Ramadan apps 2023
Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic lunar calendar and is one of the most sacred periods of the year for Muslims. During this period of spiritual reflection it is time to fast, from sunrise to sunset. A process that requires a lot of discipline. But don’t worry: these iPhone apps make Ramadan just that little bit easier. For example, apps remind you when it is time to pray and you can put together an action plan for the month of Ramadan. We have listed the most useful apps for you.
- Pillars
- Muslim Pro
- Athan Pro
- iPray
- Quran Majeed
- Zabihah
- Ramadan Times
- More Ramadan apps
- Bonus: Qibla Finder
Pay attention to your privacy! Many of these apps contain advertisements that unknowingly share data with external parties. By downloading a Ramadan app, the makers know that there is a good chance that you are Muslim and your religious beliefs are of course a privacy-sensitive subject. You should also note that many apps are made outside Europe, where privacy rules can be somewhat looser.
Pillars
Made by Muslims, focused on privacy and without advertising. That, in short, is what Pillars stands for. This is a new app, with the aim of improving the conditions of the Ummah (Muslim community). Starting with yourself. The beautifully designed app focuses on prayer times and gives you the opportunity to keep track of your prayers. It also includes a Qibla finder. All data remains local on your device.
Muslim Pro
According to its creators, it is the most popular Muslim app with more than 40 million users. Muslim Pro contains the complete text of the Quran in Arabic, phonetic script, translations and audio recitations. The Tabweed Feature helps you improve pronunciation when reading the Quran. The app also contains a Qibla compass, an Islamic Hijri calendar and a map with mosques and Halal restaurants. The Azan/Adhan feature provides notifications for calls to prayer, with multiple muezzin voices to choose from. Find out what the fasting times (Imsak and Iftar) are during the month of Ramadan and use the digital Tasbih to count your prayers. Also view a complete Muslim Hijri calendar in the app, which indicates all holy days such as Eid-Ul-Fitr and Eid-Ul-Adha. Fully translated into Dutch, Turkish, Arabic and several other languages. In short: very complete and definitely recommended!
Athan Pro
The App Store is full of apps that help with Islamic prayer times and other information surrounding the faith, but few are as nice as Athan Pro. The app has a sleek and minimalist design, where you immediately see the right information on screen. For example, in Athan Pro you can read when today’s prayer times are, based on your current GPS location. Athan Pro helps with your iPhone’s built-in compass function to find the Qibla for prayer. A separate Apple Watch app shows the prayer times without you having to look at your iPhone. You can download Athan Pro for free. You can have the advertisements removed for a fee.
iPray
Like Muslim Pro, iPray aims to find the correct location and time zone. You will receive a warning five times a day that it is time to pray. Hold your device in landscape view to view the schedule of times to pray. It also contains a Qibla compass to find the direction of Mecca. The current moon phases can also be seen in the app.
Quran Majeed
Taking a paper version of the Quran is not very convenient. That’s why there is Quran Majeed, so you can consult the texts in 45 different languages. Such a digital version is also useful: if you have found a nice fragment, you can easily share it with family and friends. Search the complete texts, including translations and commentaries. Or listen to the recitations and verses read by famous voices.
Zabihah
Eating is allowed after sunset. But where? If you don’t live near your parents and can’t visit friends, you will have to look for a restaurant. That’s where Zabihah comes to the rescue: this app offers the world’s largest overview of halal restaurants. The app also knows which mosques and halal markets are nearby based on your location. We think the slogan of the accompanying website (“Even Muslim haters like our food”) is a bit less fortunate. The app contains reviews, comments on whether it is really authentic halal, opening hours, price level and information about whether a prayer room is available. With more than 20,000 restaurants you should always be able to find something to eat. Unfortunately not updated so recently.
Ramadan Times
Ramadan Times is an app with extensive features, such as a compass to Mecca and a built-in calendar. In the app you will find a list of nearby mosques and can calculate the distance to Mecca. In total there are 11 functions in the app such as Islamic Prayer times, Qibla compass, Islamic calendar or Hijri calendar, Al Quran, Duas, Tasbih counter, the 99 names of Allah, mosque search, Ramadan times (Sehri and Iftar) , Zakat calculator and more.
More Ramadan apps
Here are some other Ramadan apps, if you couldn’t find anything you like in the list above:
- Daily Supplications (Free, iPhone/iPad+ IAP, iOS 11.0+) – Read and listen to more than 300 different Islamic Duaas and Hadiths. YOU can recite several Duaas daily. A counter keeps track of what you have read.
- Quranic: Quran Arabic Learning (Free, iPhone/iPad+ IAPiOS 15.0+) – This app helps you read the Quran in a playful way.
- Miraj Muslim Kids Books Games (Free, iPhone/iPad+ IAP, iOS 13.0+) – Interactive stories, games and animations for children between 4 and 9 years old. Helps to train listening skills, creativity and memory. And in the meantime, you also learn something from Islam.
- Daily Muslim (Free, iPhone+ IAP, iOS 11.0+) – A productivity juice for Muslims. Includes prayer times and other useful tools.
Bonus: Qibla Finder
Strictly speaking, it is not an app, but a website. Google has a mobile Qibla Finder, which is best used on your iPhone. Previously, Google had a more extensive list of recipes and information about Ramadan.
More information: My Ramadan Companion
Photo: ‘Ramadan lamp and dates still life’ (c) JOAT/Shutterstock
