For our friends fasting, Nokia and Microsoft have today launched a line of apps to help them going this Ramadan.
The apps are on the Windows 8 platform and can be downloaded directly from the Windows Phone Store on the Nokia Lumia range of smartphones.
The apps feature packed Ramadan Kareem, Quran Mojawed, Muslim Prayers and Essential Duas.
According to Nokia’s head of developer engagement, innovation and corporate relations East Africa, Moses Sitati, there has been an increase in the number of apps being developed specifically on religion. This trend is reflecting in both the Nokia Store and Windows Store.
“Apps are a key part of how people personalize their smartphones and help them to connect to what matters most. As religion is an integral part of many people’s lives, we are seeing a significant increase in this category, and we are pleased to announce the availability of some of the most innovative applications to see our Muslim consumers through the remaining part of the Ramadan season,” said Sitati.
Commenting on the availability of new Ramadan apps, Michael Mansour, developer platform and technology lead at Microsoft Gulf highlighted the continued commitment to building the Windows Phone ecosystem.
“This Ramadan, Nokia Lumia users will now have easy access to many of the cherished experiences for Muslims during the holy month of Ramadan. We have added various Islamic apps that help users celebrate this Ramadan with renewed religious fervour and offer Ramadan-specific activities with greater ease and conviction,” he said.
Some of the latest Islam and Ramadan apps available on the store include the following:
a. Ramadan Kareem:
This app is the perfect companion for all Muslims observing the fast. The app gives the time and countdown for both the next prayer and for Iftar. It also covers the prayer times for the entire day, selecting the location manually or through GPS and using one of the multiple calculation methods one can choose under settings. It also offers very useful tools such as Mosque locator, a Qibla Finder as well as a Quran calculator, to determine the number of pages to be read to achieve one’s reading goal at the end of the Holy month. What is unique about Ramadan Kareem, is the free TV and Radio streams the user can access, a selection of Fatwa and holy reading and not to mention the special Ramadan recipes and non-Muslim section, explaining to do’s and don’ts of Ramadan.
b. Quran Mojawed
Quran Mojawed offers the complete Quran in Arabic calligraphy with the possibility to listen to each surah from a different reciter. In addition, the Quran Mojawed offers complete Tajweed guidelines, as well as bookmarks. Quran Mojawed is developed by veterans ASGATech, who have established themselves as one of the leaders of Islamic apps.
c. Muslim Prayers
Muslim Prayers stands out of the crowd with its highly customizable options. Every feature, such as prayer times, Qibla or Mosque Locator can be “pinned to the start” and accessed straight from the home screen. Its Mosque Locator is directly integrated with Nokia HERE Drive and allows users to make use of the voice guided navigation with one click. In addition, the app makes beautiful use of live tiles, allowing the user to see the prayer times flickering on the tiles on his/her home screen.
d. Essential Duas
Essential Duas compiles a plethora of Islamic Duas for Muslims in a neat, clear interface, following the philosophy of Windows Phone design language, and granting the user a simple, yet elegant way to recite supplications on-the-go. Essential Duas also includes transliterations, as well as translations for each supplication, to help users who are not well acquainted with the Arabic language understand and learn the Duas better. Lastly, the app makes it possible to share Duas with friends and family, via SMS, email,
