Fatwa ID: 08744

Answered by: Alimah Maryam Badshah

Question:

We are planning to develop a smartphone app that records a user’s movements during prayer and detects the position he is in, such as qiyam, ruku, sujood etc, and sends a vibration feedback if a mistake is detected. The user keeps the phone in his pocket. If he makes a mistake, such as forgets to sit for tashahhud after two rakat and instead stands up directly from Sajdah, then the app sends a vibration feedback.

This can help people who suffer from forgetfulness such as elderly and those who suffer from OCD. The user can also look at the phone after completing the prayer to know whether he has done any mistake. The vibration feedback during the prayer can be switched off from the app settings.

My question is, is the development and use of such an app allowed from Islamic perspective? Please mention any specific cases where it can be used or cannot be used.

In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful

Answer:

MashaAllah, what you are planning to build appears to be an app that will be very beneficial for many people. The app would be permissible with the settings you have described, where the user does not look at the device during their salah and it does not play any impermissible sounds, such as tones or music.

You might want to think about the intensity of the vibration and if it would disturb anyone praying in the vicinity, and in advising users to not have the vibration on during congregation (Jamāt). Another point would be advising the user against carrying their phone in a way that would restrict any prayer movements, such as a mobile phone wristband.

References:

حَدَّثَنَا الْحَسَنُ بْنُ عَلِيٍّ، حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الرَّزَّاقِ، أَخْبَرَنَا مَعْمَرٌ، عَنْ إِسْمَاعِيلَ بْنِ أُمَيَّةَ، عَنْ أَبِي سَلَمَةَ، عَنْ أَبِي سَعِيدٍ، قَالَ ‏: ‏ اعْتَكَفَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم فِي الْمَسْجِدِ فَسَمِعَهُمْ يَجْهَرُونَ بِالْقِرَاءَةِ، فَكَشَفَ السِّتْرَ وَقَالَ ‏: ‏ ‏”‏ أَلاَ إِنَّ كُلَّكُمْ مُنَاجٍ رَبَّهُ فَلاَ يُؤْذِيَنَّ بَعْضُكُمْ بَعْضًا، وَلاَ يَرْفَعْ بَعْضُكُمْ عَلَى بَعْضٍ فِي الْقِرَاءَةِ ‏”‏ ‏.‏ أَوْ قَالَ ‏: ‏ ‏”‏ فِي الصَّلاَةِ ‏”‏.

Sunan Abi Dawud 1332 (Bk.5, ch.466, sunnah.com)

… وَصَرَّحَ فِي الظَّهِيرِيَّةِ بِكَرَاهَةِ الْحَدِيثِ أَيْ كَلَامِ النَّاسِ فِي الْمَسْجِدِ لَكِنْ قَيَّدَهُ بِأَنْ يَجْلِسَ لِأَجْلِهِ…

Al-Bahr Al-Rāiq (Vol.2, pg.39, Dār Al-Kitab Al-Islami)

وَحَدَّثَنِي عَنْ مَالِكٍ، أَنَّهُ بَلَغَهُ أَنَّ عُمَرَ بْنَ الْخَطَّابِ، بَنَى رَحْبَةً فِي نَاحِيَةِ الْمَسْجِدِ تُسَمَّى الْبُطَيْحَاءَ وَقَالَ مَنْ كَانَ يُرِيدُ أَنْ يَلْغَطَ أَوْ يُنْشِدَ شِعْرًا أَوْ يَرْفَعَ صَوْتَهُ فَلْيَخْرُجْ إِلَى هَذِهِ الرَّحْبَةِ ‏.

Muwatta Malik 428 (Bk.9, sunnah.com)

Only Allah (عز و جل) knows best.
Written by Alimah Maryam Badshah
Checked and approved by Mufti Mohammed Tosir Miah
Darul Ifta Birmingham