With Ramazan underway, you can easily schedule and keep track of specific rituals and activities typically performed during this month by downloading purpose-built and free mobile apps (available on the Apple Store and Google Play Stores).
1. Muslim Pro. With more than 1.5 million users globally , this app’s popularity stems from the host of tools and features it contains. In addition to prayer, sehri and iftar alerts , Muslim Pro has an audio azaan feature and a qibla compass; this ensure that you can listen to the azaan and offer prayers facing the right direction according to your location. The app also contains the Hijri (Islamic) calendar, Islamic greeting cards and translations of the Holy Quran in multiple languages for convenient recitation while traveling.
2. Ramadan 2015. Programmed with prayer timings and Zakat alerts for more than six million cities across 251 countries, this app comes with a built-in option that auto-detects your location and displays prayer timings in your city. Should you find yourself in a remote location not included in the app database you manually enter your location coordinates. Ramadan 2015 also allows you to customise and set alarms for the entire month, so it alerts you at the designated time before sehri and iftar, this saves the hassle of a daily reset.
3. Ramazan achievements. Targeted at children and teenagers, this app contains a list of ‘good deeds’. Every positive action can be recorded with a coloured star. Parents can use it to inculcate desired behaviours in children, while while adults can use it as a daily reminder for doing good deeds; you can also share your progress chart with friends and family.
4. Miscellaneous apps. Most ramazan apps are designed with prayers , sehri and iftar timings. However, more advanced versions contain special duas for the three ashras of Ramazan, a digital Quran with the option of bookmarking verses , audio recitations with translations, as well as a colour-coded tutorial for perfecting Arabic pronunciation.
By Nizar Diamond Ali