times, The New York Times, The Washington Post, and USA Today. Results are sorted by date and then score, and are optionally clustered by content.
If you're looking for specific news, this is the place to find it. They also have specific searches for health, money and government issues.
52. Boogie Jack
http://www.boogiejack.com
BoogieJack has a lot of terrific information. One amazing little program is called Background Magic. This awesome little tool will create your buttons, borders, background - even skins and screen savers. There is a free version and a PRO version. Works like a charm.
53. Fresh Devices
http://www.freshdevices.com
Here's another site with some nifty utilities for you PC users out there. (Sorry Mac users.) They offer free utilities that help you optimize and diagnose your own system. If your computer seems to be getting slower over time, their products may be worth trying.
54. Courses U Seek.com
http://www.coursesuseek.com
Courses U Seek.com is the one of the first educational website to offer affordable courses by email. Courses are offered on a variety of subjects including – Online Marketing, eBook Writing, Web Design etc. All of the courses are under $10, and some are totally free. It's worth checking out, because as all 4th grade teachers tell us, "Knowledge is power!" :-)
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55. People Building People
http://www.PeopleBuildingPeople.com
Even though this SiteSighting is not free, I couldn't help but include it in here because I think it is truly one of the most valuable resources on the Internet. Rick Beneteau, the site's founder, is an online legend in his own time - and for good reason.
I am a member of PBP and an affiliate, but I am NOT including my affiliate link so that you know my recommendation is sincere and not motivated by an affiliate commission.
56. eFax
http://efax.com
This is a great service, especially for companies based outside of the USA who want a US based phone number. It is free and allows people to either leave a short message or to fax you. Messages and faxes are delivered right to your email box. Easy!
57. c2it
http://www.c2it.com
Here's a great alternative to PayPal if you need to send money to someone (even overseas). Best of all it's FDIC insured and they have 24 hour, live customer support.
58. 404 Research Lab
http://www.plinko.net/404
For those of you who don't know, file 404 errors occur when you try to go to a webpage that no longer exists in a particular location. This is a fun site that shows you the do's and don'ts of creating 404 pages, and how you can even profit from them. Most of all it's fun!
59. Free Advice.com and Legal Zoom
http://www.freeadvice.com
http://www.legalzoom.com
Both of these sites are legal in nature so I decided to group them together. Free Advice.com is just what it sounds like it would be , and Legal Zoom has some of the cheapest legal rates I've seen. If you plan to setup an LLC or incorporate your business at some point, I would check them out. They also offer excellent rates on patent and copyright applications.
© 2002 by Softniche Solutions Page 16
60. Cool Archive's Logo Generator
http://www.coolarchive.com/logogen.cfm
If you're just starting out and you need a nice looking logo, this could be a great solution for you. Granted, it's no where near as nice as a professional's work, but what do you expect...it's free!
61. RoboForm
http://www.roboform.com
If you're familiar with Gator then you already know how this little tool works. Basically, RoboForm helps you fill in website forms and can store your usernames and passwords. The great thing about RoboForm over Gator, however, is that RoboForm does not place any annoying ads on your system...a nice feature in the constant battle against scumware.
62. HelpOnThe.Net
http://www.helponthe.net
Totally free tech support for all your computer related questions. Heck, how can you top that? :-)
63. Bookmarklets
http://www.bookmarklets.com
Their website says it best:
"A bookmarklet is a cross between a bookmark and a JavaScript applet. Bookmarklets can be saved and used in the same way you use normal bookmarks. While you're on a web page, you can use them to perform certain functions, from highlighting content converting numbers (like currencies and measurements), search in advanced ways and much more. You do not have to download or install software to use them. For example, I use a word count bookmarklet to quickly count the number of words on a web page since my copywriting fees are based on the length of a page."
As you can see, it's a pretty nifty little tool so check it out!
64. Ad-Aware 5
http://www.lavasoft.nu
This free software finds the scumware that weasels its way onto your computer and helps you get rid of it. It's a great tool if you keep getting random pop-ups and you don't know where they're coming from.
© 2002 by Softniche Solutions Page 17
Note: If you're not familiar with scumware, there's a website that's solely dedicated to this menace. Here's the link --> http://www.scumware.com
65. Deleted Domains
http://www.deleteddomains.com
DeletedDomains.com is the ultimate tool for uncovering both "on hold/expiring" domains and "deleted" domains. Unlike other services that simply offer a list that is updated once or twice a week, Deleted Domains updates their database at least once each day, meaning it is the most up-to-date service of its kind.
Best of all it's free!
A Note from Ryan: I have personally used this site to locate many top quality domains, the latest of which was DrivingTraffic.com. This one domain was appraised by GreatDomains.com at $7000-$9000. Not too shabby when you consider it only cost me $9.95. Now I just need to figure out what I'm going to do with it. :-)
66. Email Education Center
http://www.emaileducation.com
Access to articles, how-tos and whitepapers on everything email marketing - best practices, privacy issues, acquisition strategies, etc.
This site also offers free online Webinars and "Ask the Expert" segments. Don't you just love quality, free information?
67. Jan's Freeware Collection
http://www.jansfreeware.com
This is one of the best freeware sites on the net. Some of their new products include a free ebook creator and pdf generator.
68. So You Wanna.com
http://www.soyouwanna.com
Learn how to do everything from write a business plan, to run a marathon, to mix a great drink. Some of the entries are a little bizarre, but the Money and Technology parts are "must sees" for any small business owner. (And if nothing else it's good for a laugh.) :-)
© 2002 by Softniche Solutions Page 18
69. TinyURL
http://tinyurl.com
This is a great site that allows you to change your long URLs into shorter ones. It's a Godsend for people who use free webspace providers, as well as affiliates.
The service is free, but donations are appreciated.
70. Any Browser
http://www.AnyBrowser.com
AnyBrowser offers every tool you'll need to make your site viewable, as the name suggests, in any browser. It's a great site for people who design their own websites, but even if you had a "professional" design your site for you, I'd suggest checking their work against this site.
71. ROI Calculator
http://www.marketingtoday.com/tools/roi_calculator.htm
Marketing Today's ROI calculator is an easy-to-use little device that allows you to accurately estimate what kind of return on investment you can expect from your upcoming direct mail or e-mail campaigns and promotions. The ROI calculator is a simple tool that acts as an excellent reality check when you're determining your marketing costs.
72. Top Marketing Forums
Warrior Forum: --> http://www.WarriorForum.com/forum Entrepreneurial Success Forum: --> http://www.ablake.net/forum
Between the Warrior Forum and Tony Blake's Entrepreneurial Success Forum, you should be able to get just about any question regarding internet marketing answered. These forums are "must have" resources and should be in any online marketers "Favorites" list (or Bookmarks for you 'Netscapers' out there). :-)
73. Dynamic Drive
http://www.dynamicdrive.com © 2002 by Softniche Solutions Page 19
This site has lots of cool javascripts...just make sure you don't overdo it because a million scripts on one page can get really annoying.
74. Digital Page Author
http://www.digital-page-author-software.com
Here's an alternative to both PDF and HTML compilers that may excite you ebook authors out there. The Digital Page Author format emulates the experience of reading a real book by letting your customers flip through the pages at the click of a mouse. I haven't tested the software myself, but they have an example ebook on their site and it looks pretty slick. Check it out and let me know what you think.
75. BotSpot
http://www.botspot.com
This site has tons of bots to help you do everything from finding a news article to spying on your competition. Even if you don't use it for "business purposes" it's still just a lot of fun.
76. Site Level
http://sitelevel.whatuseek.com
SiteLevel can set you up with effective, free search tools for your web site. If your site is more than a couple of pages and doesn't have a good internal search tool, you're probably losing many a frustrated visitor. Best of all, the free version should be enough for most small business owners.
77. Make Your Own Business (From TalkBiz News)
http://www.talkbiznews.com/myob.html
Paul Myers, of TalkBiz News, really has a beauty here. It's a free service that generates a personalized, step-by-step tutorial for how to start a business online. Just fill in the blanks, and his system will crank out a tutorial, customized to your own skills and goals. I've never seen anything like it, and best of all it's free. Give it a shot!
78. SWiSH
http://www.swishzone.com © 2002 by Softniche Solutions Page 20
Swish is software that allows you to create great Flash presentations without even learning (or buying) Macromedia Flash. But do me (and your visitors) a favor...don't go overboard with your new talent. :-)
79. Paid Search Engine Tools
http://www.paidsearchenginetools.com
The Keyword Bid Optimizer (KBO) at Paid Search Engine Tools helps you keep tabs on all your pay per click bids. They even let you try it out for free. If you use PPC services like Overture and FindWhat, you should be using a service like this.
80. Archive.org
http://www.archive.org
This is one of the coolest sites I've ever seen.
The Wayback Machine at Archive.org allows you to view old versions of your favorite websites. This can be especially useful if you want to see what changes your competitors have made over the last few months or even years. Who knows, it may give you some ideas for things that you might need to change on your own website.
81. Answer Tool
http://www.answertool.com
This handy little tool can save you hours worth of work by no longer having to type in the same answers to emails over and over again. If you're spending too much time answering emails, this tool could be a godsend. They even let you try it free for the first 30 days.
82. ChangeDetection
http://www.changedetection.com
This site tells your visitors about changes to your website every time something is updated. It’s great for archives and membership sites, and best of all, it's completely free!
83. Yahoo! Expired Domain Finder
http://www.obleam.com/yahoo © 2002 by Softniche Solutions Page 21
The Free Yahoo Domain Finder will help you find expired domains that are still listed in the Yahoo! directories. These can be instant sources of traffic if you find one that meshes with your business.
84. The eMasters Courses
http://the-emasters.promote-sell-profit.com
The owner of this site is giving away a free eCourse every month. It can be a great way to get good content for your site, the only problem I saw is that the reports are only offered in .exe, so Mac people are pretty much left out in the cold. Still, it's free and you can always just copy and paste the parts you like.
85. ixquick
http://www.ixquick.com
This is my new favorite search engine...
It works the same as other SEs, but adds an extra twist. ixquick also tells you how many other search engines the sites you find are listed in. It's a great tool to use when researching new product ideas and scoping out the competition.
86. TrafficRanking.com
http://www.trafficranking.com
Here's a free site where you can see how your site ranks in popularity, number of links, and overall visitors. My suggestion: check out your competitors' sites as well and make sure you're at the top.
87. TheTrafficSystem.com's "The Online Free Alley"
http://thetrafficsystem.com/MoneySystem/freereports.html
You can find free reports with reprint rights all over the Internet, but never before have I seen so many in one place. You can literally spend hours on this site digging through original reports and articles. This is one of those sites that I look at and think, "This person could charge a fortune for this kind of information." The good news is - they aren't. :-)
88. URL in One
http://www.urlinone.com © 2002 by Softniche Solutions Page 22
The owner of this site claims that you'll love their service so much, you'll want to make it your homepage. And you know what, I actually agree!
The URL in One concept is a little too complex to cover completely, but here's what the site's owner had to say about it...
"For anyone who ever opens more than one browser window at a time, URLinOne gives you control and power. You can auto-open or manually open a site or sites, organize them into groups, and reuse open browser windows. This is a new and powerful way to manage and access your favorite, frequently visited sites. Best of all, there's no software to install, and it's free."
Check it out!
89. emailStripper
http://www.webmasterfree.com/emailstripper.html
emailStripper is a free program for cleaning the ">" and other formatting characters out of your emails. It can also restore "forwarded" or "replied" emails back to their original state so they're easier to read.
90. Keyword Miner
http://www.engineready.com/freeware/keywordminer/index.html
Keyword Miner is a free software tool that helps you find the perfect set of keywords for your web pages, while also measuring your success by comparing your traffic with that of your competitors.
Best of all it's completely free - no nag screens, no advertisements - you don't even have to register it!
91. SnipURL
http://www.snipurl.com
If you're familiar with TinyURL.com, then you already know what this site does. Basically, it allows you to "snip" your long URL's (such as affiliate links) into much shorter ones. It's a pretty slick little resource for all you affiliate marketers out there.
92. FreeSticky
http://www.freesticky.com/stickyweb/ © 2002 by Softniche Solutions Page 23
Free content sites are all over the Internet, but this one has to be one of the best. It doesn't matter what your website's topic is, chances are you'll find something here that will add value to it.
93. Stickies 4.0
http://www.btinternet.com/~tom.revell/
If you're like me, your monitor is covered with sticky notes. Some of them are to-do lists, others are ideas, but in the end they just make your desk area look cluttered. Well here's a handy piece of software that will help you cut down on the clutter. Oh yeah, and did I mention it's free. :-)
94. GotLogos
http://www.gotlogos.com
Do you need a logo for your product or business but don't want to spend hundreds of dollars in the process? If so, then this site is definitely worth adding to your "Favorites" list. I'll admit that I've never personally used their services, but at $25 for a custom logo, what do you have to lose? (Other than $25 of course. )
95. FreeStats
http://www.freestats.com
There are tons of hit tracker services on the web, but this one does everything I need and is dirt cheap. (What more can you ask for?)
96. FindArticles.com
http://www.findarticles.com
FindArticles.com is a vast archive of published articles that you can search for free. It's constantly updated and contains articles from more than 300 magazines and journals in every possible category you could imagine.
It's a great way to add content to your website and a little more beef to your promotions.
97. SpamNix
http://www.spamnix.com © 2002 by Softniche Solutions Page 24
This program uses the same filter criteria as Spam Assassin, and while that may not sound like a good thing it can actually be a tremendous asset. Essentially, what SpamNix allows you to do is to "test" your emails to see if they'll make it through the Spam Assassin filters.
Just send your email to yourself using the SpamNix filters and you'll know for certain if your email message meets the Spam Assassin criteria.
It's a shame that honest online marketers must go through all this trouble just to send an email to our opt-in list, but as tools like Spam Assassin become more and more commonplace, tools like SpamNix will become more and more necessary.
By the way, SpamNix only works with Eudora so make sure you download a free copy of it by going to http://www.Eudora.com.
EDITOR'S NOTE: While this SiteSightings was submitted by a subscriber, I can say with a fair degree of certainty that it first appeared in Paul Myers' "TalkBiz News" ezine and was originally conceived by Jeff Walker, of http://www.lowrisk.com. By the way, if you're not already subscribed to Paul's ezine I highly recommend doing so by going to http://www.talkbiznews.com. It's one of the best...plain and simple.
98. AutorespondIt
http://www.AutorespondIt.com
Ok, I admit it...this one's a shameless self-plug of my very own autoresponder service. Even still, you'll be hard-pressed to find an *advanced* autoresponder system like this for such a minimal investment. If you already have an autoresponder service or if you're still shopping around, you owe it to yourself to check out AutorespondIt.
99. SmartBoardXP
http://smartboardxp.com
SmartBoardXP captures everything as you copy and paste, stores all your regularly used data, and lets you paste back into the document you are currently working on with as little as one click or two keystrokes... and it even works in all your applications.
The best part is that it helps you organize everything into categories so it's especially helpful when you're researching your hot new product. Just think of it as your regular Windows Clipboard on steroids. :-)
© 2002 by Softniche Solutions Page 25
Exclusive “From the Trenches” Tips that Every Online Business Owner NEEDS to Read
INTRODUCTION: These articles appeared in my “Webs Worth Watching” Newsletter as special “From the Trenches” Tips. The philosophy behind these tips is to expose my own experiences (both victories and failures) in operating an online business.
My hope is that somewhere buried in these tips, you’ll find at least one thing that will help you reach your goals a little bit faster.
Enjoy...
----------------------------------------------------
"How Do I Get Started Online If I Don’t Have My Own Products" (Part I) >> By Ryan Deiss
This "From the Trenches” Tip is an answer to the question that I get asked more than any other. That is...
"How Do I Get Started Online If I Don't Have My Own Products?"
You know the internet is a great place to start your own business, but you have no idea how or where to start.
You've tried the affiliate programs and the so-called “opportunities” only to be disappointed time and time again.
You want to have your own products, but you don't have the time or starting capital it requires to roll them out.
In short, you're stuck...
You have the desire but you don't have the vehicle. Oh sure, you've read about how some “guru” wrote a best-selling book or came up with some million dollar idea. But what about the average Joe or Jane who can't write and isn't bursting with ideas?
What do they do?
What do YOU do?!
Well I don't claim to be a guru, but I can tell you what I did and what worked for me...
© 2002 by Softniche Solutions Page 26
When I first got started online, I had almost no spare cash and even less spare time. I knew I wouldn't be able to sit down and write and entire ebook, and so I decided instead to publish a newsletter.
That's right...my newsletter, “Webs Worth Watching”, was my first product!
If you haven't considered having a newsletter as your first product, then take a look at this...
• They're cheap to develop
• They require less time than writing a full ebook and most importantly...
• They allow you to build a base of potential customers *before* you even release or start to develop a single product
So if you're still looking for a way to get your foot in the online door, don't take months and months to write an ebook or develop a product - start a newsletter and build a site that can "sell" it!
Not only will this put you on the map, it will also be great practice for when you start rolling out your own million dollar ideas.
And who knows? One day you may be looking at your own online empire and thinking to yourself..."Gosh, and it all started with one simple newsletter." :-)
I hope I've given you a fresh idea that you can take and apply to your own business. If you have any questions about this week's "From the Trenches" Tip, please feel free to email me at:
--> mailto:Ryan@SiteSightings.com
© 2002 by Softniche Solutions Page 27
---------------------------------------------------- "How Do I Get Started Online If I Don’t Have My Own Products" (Part II) >> By Ryan Deiss
In the last "From the Trenches" Tip, I said that people should publish a newsletter as their first product, because it's cheap, easy, and lays a strong foundation for future product rollouts.
To read that entire "From the Trenches" Tip, send a blank email to the address below:
--> mailto:trenches1@SiteSightings.com
I received a lot of great feedback from that article, the majority of which was people thanking me for FINALLY giving their business some direction.
However, I also receive a few emails from people asking me,
"How in the heck do I go about starting a newsletter, and what topic should I pick?"
Those are very fair questions and so I'll try to address them right now...
You have to keep in mind that there are literally millions and millions of people that can be reached on the internet, and so virtually any topic (within reason) can be in demand.
====================== Side Note ======================
"Hang Gliding", for example, was searched over 5000 times on Overture alone. Is that enough interest to start a business? I don't really know, but I do know that you should be able to find a topic that has a slightly broader appeal than hang gliding. :-)
====================== Side Note ======================
My suggestion is, first and foremost, to pick a topic that you know *something* about, and really enjoy doing. I know it seems like a cop-out, but this really is the best way to succeed online.
Once you've chosen a topic, then see if other people who would be interested in that topic can be easily reached through the internet. Check out the search engines and the newsgroups. See if there's anyone else out there who shares in your passion.
If there isn't anyone, then just come up with a different topic until you find something with an audience. Once you have your topic (and a known following) then just choose how you will form your newsletter and build yourself a site to "sell" it.
© 2002 by Softniche Solutions Page 28
Advertise it a bit to this group, and then send out your first issue after about a month of advertising. Depending on the response, you should have a good idea of whether or not it would be profitable to continue to nurture a relationship with this group.
If the response is good, just keep doing what you're doing and before you know it you'll have a list of raving fans who trust and respect you, and will pay close attention to any product that you rollout in the future.
Ok, I admit that I have dumbed the process down quite a bit, but there have been whole books written on this topic and so it would be ridiculous of me to try to cover everything in this one article. What I want to do, more than anything, is to outline the basic steps so that you can adapt them to your own business.
In short, I'm trying to teach you how to fish rather than just handing you baked salmon.
So start thinking about what you really really love, and then isolate a niche that you can reach on the Internet. If other people online share in your passion, you could very well have a profitable newsletter on your hands.
====================== Side Note ======================
I said earlier that whole books had been written on the topic of ezine publishing...
Well one of the best of seen is Jimmy Brown's "Profit Pulling Newsletters", and so if you really want to give your own newsletter a jump start I highly recommend it.
Here's the link if you're interested:
--> http://www.optinautomator.com/ppn.htm
====================== Side Note ======================
If you have any questions about this week's "From the Trenches" Tip, please feel free to email me at:
--> mailto:Ryan@SiteSightings.com
© 2002 by Softniche Solutions Page 29
----------------------------------------------------
"Complexity...The Most Infectious Disease in Product Development" >> By Ryan Deiss
I'm not a programmer, but since my first two products, Opt-In Automator and Pop-Up Rotator, happened to be software-based, I get a lot of emails from people who want me to work with them on their own software projects.
And of the literally dozens of requests that I've received, can you guess how many I've taken?
The answer...none, zero, zilch. And do you know why? Because every single one of the projects that have been proposed to me all suffer from the same disease...Complex-itus.
Now I'm not going to claim credit for the term Complex-itus because it was coined by a friend of mine, Ben Prater of "Software Secrets Exposed", but what it essentially means is over-complicating a product (or project) until it's virtually impossible to complete.
For example, I had a guy email me with an idea for the ultimate HTML editor. The way he made it sound, his product would do everything that Dreamweaver and Photoshop could do, but faster, easier and better.
The problem...a project of this scope would cost literally millions of dollars and untold years to develop. (This person had neither.)
Now I understand that we've been taught our whole lives to "Think BIG," but when it comes to product development, whether it be software, an info-product or whatever else, my advice is to "Think Small".
So, instead of creating the HTML editor to end all other HTML editors, why not just create a simple program that can fill a common need. That's how you make a lot of money! And instead of writing a 500 page ebook for your first project, why not just create a short, 30-page report on a more targeted area. Not only will it be easier to create, it should also sell better than a lengthy, unfocused manual.
I can assure you that if you follow this advice, you'll finish a lot more projects, and earn a lot more money. If all else fails, you can "delay" your really big ideas until your "little ones" are bringing in some cash. :-)
If you have any questions about this week's "From the Trenches" Tip, please feel free to email me at:
--> mailto:Ryan@SiteSightings.com © 2002 by Softniche Solutions Page 30
----------------------------------------------------
"How NOT to Joint Venture" >> By Ryan Deiss
I get dozens of emails everyday from people wanting me to joint venture with them on their latest ebook or software project, the majority of which are barely worth replying to.
Now don't get me wrong, I'm always open to joint venture opportunities, but please please please if you're going to make an me an offer, you better make sure it's one I can't refuse. (And this goes with other marketers as well.)
Here's what I mean...
All too often, the joint venture offers I receive go something like this:
"I just wrote an ebook and would like it if you could advertise it to your list. It sells for $17, and I pay 50% commissions. I'd really appreciate your help."
Ok, this joint venture offer has 2 major problems...
1. You can expect any marketer to get excited about an $8.50 commission. (Actually it's less than $8 after the merchant company gets their part.) If you want someone with a large responsive list to promote your product, your commissions really need to excite your potential partner. Personally, I expect to make at least $25-$30 off of every sale I make. Anything less and it's really not worth it to me to send out.
2. Don't expect big-name marketers to "help" you for next-to-nothing. I'm a pretty nice guy, but when it all comes down to it, I got started online to make money. And so while I try to help people whenever I can, I have to make sure that I'm meeting my own bottom line. So please don't beg me (or other marketers) to help. It just isn't fair to ask someone to sacrifice their own profits when they also have a family to provide for.
Ok, so all that being said...how do you formulate the perfect joint venture offer?
Well like I said before, the name of the game is to make someone an offer that they can’t refuse. You do that by selling high margin products, and offering huge commissions.
And it may sound crazy, but don't be afraid to offer people with really huge lists even more than 50%. If there's a person that you really want to joint venture with, and they tell
© 2002 by Softniche Solutions Page 31
you that they expect $25 off of every sale (but your product sells for $40)...give them $25!
The way I look at it, $15 is a heck of a lot better than $0, and this way you also get your name out there and have the potential to make more sales in the future. (Just make sure that you cover your own costs, especially if the product you market is physical.)
This tip isn't a full blown explanation of joint ventures, but hopefully it'll lead you in the right direction when you go to email Mr. or Ms. Big about your brand new product.
As always, if you have any questions about this week's "From the Trenches" Tip, please feel free to email me at:
--> mailto:Ryan@SiteSightings.com
© 2002 by Softniche Solutions Page 32
----------------------------------------------------
"STOP Buying Internet Marketing Products" >> By Ryan Deiss
I'm going to take a lot of heat from some of my buddies in the Internet Marketing field for this article, but some things just have to be said. Ok here goes...
"You should stop spending all your money on Internet marketing related products!" (And yes that also includes my own products, Opt-In Automator, Pop-Up Rotator, and "The Great Ezine Experiment".)
So why am I saying this?
Well, it all springs from an email I received a few weeks ago from a guy wanting to make a trade for Opt-In Automator. The email went something like this:
=============== "I'm very interested in your product, Opt-In Automator, but I'm really low on cash right now so I was hoping to trade you [product name withheld] for it. If you're not interested in this product, I have many more that I can offer you." ===============
So out of curiosity, I asked this gentleman to send me the URLs to his website(s) so I could check out these “other products” that he mentioned.
Here was his response:
=============== "Actually I don't have my own website, yet. Right now I'm just trying to acquire all the Internet marketing materials I can so I know what I'm doing when I finally launch my own site." ===============
If you were paying attention, this response should have thrown up quite a few red flags.
For starters, Opt-In Automator does you absolutely no good if you don't already have your own website and mailing list. So this guy is spending his time and money acquiring products that are useless to him and his business. (That's not a great formula for success.)
Second, (and this is really the whole point of this article so pay attention) the notion that you must have all the wisdom, resources, and software at your fingertips before you start is simply ridiculous!
Sure, you need some basic knowledge so you have some clue as to what you're doing. So read an ebook here and there and digest all the free information you can. © 2002 by Softniche Solutions Page 33
But above all else, try something! Just get out there and do it. That's where you really learn what works and what doesn't.
I see way too many people fall into the trap of "Perpetual Preparation". They spend so much time getting ready to start their business that they never actually get around to doing anything.
And whatever you do, stop wasting all your money buying every ebook and hot new software product under the sun. Instead, buy a domain name and a year of hosting. Buy an autoresponder account, and a payment processor.
In short, invest in the things that directly benefit your business before you waste all your money on knowledge you can no longer afford to use.
Once you start turning a profit, you can let your business fund your continuing education and also purchase that great new piece of software you've been eyeing for the last few months. (Hopefully it's one of mine.) ;-)
As always, if you have any questions about this week's "From the Trenches" Tip, please feel free to email me at:
--> mailto:Ryan@SiteSightings.com
© 2002 by Softniche Solutions Page 34
----------------------------------------------------
"The Single Most Effective, Yet Unused, Joint Venture Tactic" >> By Ryan Deiss
Here's a joint venture technique you can use that I guarantee will get the attention of even the busiest, most successful website owners.
Consider this...
If you were going to approach someone about forming a joint venture or partnership, what method would you use? Well if you're like 99.9% of the people out there, then chances are you would simply send them a personal email and then wait for a reply.
Sometimes the reply comes, and other times it doesn't. Well here's a way to virtually ensure a reply of some sort...
Don't email your potential partners your offer - MAIL it to them. That's right! It's time to dust off those old stamps, break out envelopes and actually send a real, live letter. I realize this sounds a little backwards, but that's the beauty of it.
Here's an example...
I receive dozens of joint venture requests every day, some of which are worth replying to, and some of which are not. The funny thing, however, is that of the thousands of JV requests that have cross my path, not a single one has been delivered via postal mail.
So what do you think my reaction would be if I did receive something in the mail? Don't bother guessing...I'll tell you! I'd be shocked, amazed, and impressed all at the same time. Even if the offer was not for me, you better believe that I would give it extra-special consideration. (And that's really all you can ask for when approaching a potential partner.)
But let's take this one step further...
Instead of just sending a personal letter via First Class mail, try sending it through Federal Express, or even registered mail. Heck, make the person sign for it! :-)
Obviously you don't want to go too overboard with this, but if the joint venture could earn you thousands of dollars, isn't it at least worth the cost of a postage stamp. I think so...
As always, if you have any questions about this week's "From the Trenches" Tip, please feel free to email me at:
--> mailto:Ryan@SiteSightings.com © 2002 by Softniche Solutions Page 35
----------------------------------------------------
"How to Price an Ebook" >> By Ryan Deiss
The title of this article is deceptively simple, but I promise there's more to pricing an ebook than you would think. The inspiration for this tip came from an email I received from a subscriber, which read...
"I'm planning on releasing my ebook soon and I'm trying to decide how to sell it. (i.e. with resell rights, customization rights, etc) Any tips you could give as to how I should sell it for maximum profits?"
The way I look at it, you create a product because you want to accomplish one of two things:
1. Make a lot of money or...
2. Build your list and generate publicity
You really can't do #1 very effectively if you don't charge a premium for your ebook, so in my opinion if you don't feel your ebook is worth at least $37, then you should consider refocusing your marketing plan from profit generation to list generation. (Note: The $37 figure is not set it stone, but it's what I've found works best for my business.)
So how do you transition from profit generation to list generation? Simple...just offer low-cost (or free) resell rights to your ebook.
If your ebook has resell rights available (and it's of high quality), it will spread much faster giving you more recognition while building your list at the same time. But let's not forget...you'll also make a tidy sum selling the ebook on the front end, and then charging extra for resell rights and customization.
Then all you have to do is roll out another (more expensive product) to your new list, and watch the really BIG profits roll in.
I realize that this idea isn't anything new, but so few info publishers are actually using it that it's worth discussing. Far too often I hear of people trying to "make it big" off of a $17 ebook. I hate to burst your bubble, but it isn't going to happen!
So instead of busting your butt for a small fortune, bust your butt for a HUGE list. It may not seem as sexy at first, but I promise it will pay much larger dividends over the long-haul.
SPECIAL SIDE NOTE: If you want to see this strategy in action, just check out my new ebook "The Great Ezine Experiment". --> http://www.EzineExperiment.com © 2002 by Softniche Solutions Page 36
Though I made a nice profit off of the front-end sales of this product, my main focus was to build my list and increase my name recognition.
THE RESULT: A 30% increase in my opt-in list in the first month alone, and a sharp increase in sales for my other products.
See...it does work. :-)
As always, if you have any questions about this week's "From the Trenches" Tip, please feel free to email me at:
--> mailto:Ryan@SiteSightings.com
© 2002 by Softniche Solutions Page 37
----------------------------------------------------
"Marketing Is NOT a WAR" (Why I Disagree with Mark Joyner) >> By Ryan Deiss
It's becoming very hip lately to refer to marketing in military and especially warlike terms. Mark Joyner, of Aesop.com, is especially big about this.
In fact, in his new book Mind Control Marketing (which I just finished reading), Mark takes the perspective that selling something is a "fight to the death" between you and your customers where your goal is to "conquer their resistance" (see Mind Control Marketing, pg. 79).
WHAT?!
Now, maybe I'm still young and naive when compared to the great Mark Joyner, but I like to think of marketing as a bridge between people's wants and a solution to extinguish those wants (which is where the products come in). In short, I still see marketing as a benevolent act that should be undertaken with honesty and sincerity - not a battle to be won.
When I buy a product, it's because I wanted it. Sure, I've been scammed before, but I'm still pleased with the vast majority of my purchases because I wanted something that a particular product or service could fill. The owner didn't need to wear down my resistance, she simply needed to recognize my wants and seek to meet them at a reasonable price.
So if you're reading this with an open mind, here's the lesson I hope you take with you...
Seek to create products (and services) that genuinely help people and meet their most pressing wants.
If you do that, then all your marketing has to do is isolate the targeted prospects and show them how your product does what it says it will do. Do that and you won't need any "mind control" tactics or "hypnotic selling" strategies.
But then again, that's just my take on it...let me know what you think...
As always, if you have any questions or comments about this week's "From the Trenches" Tip, please feel free to email me at:
--> mailto:Ryan@SiteSightings.com
© 2002 by Softniche Solutions Page 38
Here’s a little bit about me...
Since 2001, Ryan Deiss has made a career for himself on the Internet by creating products that make people say, "Why didn't I think of that?"
Ryan's first project, the "Webs Worth Watching" newsletter, was launched out of a desire to offer something different in an ezine. Since then "Something Different" has remained his battle cry. In November of 2001, Ryan launched Opt-In Automator, which has since helped hundreds of ezine publishers achieve higher opt-in rates in highly competitive markets. Its characteristic "javascript warning" pop-up has now become commonplace on many of the top marketing related websites.
His next product, Pop-Up Rotator, literally sent the controversial world of pop-up marketing spinning. Using Pop-Up Rotator, online marketers could now display multiple pop-ups on their site in a defined series so that visitors were exposed to a new ad every time they returned to the site. This not only increased profits for the marketers, it also made pop-ups as a whole less annoying to visitors since they were no longer forced to see the same pop-up time and time again.
Ryan's fuel for starting his online businesses came from a highly unlikely source...a girl. As Ryan tells the story...
"In May of 2001 I decided that I needed to buy a ring for my girlfriend. Now this wasn't just any ring, mind you, this was *THE RING*. By that I mean, the ring that I would give to the girl of my dreams when I asked her to be my wife. But there was a problem...
Engagement rings are anything but cheap. In fact, they're the anti-cheap. But since I had no money, I decided that after two years of sitting on the sidelines I would finally try my hand at this 'crazy Internet thing' to see if I could bring in enough cash to eventually pay off the ring."
© 2002 by Softniche Solutions Page 39
Fortunately for Ryan, he surpassed his original goal and started making serious cash from his websites in less than 4 months. Now, Ryan's primary focus is on new product development and teaching others how they can rollout and market products using the Internet.
Here are some of Ryan’s “Why didn’t I think of that” products.
“Pop-Up Rotator” www.PopUpRotator.com
Here’s the product that literally sent the world of pop-ups spinning, and created a whole new marketing strategy – Pop-Up Rotation. With Pop-Up Rotator, you’ll be able to finally create pop ups that actually SELL to your visitors instead of just ANNOY them.
“Opt-In Automator” www.OptInAutomator.com
Double your Ezine’s opt-in rate in 8 minutes by installing this simple little program on your site.
“The Great Ezine Experiment” www.EzineExperiment.com
"How I Turned a Simple Ezine Into an Online Empire That Earns Me THOUSANDS of Dollars Each Month." (You won’t find this strategy taught anywhere else.)
“Webs Worth Watching Newsletter” www.SiteSightings.com © 2002 by Softniche Solutions Page 40
Discover the BEST Sites You've NEVER Seen, Along with Tried and True 'From the Trenches' Marketing Tips, All in One Place. There’s not filler and no fluff, so subscribe and see why one subscriber said...
“I subscribe to hundreds of newsletters. Why? Because I look for value and content which I consider important to maximize my business. I end of deleting most of them or unsubscribing. But yours gets read! You provide a quality newsletter that is honest, open and valuable in content. Keep up the good work. Its refreshing to get a newsletter that has your subscribers best interest at heart and you can quote me on this.”
Robert Lunsford
http://www.TimeSaverSolutions.com
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To see my complete product line, be sure to visit my main site at:
--> http://www.SoftnicheSolutions.com
Thanks again for reading, Ryan Deiss
Ryan@SiteSightings.com
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© 2002 by Softniche Solutions Page 41