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Mandalorian
amisatoshi@primal.net
npub18z53...50l4
Digital Sovereignty Architect. www.digitalhijrah.com. Background in Computer Science, > 27 years in enterprise IT. Science fiction/fantasy, art & design, history and economics. Co-Founder @Blockchainology. Author BITCOIN IS HALAL 👉 www.ashikusmanbooks.com. New All-in-One Identity/Payments/Savings Wallet project: www.ijmawallet.com. For book translations, ✉️ bitcoinishalal@proton.me. PGP Fingerprint EF16 F877 B3B0 1101 295D 66EA 5836 DA5B 9509 788D Public Key: https://www.blockchainology.co.uk/pgp.asc
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amisatoshi 1 month ago
"True freedom begins when you own your money, control your data, and choose your tools." www.blockchainology.co.uk Fighting Riba and Financial Tyranny for over 10 years. 💪 alhamdulillah image
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amisatoshi 1 month ago
Umm Kulthūm bint ʿUqbah No treaty covered her. No one had done this before. She walked alone across the desert to Madinah — and changed Islamic law. 🌊 Read her story → www.ashikusmanbooks.com/young-companions #UmmKulthum #MuslimWomen #YoungSahabah image
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amisatoshi 1 month ago
🌟 If you want to spark conversations with your kids about the future of money (and maybe learn a thing or two yourself), check out Bitcoin is Halal! ✍️ Written in a playful, engaging style, the book is packed with humour and big ideas - perfect for young readers and adults alike. ✨ Available in English, Bahasa Indonesia and Arabic on Amazon, Bukunesia, Lulu, Google Play and Apple Book stores. 🔗 For direct store links, free downloadable worksheets and more books: www.ashikusmanbooks.com #BitcoinIsHalal #Bitcoin #AntiRiba #RibaFree image
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amisatoshi 1 month ago
Bilāl ibn Rabāḥ A boulder on his chest. Midday desert sun. One word: Aḥad. 🌙 That voice became the first adhān ever called. We still hear its echo. Read his story → www.ashikusmanbooks.com/young-companions #Bilal #Adhan #YoungSahabah image
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amisatoshi 1 month ago
Fāṭimah az-Zahrāʾ She was 6 years old. Everyone stood frozen. She ran. 🌸 The daughter who shielded her father when no one else moved. Read her story → www.ashikusmanbooks.com/young-companions #Fatimah #YoungSahabah #IslamicKids image
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amisatoshi 1 month ago
There's something special about building your own software and running your own infrastructure / node to send and receive halal, riba-free money #bitcoin #nostr #digitalhijrah
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amisatoshi 1 month ago
Been so busy with too many spinning plates recently. I'm going to make some more time for ijmawallet.com. Last night, I wired up my personal LNbits to ijmawallet app and generated a lightning invoice. Copied it to Coinos and sent the sats. Received almost instantly on ijmawallet. Alhamdulillah
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amisatoshi 1 month ago
📌 What is STRC? STRC is Strategy Inc.’s (formerly MicroStrategy) Variable Rate Series A Perpetual Stretch Preferred Stock — a high‑yield equity instrument designed to fund the company’s Bitcoin purchases. It trades on Nasdaq under the ticker STRC and currently pays a variable monthly dividend around 11.5%, adjusted to keep its price near \$100 par value. - Type: Perpetual preferred stock (not a bond) - Issuer: Strategy Inc. (NASDAQ:MSTR), Michael Saylor’s Bitcoin‑treasury company - Dividend: Variable, board‑set monthly cash payout (~11–12% annualized) - Purpose: Raise capital to buy more Bitcoin without diluting common shareholders - Trading behavior: Price engineered to stay near \$100; dividend rate rises if price falls below par - Collateral: Not directly backed by Bitcoin; holders have only a preferred claim on residual corporate assets 📌 Why STRC is problematic from Shariah perspective? From a Shariah perspective, STRC’s yield has a high likelihood of being classified as riba because it is a fixed‑income–like dividend engineered to track par value, not a profit‑share from a real economic venture. But there is nuance — and the classification depends on why the dividend exists, how it is determined, and what the investor is actually exposed to. Below is the structured breakdown 👇 1. The core Shariah question; Shariah asks one thing first: > Is the return tied to real economic risk and profit, or is it a guaranteed/engineered payout on capital? If the return is pre‑determined, capital‑linked, or designed to maintain par value, it typically falls under riba al‑nasī’ah (time‑based increase on capital). 2. What STRC actually is (in Shariah terms) STRC is: - Perpetual preferred equity, - With variable monthly dividends, - Adjusted explicitly to keep the price near $100, - And not tied to business profits, - But tied to capital‑raising mechanics. This means: - The dividend is not a share of business profit. - It is not tied to MicroStrategy’s operating performance. - It is not tied to Bitcoin appreciation. - It is not tied to a mudarabah/musharakah‑style risk‑sharing model. Instead, the dividend is engineered to maintain price stability; which is economically similar to a floating coupon. That is the key Shariah red flag. 3. Why many scholars would classify STRC dividends as riba: 1. The payout is linked to capital, not profit Shariah requires that equity returns come from actual profit, not from a pre‑engineered yield mechanism. STRC’s dividend is set by the issuer to maintain par value; not by profit. 2. The issuer adjusts the rate to keep the price stable This is functionally similar to: - Floating‑rate bonds - Sukuk that fail AAOIFI screens - Capital‑preservation instruments Shariah prohibits capital‑guaranteed returns. 3. The investor’s risk is not true equity risk Preferred equity with engineered dividends behaves like: - A perpetual bond - A yield instrument - A capital‑linked coupon This is structurally closer to riba‑based debt than to musharakah equity. 4. The Bitcoin angle does not make it halal Some people assume: > “If MicroStrategy uses STRC proceeds to buy Bitcoin, the yield must be halal.” But Shariah looks at contract structure, not use of proceeds. Even if the company buys halal assets, the instrument can still be riba‑based. 5. The strongest Shariah argument against STRC STRC’s dividend is: - Not profit‑based - Not risk‑sharing - Not tied to real economic output - Not variable based on business performance - Explicitly engineered to maintain par value This aligns with the classical definition of riba al‑nasī’ah; an increase on capital due to time. 6. Is there any argument for permissibility? A minority argument could be: - It is technically equity, not debt. - Dividends are not legally guaranteed. - The rate is variable, not fixed. - The company does take business risk. But these arguments are weak because the economic substance is still a capital‑linked yield mechanism, not a profit‑sharing model. AAOIFI standards generally reject preferred shares with engineered dividends. Bottom line is most Shariah scholars would classify STRC’s yield as riba, because: - The return is engineered, not profit‑based - The payout is linked to capital, not performance - The structure mimics a floating‑rate bond - The purpose of the dividend is price stability, not profit distribution In Islamic finance, form does not override substance. And the substance of STRC is yield on capital, not profit from enterprise. 📌 Is purchasing STRC the equivalent of a loan or equity? When you purchase STRC, you are legally buying equity, but economically you are entering something that behaves much closer to a loan. This duality is exactly why the Shariah classification becomes tricky. Breaking it down cleanly and without jargon: 1. What you legally own when you buy STRC STRC is preferred equity. That means: - You are not a creditor - You do own a slice of the company’s capital structure - You sit above common shareholders but below bondholders - You receive dividends, not interest - The company is not legally obligated to pay you (dividends can be suspended) So in form, you are purchasing equity. 2. What you economically experience This is where the Shariah issue arises. STRC behaves like: - A perpetual bond - With a floating coupon - Designed to keep the price near $100 - With a yield engineered by the issuer, not tied to profit - With capital‑preservation mechanics This means your economic exposure is: - Not true equity risk - Not tied to business performance - Not tied to profit/loss sharing - Not tied to Bitcoin appreciation - Primarily tied to receiving a yield on your capital Economically, this is loan‑like behaviour. 3. Shariah classification: form vs substance Shariah always prioritises substance over form. Form (legal): ✔️ Equity ✔️ Dividends ✔️ No legal guarantee ✔️ No maturity date Substance (economic): ❌ Capital‑linked return ❌ Engineered yield ❌ Price‑stability mechanism ❌ No real profit‑sharing ❌ Behaves like a floating‑rate loan Because the return is tied to capital + time, not profit + risk, the economic substance resembles riba al‑nasī’ah. 4. So what is it in Shariah terms? Most scholars would say: > You are legally buying equity, but economically receiving a riba‑like return. This is similar to: - Preferred shares with fixed dividends - Perpetual bonds - Capital‑preservation sukuk that fail AAOIFI standards These are typically classified as non‑compliant. 5. A simple analogy Imagine someone says: > “I’m selling you equity, but I’ll adjust your dividend every month to make sure your investment always stays around £100 and gives you a steady yield.” That is equity in name, but a loan in behaviour. Shariah cares about behaviour. Buying STRC is legally equity, but economically loan‑like. And because Shariah evaluates economic substance, not legal labels, the model aligns more with riba‑based instruments than with halal equity. image
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amisatoshi 1 month ago
Summary of the salient points and the core CTA from "Skating To Where The Puck Will Be with Matt Hill: 1. The world is splitting into two computing models Matt Hill argues that we’re watching a hard divergence between: - Centralised computing (cloud, big tech, custodial platforms) - Decentralised computing (sovereign, user‑controlled, local-first systems) He predicts a future where the gap becomes so wide that society will be forced to choose one path or the other. 2. StartOS 0.4.0: a complete rebuild for sovereignty Start9 spent three years rebuilding StartOS from scratch, giving them full control over the entire network stack. Key outcomes: - More reliable self-hosting - Better security - A foundation for future sovereign computing tools 3. StartWRT: open‑source routing for normal humans They introduce StartWRT, a router OS that makes complex networking feel like “Ikea furniture.” Capabilities include: - True open-source routing - Simple network isolation - Security profiles - Virtual private routers 4. The danger of the cloud The “cloud” is described bluntly as “someone else’s computer.” Centralised cloud infrastructure is framed as: - A surveillance system - A single point of failure - A threat to autonomy 5. AI as an existential threat if not run locally Matt warns that: - AI will automate away huge swaths of human purpose - Centralised AI agents will become tools of control - Running AI locally is essential for sovereignty 6. Inflation + automation = a trap Even as technology saves time, inflation steals that time back. This creates a treadmill where people never get ahead. 7. Digital defense systems are now essential He frames sovereign computing as a defensive necessity, not a hobby: - Protect against institutional overreach - Resist censorship - Maintain autonomy in a collapsing system 8. StartBot AI: local automation for your server Start9 is building StartBot, a local AI that: - Manages your server - Automates tasks - Helps non‑technical users run sovereign infrastructure 9. Privacy tools made simple The episode covers: - Chaining outbound VPNs - Isolating networks - Exposing home services safely All designed to be accessible to non‑experts. 🎯 Core CTA (Call to Action) Across both the Fountain and YouTube descriptions, the clear CTA is: → Start taking control of your computing NOW. Stop procrastinating. Stop relying on cloud platforms. Begin running your own: - Local server - Local AI agents - Private networking stack - Sovereign digital tools Matt’s message is that sovereign computing is no longer optional—it’s a survival skill in a world drifting toward authoritarian digital control. YT link: Fountain: @Guy Swann @Matt Hill
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amisatoshi 1 month ago
Would love to see a modern version of IK+ Absolute brilliant and fun game - one of my favourite games on the Amiga (and other platforms).
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amisatoshi 1 month ago
If you're over 50, this was your cloud storage image
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amisatoshi 1 month ago
The Young Companions is a free, browser-based ebook series written for children aged 6–15. Every story is drawn from authentic sources. Every chapter ends with real lessons and practical ways to apply them in daily life. No lectures. No dry lists of names and dates. Just stories that make young readers feel like they were there. 📚 Young Sahabah — men and women, from Makkah, Madinah, Persia and Abyssinia 🧠 Comprehension quizzes with full explanations 🌙 Dark mode for bedtime reading 🔖 Bookmarks so they can pick up where they left off 🔗 Each chapter includes: → Longform narrative storytelling from authentic Sunni sources → Hadith callouts with Arabic text and citations → 3-question comprehension quiz with explanations → Summarised lessons and practical life applications → Alphabetical index of 150+ Islamic terms and sources Free Islamic ebook for Muslim kids — built with no tracking, no ads, no platform dependency. Open in any browser. #IslamicEducation #MuslimEducator #IslamicHomeschool #Sahabah #IslamicStudies #MuslimParents #IslamicParenting #MuslimKids #IslamicHomeschool #IslamicBooks #YoungSahabah #IslamicKids #ChildrensBooks image
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amisatoshi 1 month ago
A question for Muslim parents 👇 When your child asks "who were the Sahabah?" — what do you hand them? The Young Companions is a free, browser-based ebook series written for children aged 6–15. Every story is drawn from authentic sources. Every chapter ends with real lessons and practical ways to apply them in daily life. No lectures. No dry lists of names and dates. Just stories that make young readers feel like they were there. 📚 19 Young Sahabah — men and women, from Makkah, Madinah, Persia and Abyssinia 🎧 Built-in audio narration — great for children who prefer listening 🧠 Comprehension quizzes with full explanations 🌙 Dark mode for bedtime reading 🔖 Bookmarks so they can pick up where they left off 🔗 Each chapter includes: → Longform narrative storytelling from authentic Sunni sources → Hadith callouts with Arabic text and citations → 3-question comprehension quiz with explanations → Summarised lessons and practical life applications → Alphabetical index of 150+ Islamic terms and sources Free Islamic ebook for Muslim kids — built with no tracking, no ads, no platform dependency. Open in any browser. Built by Ashik Usman Books — an independent publishing imprint. #IslamicEducation #MuslimEducator #IslamicHomeschool #Sahabah #IslamicStudies #MuslimParents #IslamicParenting #MuslimKids #IslamicHomeschool #IslamicBooks #YoungSahabah #IslamicKids #MuslimKids #ChildrensBooks #HalalReads #AshikUsmanBooks
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amisatoshi 1 month ago
🪙 PreciousWatch: Gold & silver premiums vary 3–8% between UK dealers. PreciousWatch compares 7 dealers instantly — plus live spot prices and delivery costs. Protecting your savings from inflation shouldn’t require guesswork. PreciousWatch shows live spot prices, dealer premiums, and even crypto‑gold comparisons (XAUT, PAXG, KAU). Learn how to buy and sell peer to peer by cutting out the middlemen. image
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amisatoshi 1 month ago
Al-Masjid al-Aqṣā is not only the golden Dome of the Rock, nor only the silver/grey-domed al-Muṣallā al-Qiblī. Al-Masjid al-Aqṣā is the entire sacred compound that encompasses both of these Muṣallā, along with everything within its surrounding walls. Every part of this blessed land is sacred. Every inch carries history, worship, and responsibility for this Ummah. Muṣallā Qubbat al-Ṣakhrah (The Dome of the Rock) Built during the reign of the Caliph ʿAbd al-Malik b. Marwān, it stands over the Blessed Rock, from which it is said the Prophet ﷺ ascended to the heavens on the Night Journey. Al-Muṣallā al-Qiblī The structure with the silver-grey dome at the front of al-Masjid al-Aqṣā is known as al-Muṣallā al-Qiblī, as it stands nearest to the qiblah. Al-Muṣallā al-Marwānī Located beneath the south-eastern side of the sacred compound of al-Masjid al-Aqṣā, al-Muṣallā al-Marwānī is one of its largest prayer spaces, capable of accommodating thousands of worshippers within the blessed grounds of al-Masjid al-Aqṣā. Qubbat al-Silsilah (The Dome of the Chain) Directly east of the Dome of the Rock is the Dome of the Chain, built during the reign of the Caliph ʿAbd al-Malik b. Marwān. It marks the exact centre of the al-Masjid al-Aqṣā sanctuary. Al-Burāq Wall The western wall of al-Masjid al-Aqṣā, known as the al-Burāq Wall, is where the Prophet ﷺ tied al-Burāq on the Night Journey, and where the Prophets before him would tie their mounts. Musallā al-Burāq A prayer area located next to the al-Burāq Wall within the al-Masjid al-Aqṣā compound. It is said to mark the place where the Prophet ﷺ prayed after tying al-Burāq during the Night Journey. #HandsOffAlAqsa Source: https://linktr.ee/lifewithallah image
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amisatoshi 1 month ago
Hands Off Al-Aqsa Action Weekend 3rd - 5th April 2026 Masjid Al-Aqsa, one of Islam's three holy sites, has been closed since 28 February 2026. This is the longest consecutive closure of the holy site by Israel since its occupation of East Jerusalem in 1967. This closure comes amid Israel’s ongoing genocide in Gaza, unprecedented land annexation in the West Bank and growing efforts by Temple Mount groups backed by Israeli ministers to destroy the buildings standing on Masjid Al-Aqsa. Take four important practical steps this weekend to help protect Masjid Al-Aqsa. Template khutbah: Template tweets: #HandsOffAlAqsa
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amisatoshi 1 month ago
Indeed, in the heart there is a scattering that nothing can gather but turning to God; and in it is a loneliness that nothing can remove but intimacy with God; and in it is sadness that nothing can soothe but the joy of knowing Him and sincerity in dealing with Him; and in it is anxiety that nothing can calm but focusing one’s entire being on Him and fleeing to Him… ~ Ibn al-Qayyim, al-Fawāʾid image