Nostr notes by abu ruqayyah

"Home. With every step, my heart repeated quietly to itself ...

2026-05-25T11:01:37+02:00

"Home. With every step, my heart repeated quietly to itself what my tongue no longer needed to say aloud. The candle had gone out long ago. Yet Allah still guided us through the dark.
How often does one believe the small candle in his hands is what is truly guiding him?"

Listen or Read the latest article by umm.hurayrah (nprofile…tkna) on Tawakkul while walking through a mother's journey across a dark, frozen and isolated landscape seemingly devoid of hope.

https://digitalislamicate.com/article/nostr-4a4397f2e507

No, in the long run, AI won't replace software developers. ...

2026-05-22T16:41:03+02:00

No, in the long run, AI won't replace software developers.

nostr:naddr1qvzqqqr4gupzqpfw75cpy43hqyglpy06quup35sa7xd3vqt59s4dkh75fxh2lvk0qythwumn8ghj7un9d3shjtnswf5k6ctv9ehx2ap0qy2hwumn8ghj7un9d3shjtnyv9kh2uewd9hj7qqww35x2ttpdykhqctjv9jx77qxxy627

very big thank you to @nprofile…ef3c for this post right here, ...

2026-05-22T16:40:30+02:00

In reply to naddr1qq…vcmz
_________________________

very big thank you to alp (nprofile…ef3c) for this post right here, it's the reason i started looking into this in the first place

gave it some thought, i think i'll go through with it. even ...

2026-05-22T14:49:03+02:00

In reply to nevent1q…hymn
_________________________

gave it some thought, i think i'll go through with it.
even if it fails, i'll know what to do better next time. i think ill be able to market the project well

maan its so unfortunate dudes will buy from greedy corporations ...

2026-05-22T13:08:10+02:00

In reply to nevent1q…hymn
_________________________

maan its so unfortunate
dudes will buy from greedy corporations instead of a muslim

thoughts on a website similar to producthunt.com but for muslims. ...

2026-05-22T11:46:46+02:00

thoughts on a website similar to producthunt.com but for muslims.

it's bothered me for a while that muslims would rather pay for services and products made by non-muslims rather than supporting the economy of the ummah.

it's hard to blame your average muslim tho because part of the reason this happens is the lack of visibility and traction that muslim products have. i've seen people say that it's also because muslim-made products are usually worse-made, but i disagree. muslims have the skills and have the ideas, just take a look at replit or just pray for example, very successful muslim-owned products.

i want to solve this. an app/site where muslims can support other muslim businesses easily, and also helping your everyday muslim to find muslim-made tools for what he needs.

think of it as a search engine for muslim-made products, so when someone needs a tool, they find yours first instead of a corporate giant.

i also recognize that a lot of projects made by muslims are just slop over and over, like the same exact prayer times app and quran app again and again, so i really want to try and filter specifically good projects.

you don't support a muslim's project just because they're muslim, i want it to be so you support a really high quality project and them being muslim is the cherry on top. this not only boosts the economy of the ummah, but also brings benefit to everyone.

May Allah have mercy on the shaheed mujahid Abu Obaida and admit ...

2026-05-22T11:11:14+02:00

In reply to nevent1q…36py
_________________________

May Allah have mercy on the shaheed mujahid Abu Obaida and admit him into Jannah

I wrote a short summarized guide on self-sovereignty. ...

2026-05-21T13:22:12+02:00

I wrote a short summarized guide on self-sovereignty.

quoting naddr1qv…wget

A Noob's Guide to Self Sovereignty

What's that? You're tired of massive corporations eating up all your data and selling it? Me too!

This is a super simple guide to privacy and self soveriegnty for both your Average Joe and your professional Arch Linux enthusiast, it's all in laymans terms so don't worry about getting lost along the way.

Super simple guide also naturally means summarized, so if you're truly interested, I recommend doing your due diligence and researching about the things I mention, this is simply the barebones basics. I'll be giving resources to guide you and some links at the bottom.

With that being said, let's get started.

Big Corporate Owns You!

Every app you use, every search you run, every message you send is being logged, analyzed, sold, and used to build a "profile" of you that knows you better than your own mum does. Google knows what you ask. Facebook knows who you're stalking. Your phone knows where you sleep.

And the wild part? Most people just shrug and say "I've got nothing to hide." BUT WHY!!!

Anyways, this guide isn't for those people. This guide is for you, the person who just started asking "wait, why does a free flashlight app need access to my contacts?" You don't need to be a hacker or a tech wizard. You just need to care enough to make a few changes. Let's go.

What Even Is Self Sovereignty?

Self sovereignty just means owning your own stuff. Your data, your money, your identity, your digital life. It means not being dependent on corporations who can delete your account, freeze your funds, or sell your info at any time just because their quarterly earnings looked a bit sad.

It's not about being paranoid. It's about being free.

Step One: Owning Your Money

If you've heard of Bitcoin and rolled your eyes, you're the target here. No it's not gambling, no it's not betting, and YES it's different from crypto.

Every bank account you have exists because a bank allows it to exist. They can freeze it, close it, flag it, report it, and in some countries governments can just straight up seize it. Your money isn't really yours. Same goes for software like PayPal.

Bitcoin is different. Bitcoin is a system where you can hold money that nobody can take from you, block, or inflate away, as long as you hold your own keys.

A common misconception is that Bitcoin is just an investment like stocks or something, but no. It's real deinfaltionary currency that people trade with every single day.

That phrase "not your keys, not your coins" gets thrown around a lot, but it's genuinely true. If your Bitcoin is sitting on an exchange like Coinbase or Binance, you don't actually own Bitcoin. You own a promise. Get your own wallet.

I don't wanna hear "Lol that's literally a criminal's dream!" Just don't be a criminal.

Getting started:

1. Getting a wallet: Go on your phone and install Phoenix Wallet or AQUA Wallet or BlueWallet, mobile wallets are preferred because they're generally more secure and private, but there's also web/desktop wallets like Sparrow and Rizful that are less secure but still work.

However, some wallets can be very trustworthy but not self-custodial like Wallet of Satoshi and Rizful. It's recommended to only keep small amounts in those wallets.

2. Learn about self custody: After making your wallet, you'll usually be prompted to save your "seed phrase", it's basically just writing down a 12 or 24 word phrase and keeping it safe. That phrase IS your wallet. Guard it like it's cash, because it is. Your seed phrase is the password to your wallet.

Do NOT save your seed phrase on your phone's notepad or a messaging app or something, because if a hacker gets a hold of your seed phrase it's all downhill from there. Write your seed phrase on a paper.

3. Buy:

Now 1 bitcoin is worth tens of thousands of USD, but you dont deal with whole bitcoin. Every bitcoin is divided up into smaller units called "satoshis" or "sats" for short, think of them like cents. $1 is equal to around 1000-2000 sats usually.

It's also not necessary to buy bitcoin to have it. It's currency. You can get it by selling something or donations, or zaps (we'll get into what zaps means later).

To buy bitcoin, use an exchange like Bisq or another low-KYC (verification) exchange. Then immediately send the bitcoin you bought to your wallet.

Bitcoin has a smaller learning curve than people claim, and it's the only real decentralized currency we have today. I recommend reading the Anti-Riba Money by Abdullah ibn Oda to go in depth.

Step Two: GrapheneOS

Your phone is a surveillance device. Sorry. It just is. iOS and Android both phone home constantly, your location is tracked, your app usage is monitored, and advertisers know your daily routine better than most of your friends do.

GrapheneOS is a version of Android that strips all of that Google surveillance out while keeping the good stuff, like apps working, good performance, and a solid user experience. It's built for privacy and security from the ground up.

The only downside, it currently only runs on Google Pixel phones, which is a bit ironic. But the hardware is solid and GrapheneOS completely replaces the software, so Google's involvement basically ends when you buy the device.

However, the tradeoff is still great:

No Google spyware baked in. You can install Google apps in a sandboxed environment if you need them, but they can't touch the rest of your phone. You get a hardened browser, better permission controls, and the ability to run multiple separate profiles on your phone. So your "banking" profile and your "personal" profile never mix.

Installation is genuinely not that hard. The GrapheneOS website has a web based installer that walks you through it step by step. If you can follow instructions and plug in a USB cable, you can do it.

Step Three: Linux

Windows is a mess, really, its convenient and popular but it also comes with forced updates, bloat, and ads literally in the Start menu now. Also, yeah, Microsoft knows what you do on your computer when you use Windows.

macOS is beautiful but it's a walled garden that Apple controls completely. If you want a computer that actually respects you, Linux is where it's at.

"But Linux is for programmers and nerds," I hear you saying. Yeah, that's true, but it's also for YOU! Anybody can use linux and be happy.

Operating systems like Linux Mint, Zorin OS, and Pop!_OS are all built on the Linux kernel and are genuinely easy to use. If you can use Windows, you can use these. They look clean, they work well, and they don't spy on you. You will have to learn a bit about the terminal and some stuff, but you'll get the hang of it really fast.

Any tutorial on YouTube will teach you how to install Linux and use it comfortably.

No activation keys. No forced telemetry. No "we're updating your PC, please don't turn it off" at 11pm before an important meeting. No ads. Full control over your system. Free forever. Private.

Try out different operating systems in a virtual machine, see what you like. Then commit.

Most everyday things just work. Gaming has even gotten incredibly good on Linux thanks to tools like Proton, Lutris, and Steam Deck pushing things forward.

Step Four: Social Media

Twitter (or X if you're a weirdo), Instagram, Facebook. You've poured years of thoughts, memories, and connections into platforms that own all of it. One policy change, one ban, one acquisition by some billionaire with weird vibes, and poof. Your account gone. Your followers gone. Your archive gone.

Now, the website you're reading this article from is built on a social media protocol that's different from all of these. It's called Nostr.

Nostr is different in a way that's kind of hard to wrap your head around at first.

Nostr is a protocol, not a platform. Think of it like email. Nobody owns email. Gmail and Outlook are just apps that connect to the same underlying system. Nostr works the same way. You have a keypair (a public key and a private key) and that IS your identity. Not an account on a server. Your keys.

Your public key holds your username and profile picture and description, basically the identity you show.

Your private key, that's your password.

Your posts exist on multiple servers called relays. If one relay bans you or shuts down, your identity moves on. Nobody can "unperson" you. Nobody can take your followers away.

So how do I get started with Nostr, you ask?

First, go to https://nostr.com/ and press the join button, you'll be given your key.

Your Nostr key starts with "npub" for your public address and "nsec" for your private key. Guard your nsec like your Bitcoin seed phrase. Losing it means losing your identity. There are no password resets.

The keys you were given are used on platforms to log in.

Apps that connect to Nostr include Yakihonne, Primal, NoorNote, etc. You can look up nostrapps to find more.

The thing about Nostr, if you make a post on Yakihonne for example, your post will also be visible to users on Primal, because every post you make or article you write is built on the protocol and relays, not individual centralized servers.

Bitcoin and Nostr also connect in a cool way through something called Zaps, which are tiny Bitcoin payments you send to appreciate someone's post. It's like a tip jar but instant and global and nobody takes a cut.

You can connect your wallet to Nostr to receive donations from other Nostr users, I recommend just using a web wallet like Rizful for ease of use and convenience. Zaps aren't meant to be big, so don't expect to get rich off them.

Step Five: Replace the Software That's Watching You

This is the most practical section. Here's a quick hit list of popular tools and what to use instead.

Browser

Instead of Chrome: use Firefox with some hardening, or Brave Browser. Both block trackers by default. There are also some great Firefox forks like Zen Browser that are open source, so it works out great.

Email

Instead of Gmail: try Proton Mail for an easy upgrade. Tutanota is another solid option. Both encrypt your mail and don't read it to serve you ads. If you're feeling ambitious, you can even run your own mail server, but that's advanced territory.

Messaging

Instead of WhatsApp or iMessage: Signal is the gold standard for encrypted messaging. Your messages are end to end encrypted and Signal knows virtually nothing about you. For group chats and communities, SimpleX Chat is a newer option that doesn't even require a phone number.

Also, there's apps built on Nostr which we talked about.

Cloud storage

Instead of Google Drive or Dropbox: Proton Drive is easy and encrypted. Nextcloud lets you run your own cloud on your own server if you really want to go deep. Syncthing syncs files between your own devices without any cloud at all.

Maps

Instead of Google Maps: Organic Maps is beautiful, works offline, and is based on OpenStreetMap data. OsmAnd is another option with more features.

Password manager

Instead of saving passwords in Chrome: Bitwarden is open source, audited, and has a great free tier. KeePassXC is a local only option if you don't want a cloud anywhere near your passwords. Proton Pass is also alright.

Office suite

Instead of Microsoft Office or Google Docs: LibreOffice is a full desktop suite that handles Word, Excel, and PowerPoint files just fine. OnlyOffice is another option with a cleaner interface.

VPN

A VPN doesn't make you anonymous but it does stop your internet provider from logging your traffic and it helps on public wifi. Mullvad is the privacy community favourite. They accept cash and even Bitcoin, don't log anything, and don't require an email to sign up.

You Don't Have to Do All of This Tomorrow

What you really need is the mindset shift. Own what you own!

Self sovereignty is a journey not a destination, and you don't have to overhaul your entire life this weekend. Pick one thing from this guide and do that first. Maybe it's switching your browser. Maybe it's making a Nostr account. Maybe it's buying a small amount of Bitcoin just to understand how it works.

Every step you take is a step away from being a product and toward actually owning your digital life.

The tools are better than they've ever been. The community is huge and welcoming. And honestly, once you start down this path, it becomes kind of fun to see how far the rabbit hole goes.

Welcome.

https://digitalhijrah.com/#start https://bitcoinmajlis.org/

me in 2057 getting executed by israel after getting caught using ...

2026-05-21T11:24:58+02:00

me in 2057 getting executed by israel after getting caught using nostr and privacy software

you know its bad when even the non-muslims start worrying about ...

2026-05-20T16:53:56+02:00

you know its bad when even the non-muslims start worrying about the riba built into the fiat system

You're my second favourite antisemite bro Keep up the good ...

2026-05-20T00:49:09+02:00

In reply to nevent1q…53rx
_________________________

You're my second favourite antisemite bro
Keep up the good work ❤️

i dont know if its just because im relatively new but i feel like ...

2026-05-18T18:10:17+02:00

i dont know if its just because im relatively new but i feel like nostr has far fewer idiots than twitter

the difference between bitcoiners and cryptobros is that your ...

2026-05-17T19:16:56+02:00

the difference between bitcoiners and cryptobros is that your average broccoli-haired cryptobro in his room with purple LEDs invests into any scamcoin no matter what, then cries about losing all the money he put in because he doesn't actually know what the coin is or do any research

your average bitcoiner is just a dude with a dell laptop who doesn't care about researching other coins because he already knows they're all gimmicks. he's not looking for the next big thing because as far as he's concerned, the next big thing already happened in 2009. he stays on the safe side not out of laziness but out of conviction

also, a cryptobro stands to gain money (fiat) with what he invests in, a bitcoiner usually is a bitcoiner because he doesn't want anything to do with fiat to begin with

sorry for the yap i was jus thinking about this earlier

meta glasses?

2026-05-17T11:35:19+02:00

In reply to nevent1q…e85s
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meta glasses?

i know exactly what this is talking about hahaha

2026-05-16T18:31:07+02:00

In reply to nevent1q…3ejf
_________________________

i know exactly what this is talking about hahaha

you avoided crisis, i had to learn the hard way haha

2026-05-16T08:54:17+02:00

In reply to nevent1q…jrvq
_________________________

you avoided crisis, i had to learn the hard way haha

It's so ridiculous, any random guy in his cubicle can decide ...

2026-05-15T18:00:16+02:00

In reply to nevent1q…luvz
_________________________

It's so ridiculous, any random guy in his cubicle can decide off a whim that you're "untrustworthy" and not need to explain.

as far as i know, paypal also has extreme limitations on accounts from all of africa and very occasionally terminates the accounts, even if they're legitimate and haven't broken any rules.

thank god for bitcoin

best bitcoin ad ever similarly, i had $250 in my PayPal account ...

2026-05-15T17:43:02+02:00

best bitcoin ad ever

similarly, i had $250 in my PayPal account at one point and it was siezed and my account was permanently terminated without me getting any notice or explanation as to why

this is why, this is why self custodial money is so important.

learn tawheed! it is obligatory for muslims to seek knowledge, ...

2026-05-15T17:20:13+02:00

learn tawheed!

it is obligatory for muslims to seek knowledge, and the first thing they should learn about is tawheed.

because if you don't know tawheed, you don't know shirk either, learning about Allah and the types of tawheed is what stops you from falling into potential kufr.

can we confirm that youre not suicidal and that your car is ...

2026-05-15T16:32:09+02:00

In reply to nevent1q…2yw4
_________________________

can we confirm that youre not suicidal and that your car is working perfectly fine and that you live in a safe area

fairs, but discord has its own niche iykwim, forums is different

2026-05-15T15:56:43+02:00

In reply to nevent1q…jr8l
_________________________

fairs, but discord has its own niche iykwim, forums is different

would love to contribute, lmk if you need help with anything 👀

2026-05-15T15:45:41+02:00

In reply to nevent1q…ly0d
_________________________

would love to contribute, lmk if you need help with anything 👀

someone needs to make an actually good nostr discord client ...

2026-05-15T15:38:29+02:00

someone needs to make an actually good nostr discord client kinihara (nprofile…tct7) 🫠

the urge to write an entire encyclopedia explaining bitcoin and ...

2026-05-15T13:31:19+02:00

the urge to write an entire encyclopedia explaining bitcoin and self sovereignty

Nostr event nevent1qqsf5g8tn9x98jlrexwh7kpu0k065248xsmy0wgygu0rk6q0ljp4hhqzyqzjaafszftrwqg37zgl5pecrrfpmuvmzcqhgtp2md0agjdw47ev7ln6wtk

2026-05-15T09:55:00+02:00

nostr vs ai enthusiasts

i have a dream that one day no man will be forced to deal with ...

2026-05-14T21:55:21+02:00

i have a dream
that one day
no man will be forced to deal with riba
and no man will watch his wealth be siezed

i have a dream
that one day
bitcoin becomes the standard currency
and not the dollar built on usury and greed

- martin luther ₿ling

It depends on what jobs you mean

2026-05-14T18:31:34+02:00

In reply to nevent1q…4s98
_________________________

It depends on what jobs you mean

I hope somebody can benefit from this article even if they ...

2026-05-14T17:50:10+02:00

I hope somebody can benefit from this article even if they already know and acknowledge what's in it

Self sovereignty is more important than people think.

quoting naddr1qv…j8nc

The illusion of anonymity and autonomy has never been more fragile.

Massive corporations use your personal history and identity as a means of monetization for their greedy selves.

The internet was supposed to set us free. An open network where anyone could speak, connect, and exist without asking permission. You could be anonymous, pseudonymous, or whoever you wanted to be.

Privacy wasn't a feature you had to unlock or a policy you had to trust some corporation to honor. It was just the nature of the thing. Nobody was watching, nobody was selling you, and nobody owned you.

That didn't last long. One by one, the protocols that built the early web got buried under billion dollar platforms designed not to liberate you but to capture you. The deal was simple: we give you free tools, you give us your data. Most people took that deal. And why would they? There's alternatives that offer those same free tools but without the part where they compromise your privacy and personal information.

I once heard an analogy that made me chuckle, but it was so true. "You're like a tenant renting your place on the internet but you pay your rent through your data and your privacy is the sacrifice."

It's pretty surprising how many people don't seem to care, you're sacrificing your data and privacy to use a platform where you own nothing! Not even yourself.

The saying goes "You will own nothing and be happy!"

Corporations can dictate terms on your identity, restrict your free speech, and they have the power to take all that you've built away from you and wipe you off their platform in a matter of seconds. You don't own your identity, they own you!

It's not something to shrug at, and yet, most people do exactly that! They shrug, scroll on, and hand over another piece of themselves without a second thought. It's become so normalized that questioning it feels almost like you're the weird one for not giving up your data to 3 lettered organizations.

When a handful of centralized greedy platforms control the servers, the code, and the databases where your identity lives, they don't just host your data, they host your reality. They decide what information reaches your eyes, which of your thoughts are permissible to share, and which versions of you are allowed to exist in the public space.

But to every bad there is a good... or atleast that's how it is on the internet.

Before that, a quick story of mine to help you relate to what I'm saying:

I was freelancing as a web developer, I'd secured a solid total of $250 Alhamdullilah, the catch is, that money was stored in PayPal, now you might know where this is going.

Yes, my money was SIEZED by PayPal. They unrightfully took my rightfully earned money. Just like that. No notice. No warning, nope, nothing. I woke up one day and my account was permanently terminated.

That's what originally lit the fire in me to really own what I own.

So what are the alternatives? What lets me own what I own?

Bitcoin

The idea of Bitcoin is simple, and people overcomplicate it. It is currency that needs no bank, no papers, and no central authority. It is 100% self custodial money, resistant to censorship and seizure. It is also a means of escape from riba, but I won't delve too deep into that, however I do recommend reading the Anti-Riba Money book by Abdullah ibn Oda to understand more.

Nostr

Bitcoin was the self-sovereign money, think of Nostr as the self-sovereign social media protocol if you really want to simplify it. They both tie into each other quite well, which is why so many Bitcoiners are also Nostr users. They are both decentralized and censorship-resistant, you own your data, you own you!

On Nostr, your identity is a cryptographic key pair that you generate yourself. Nobody issues it to you, nobody can take it away, and nobody can lock you out of it. Your followers, your posts, your reputation travel with you across any client built on the protocol.

There is no terms of service waiting to be updated, no trust and safety team deciding whether your opinion is acceptable, and no algorithm quietly burying your voice because you said something a corporation didn't like.

Together, Bitcoin and Nostr form something that the internet originally promised us, a foundation where you show up online on your own terms. Your money is yours. Your voice is yours. Your identity is yours. Not rented, not licensed, not subject to the mood of some platform executive. Actually, genuinely yours.

Now you know the alternatives, what next?

Next is a total mindset shift. You must own you. Don't sell yourself just for platforms that have alternatives with communities just as big!

May Allah reward whoever has read this article in full and has benefited from it.

Inspiration from:

https://yakihonne.com/article/s/Mbitcoiner@Bitcoinmajlis.nostr1.com/51909aa749296331

https://digitalhijrah.com/

ㅤ

can we get a lil' hint on what it may be 👀

2026-05-14T15:15:43+02:00

In reply to nevent1q…5h65
_________________________

can we get a lil' hint on what it may be 👀

self sovereignty online is more important than people make it out ...

2026-05-13T18:29:43+02:00

self sovereignty online is more important than people make it out to be

if a massive corporation has and owns all your information and can take you down at any moment, thats not something you just say "so what?" to

i'll be writing an article about this soon, people need to recognize how big of an issue it is.

more and more people are realizing how corrupt the fiat system ...

2026-05-13T12:39:09+02:00

more and more people are realizing how corrupt the fiat system is.

more and more people are adopting bitcoin and nostr
the #DigitalHijrah is prominent.

may allah keep us all away from riba, corruption, and that which is forbidden.

@nprofile…dtpv

2026-05-11T18:20:21+02:00

In reply to nevent1q…dfg6
_________________________

Rizful.com (zap tester) (nprofile…dtpv)

aburuqayyah@rizful.com @nprofile…vulm

2026-05-11T18:18:46+02:00

aburuqayyah@rizful.com

Rizful.com (nprofile…vulm)

Words that are too big for me to understand but I trust you akh

2026-05-11T17:55:01+02:00

In reply to nevent1q…rqs4
_________________________

Words that are too big for me to understand but I trust you akh

we have to work together to make bitcoin mainstream amongst ...

2026-05-11T16:41:12+02:00

we have to work together to make bitcoin mainstream amongst muslims

while it's great that privacy apps and software exists, it ...

2026-05-09T10:54:45+02:00

while it's great that privacy apps and software exists, it shows how bad things are considering privacy is a selling point.

privacy shouldn't be something unique, it should be a feature of everything on the internet.

privacy should be a right, it should be assumed

i got into bitcoin n nostr just weeks ago and im so glad i did

2026-05-09T10:17:53+02:00

In reply to nevent1q…llkh
_________________________

i got into bitcoin n nostr just weeks ago and im so glad i did