海角大神

Ramadan is a holy month of reflection, prayer, and selflessness.

It is also a month of fasting 鈥� and carefully timed schedules. Of particular challenge is the ever-shifting times for sunset, dawn, and prayers.

After fasting all day, families gather at sunset for the聽颈蹿迟补谤听meal, individuals offer supplemental prayers throughout the night, and households must prepare the pre-dawn聽蝉耻丑辞耻谤听meal before the final call for morning prayers and before the next day鈥檚 cycle, steeped in tradition, begins again.

But聽when the time nears to break his day-long fast,聽engineer聽Omar Hussein does not wait for the call to prayer or watch state-run聽TV to confirm聽that聽sunset has arrived.

He reaches for his mobile聽phone 鈥� and his Ramadan apps.

鈥淚 have apps for the call to prayer, for prayer times 鈥� this Ramadan I am never late,鈥澛燤r. Hussein says聽in Amman one evening聽as he聽rushes off after supplemental聽迟补谤补飞颈丑听prayers. (There鈥檚 an app for that.)

鈥淧eople use technology for all aspects of life,鈥澛爃e says. 鈥淲e are using technology for devotion to God.鈥�

This Ramadan,聽the proliferation of apps and online programs have been revolutionizing centuries-old traditions,聽with technology helping Muslims connect with the spiritual event and organize the 1,400-year-old observance.

Millions of Muslims worldwide now are using Ramadan apps produced by several individuals and groups.聽One of the most comprehensive聽is Ramadan 2017, which provides prayer times and fasting schedules for聽more than 200 countries.聽It sets alarms to inform users anywhere in the world when to break their fast, and聽counts down聽the last minutes聽to have the 蝉耻丑辞耻谤听meal before the聽fasting聽resumes.

Which way is Mecca?

Apps have even updated the centuries-old tradition of families gathering聽to await聽the adhan, or聽sunset聽call to prayer, from the nearest mosque before iftar.

Muslim Pro-Ramadan 2017, a comprehensive app reportedly used by 30 million Muslims across the world, provides an聽adhan聽accurate to the user鈥檚 geographic location, a useful tool in Western countries where mosques are not numerous, or in households where boisterous family gatherings can drown out the call to prayer.聽

There are even digital updates of the millennia-old practice of prayer groups,聽maqrah, and well-versed clerics who provide Quranic recitation lessons in the mosque before or after prayer. Apps such as Khatmeh assist in Quranic recitation and give suggestions for additional supplications to recite after each prayer, while the iPhone app iQuran allows worshipers to select and repeat Quranic verses in several languages. Also widely popular among the devout is Dua 2017, a collection of hundreds of special prayers and聽dua,聽or supplications, read by leading Islamic clerics and imams.聽聽

Entering mosques in Amman prior to prayer-time, nearly a third of聽those gathered to recite prayers hold their phones聽as they would the Quran itself.

Even Google is taking part in聽the聽festivities, having launched聽a new Android app this Ramadan called Qibla Finder, a detailed chart and augmented reality map pointing users in聽the direction of the Kabaa in Mecca,聽toward聽which all Muslims are to face as they pray.

Facilitating charity

The other pillar of Ramadan is charity.

While good deeds are encouraged throughout the holy month,聽Muslims who are able are required to provide for the poor during Ramadan in what is called zakat al fitr.

Again, the apps and internet don鈥檛 disappoint.聽Now, charitable organizations are providing ways for Muslims across the world to donate,聽with the click of a button,聽to those impacted by war, poverty, and hunger.

One of the largest charitable organizations with an online zakat donations is Tikyet Um Ali, a Jordanian NGO that works to eradicate hunger throughout the country.

All zakat proceeds go directly to Tkiyet Um Ali鈥檚 food parcels, providing the daily food needs for 25,000 families 鈥撀爉ore than聽150,000 people 鈥� across Jordan.聽The聽Iftaa Department, the top Islamic body in Jordan, certifies聽that donations go to families in need in accordance to sharia law.

Tkiyet Um Ali has seen its online donations double聽to 10聽percent聽of all聽the聽donations聽it receives for the year;聽the vast majority of donors are Jordanians abroad, while 10 percent are non-Jordanian Muslims across the world looking to donate to a worthy cause.

Tkiyet Um Ali鈥檚 online zakat聽also聽has been a tool for wealthy individuals in the Gulf looking to reach impoverished communities.

鈥淲e are witnessing tremendous growth online and through the app. It is an easier way for people to give back,鈥� says Samer Balkar, Tkiyet Um Ali CEO.

Worldwide donations for Syrians

For a more specific cause, the Molham Team, a Syrian charitable organization reaching Syrians both within and outside the war-torn country, allows persons to donate their zakat online聽to individuals with specific needs.

But it has been the organization鈥檚 Ramadan appeals that have seen the most interest.

Organizers say they have been receiving increased online donations during the holy month, including $100,000 to provide iftar meals for Syrians in besieged towns and villages, and raising $50,000 for a special Ramadan zakat fund.

鈥淧eople across the world have shown an interest in donating to help Syrians during the holy month. This Ramadan we have seen donations from the Gulf, Europe, and even Palestine,鈥� says Ahmad Abushaar,聽the聽Molhem Team organizer in Amman.

鈥淧eople are generous during Ramadan, it is like a call to action 鈥� and we are using technology to continue this call,鈥� Mr. Abushaar says.