Nominations have just opened for the 2012 About.com Islam Readers' Choice Awards! On the category page, you will find links to nomination forms in five categories:

• Favorite Quran Reciter
• Best Islamic App
• Best Muslim Musician/Nasheed Artist
• Favorite Muslim Baby Name
• Best Muslim to Follow on Twitter

You can make a nomination now in any or all of the categories.  The timeline for the About.com Readers' Choice Awards is as follows:

• Nominations:  Now until 15 February 2012 (11:59 PM EST)
• Finalists Announced:  22 February 2012
• Voting Period:  22 February through 21 March 2012 (11:59 PM EST)
• Winners Announced:  30 March 2012

While the About.com Readers' Choice Awards have been around for a few years, this is the first time that the About.com Islam GuideSite is participating. This is an ideal opportunity for your to recognize your favorites among the categories. It is even allowed to nominate yourself, or encourage others to nominate you! (Please note, however, that offering any kind of reward in exchange for nominations or votes is strictly forbidden; violators will be disqualified without warning.)

Both finalists and winners will get an attractive logo (similar to the one above) that they can use on their webpages and other promotional material. They will also have the satisfaction of knowing that they have been chosen as one of the best in their field by the 61 million monthly unique visitors who find About.com their most trusted source on the Internet.

So what are you waiting for? Read a brief description of the categories, and make your nominations today!

I finally pulled my 2011 calendar down from the wall today, and realized that I don't have a new calendar to replace it!  Are you in the same predicament?  Here is a beautiful selection of 2012 (1433 H.) dual-date Islamic calendars for your home or office.  There are several designs to choose from, even a perpetual desk calendar that never goes out of date.

Muslims are reminded to take time throughout the day to offer personal prayers (du'a), in addition to the formal daily prayers.  Du'a can be recited in any language or wording, but there are some recommended examples from the Quran and the life of the Prophet Muhammad.  Here are a few to get you started:

• Prayers for Forgiveness
• Prayers of Thanks
• Prayer to Ask for Guidance in a Decision

My Irish-Catholic mother used to say,  "If God wanted you to have holes in your ears, He would have put them there."  For this reason, I did not get my ears pierced until I was an older teenager, able to bypass my mother's rules.  Nowadays, one cannot walk down a city street without seeing ears, noses, eyebrows, navels, etc. adorned with jewelry.  One sees arms, legs, and more decorated with tattoos.  Many people feel tempted to join in -- what can be the harm in beautifying one's body?

It may not be surprising to learn that such extensive body art is forbidden in Islam according to most Muslim scholars, and is frowned upon by most mainstream Muslims.  Learn why.

In many Muslim cultures, henna has arisen as an acceptable, non-permanent alternative to tattoos, and can itself be quite artistic (as shown by this young Afghan woman photographed by Natalie Behring-Chisholm/Getty Images).