Eid is around the corner, Hajj is right on its heels and the iPhone has just been released - it’s time to get your high-tech Islam on!
For non-believers, it’s a prime opportunity to learn more about this ancient faith. Easy to do in Islamic countries, but what if you wish to delve into the Middle East’s minority religions - Orthodox Christianity, Catholicism, or Judaism? Now you can find your faith in the app store.
A batch of new apps are looking to put God in your pocket - a perfect marriage of innovation and tradition that makes it easier than ever to stay connected with your beliefs. Can't make it to a live sermon? Got some idle time in your commute? Dial in to a virtual congregation and let your spirit soar. (It may forgive the sinful prices you’ve shelled out for that new iPhone!)
Religious groups were quick to latch onto social media to live-stream services and issue daily words of inspiration. As cell phones came online, it's only natural that God would go mobile too! (As of 2014, cell phone subscriptions topped seven billion - did you know that more people have phones than toilets?)
Faith-based apps tend to be single-function. They can be somber or silly. Some let you look up holy texts and access live services or audio/video recordings. Others enable you to check service times at your local place of worship, communicate with the congregation via social networks, and receive real-time updates from your spiritual leader.
New apps are pushing the boundaries of web-based worship. You can now organize events, sign up for classes, and make direct donations. Work is underway to integrate with mobile location-based services such as Foursquare, alerting users when fellow faithful are nearby...go grab a coffee and have a scholarly debate, or just connect with like-minded believers.
Is this a brilliant means of bringing an increasingly mobile population “to the mountain” or just fast-food faithfulness? We already depend on our phones to lead us to our favorite hangout, or train us towards killer-abs-in-30-days. Makes sense they now evolve to a “higher purpose”.
Check product websites for terms of use and details on where each app can be used.
In the meantime, here are 20 apps that’ll get you closer to heaven!
