Frequently asked questions

How are prayer times calculated, and what if they don’t match my country’s times?

Prayer times are calculated on your device from your location and the calculation method you choose; no internet is needed. In the Prayer tab → Calculation & location you can:

• choose your country’s method from ten: Muslim World League, Egyptian General Authority of Survey, Umm al-Qura (Makkah), University of Islamic Sciences, Karachi, Islamic Society of North America (ISNA), Dubai, Kuwait, Qatar, Singapore, and Turkey (Diyanet). The app suggests one based on your device’s region;
• choose the Asr calculation: Standard (Shafi’i, Maliki, Hanbali) or Hanafi, which makes Asr later;
• update the location from where you are now or choose a city, especially after travelling.

Times can differ by a minute or two from your mosque’s timetable, because some timetables add a few minutes of margin. Near the poles some times can’t be calculated on certain days, when the sun doesn’t set or rise; try another calculation method or another city.

Why am I not getting adhan alerts?

Turn on the adhan alert for each prayer with the bell next to it in the Prayer tab, and make sure notifications are allowed for the app in iPhone Settings → Notifications → Noor Al-Neama. The app schedules alerts on your device for the coming days, so open it from time to time to keep your prayer and azkar reminders coming.

How do I download recitations for offline listening, and how do I delete them?

In the Recitations tab, choose a reciter and a recitation, then tap the download icon next to a surah, swipe the row and choose Download, or tap “Download all for offline listening”. Downloaded recitations are kept on this device only and are not included in backups.

To delete: swipe a surah and choose Delete, tap “Delete this recitation’s downloads” on the reciter’s page, or open Neama → Settings → Storage, which shows the space used and a “Delete all downloads” button. You can download them again at any time.

How do I add the widgets?

The app has three widgets:

• “Ayah of the Day”: medium and large, and on the Lock Screen.
• “Next prayer”: small, and three Lock Screen styles.
• “Tasbeeh”: small; count tasbeeh by tapping it right on your Home Screen.

To add one, touch and hold an empty area of the Home Screen, tap the add button, and search for “Noor Al-Neama”. For the Lock Screen, touch and hold it, then tap Customize. The “Next prayer” widget needs your location to be set in the app first.

Which Siri phrases can I use?

They work without any setup. For example, say:

• “Play surah Al-Kahf in Noor Al-Neama”
• “Play a surah in Noor Al-Neama”
• “Open my daily wird in Noor Al-Neama”
• “Open tasbeeh in Noor Al-Neama”

The surah plays with the last recitation you listened to, or with a default reciter if you haven’t listened to one yet. “My daily wird” opens your khatma portion. Use the English phrases when Siri’s language is English and the Arabic ones when it is Arabic. These shortcuts also appear in the Shortcuts app.

What is the next-prayer Live Activity?

A countdown to the next prayer on the Lock Screen and in the Dynamic Island (on iPhone models that have it). Turn it on in Prayer → Calculation & location → “Next-prayer countdown on the Lock Screen”. The countdown moves on to the following prayer when you open the app. If it doesn’t appear, make sure Live Activities are allowed for the app in iPhone Settings. The Live Activity runs on your device only.

How do I change the app’s language?

Go to Neama → Settings → Change app language, which opens the app’s page in iPhone Settings. The app supports Arabic and English, and the mushaf always reads right to left.

Why is it called Noor Al-Neama?

The app is an ongoing charity (sadaqa jariya) for the soul of the late Neama. That is why it has no ads, no in-app purchases, no subscriptions and no accounts. In the Neama tab you’ll find the du’a for the deceased from Hisn al-Muslim, “Your good deeds”, which adds up your tasbeeh, and a “Share the app as ongoing charity” button. Every ayah read and every dhikr counts in her good deeds, God willing.

Where does the content come from?

The Uthmani Quran text comes from the Tanzil project (via alquran.cloud), the azkar from Hisn al-Muslim, and the recitations from mp3quran.net. The full sources and licenses are in Neama → Content Sources & Licenses.

Does the app collect my data?

No. The app collects no data and has no ads, analytics or tracking. Details are in the privacy policy.