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sf.me > Blog > Open-Source Islam Apps?
Posted on: 2 July 2023
Reading time: 3 minCategory: Software
I have tried finding open-source and free Islamic apps for a long time and it is tiring to do so. Most of the apps are Quran and prayer time apps which are perfect but we do not have apps for other parts of Islam like hadeeths, duas and even Qibla locating. If I do run across an app, its last update is always more than five years ago which is not ideal. There are two Islamic apps that I use on a daily basis that I absolutely love and will never switch from:
QuranApp is a spectacular app that follows the UNIX philosophy and is hosted under the GPL license effectively making it free software. It has many features like information on every single Surah, multiple translations, audio, mentions of prophets in the Quran and even has a search option using which you can search for any surah or term to get detailed information about your search query in the Quran. For example, searching about 'patience' brings up ayahs which talk about patience and the rewards that come about from being patient.
Al-Azan is another app which also follows the UNIX philosophy and is hosted under the AGPL license also making it free software. It does one thing well - displaying and informing of prayer times. You can adjust the prayer times based on location, offset and even calculation methods.
However, there is not a single free software or even open-source Hisnul Muslim application that I have noticed. Most Hisnul Muslim apps I have used have the exact same duas since it is based off the 'Fortress of the Muslim' book. Just having a page with all duas with a simple search option and the translation in popular languages is all thats required to get the open-source savvy Muslim community to start using free software for their duas.
Anyone can take the lead. In fact, this may be the first thing I try when I start developing applications.