Namaz Awqaat: prayer times app for the Bohra community
Prayer times Android app for 105K+ Dawoodi Bohra members. Offline calculations, custom Hijri calendar, and reliable notifications. Free and ad-free.
The Origin Story
I built Namaz Awqaat as a personal gift for my mother. It grew into a community-serving Android app with over 105,000 users. The challenge was turning complex astronomical calculations into a reliable mobile experience that works offline and delivers notifications without fail.
Built with purpose
"The most meaningful software starts by solving a problem for someone you care about. A gift for my mother became a tool for an entire community."
The Challenge
I built Namaz Awqaat as a personal gift for my mother. The challenge was real: prayer notifications that actually fire on every Android device, accurate prayer times anywhere in the world, and a Hijri calendar that follows the specific Dawoodi Bohra system.
Critical Pain Points
- Prayer times need to be accurate for any location, anywhere on Earth
- Notifications have to fire reliably across every Android version and OEM customisation
- The Dawoodi Bohra community uses a specific Hijri calendar that off-the-shelf libraries don't support
- Offline functionality matters for users in low-connectivity areas
- OEM battery optimisation routinely silences scheduled alarms unless the app handles it explicitly
Missing a prayer notification is a real problem for the user. The system had to assume nothing about the device, the network, or the OS version.
The Solution
A prayer times app that handles the full mess of Android notifications and global astronomical calculations, without depending on the internet.
Offline prayer calculations
Astronomical algorithms compute prayer times locally. No internet needed. Works in the desert, on a plane, in a tunnel.
Custom Hijri calendar
Built the Dawoodi Bohra Hijri calendar from scratch, including community-specific events and dates that other Islamic calendars don't cover.
Notifications that survive OEMs
A layered notification stack using AlarmManager, WorkManager, and foreground services holds up across Android 6 through 15+, including aggressive battery optimisation.
Home screen widgets
Glanceable widgets show next prayer time, current Hijri date, and upcoming Islamic events. No app open required.
Results & Business Impact
105K+ active users
A gift for my mother grew into a tool used daily by Dawoodi Bohra community members around the world.
Notifications that fire
The notification stack holds up under aggressive battery optimisation. Users get their prayer alerts on time, every time.
Offline-first by design
Prayer calculations run locally. Travel, low connectivity, no signal: none of it stops the app from doing its job.
Built for a community, not a market
The Bohra-specific Hijri calendar and event listings exist nowhere else. The app fits a need other tools weren't covering.
Technologies Used
- Android
- Java
- SQLite
- AlarmManager
- WorkManager
- Material Design
- Custom Calendar Algorithm
- Google Play Services
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