One thing that has bothered me for a long time with Qur’an and other religious apps is the advertising.

You open an app because you want to read, listen to a recitation, or just have a quiet moment — and suddenly there is an ad in the middle of it.

Sometimes those ads are completely unrelated to the purpose of the app, and occasionally they can even contain content that is inappropriate for the audience using it.

I understand that developers need to support their apps somehow. But with many Qur’an apps, removing ads often means paying for a subscription, and those subscriptions can be surprisingly expensive.

I wanted something simpler:

No ads while reading or listening.
No expensive subscription just to remove them.
No features locked behind a paywall.

So over the last few months, I started building the app I wanted to use myself.

It’s called Ayah Player, and it is completely free — no ads, no subscriptions, and no paywalls.

It now includes more than 1,000 Qur’an reciters, and I’ve just released version 1.7, which is the biggest update so far.

📖 Four ways to read and listen

You can switch between four different experiences:

• Ayahs — read the Arabic text alongside translations, commentary, notes, and other reader tools
• Words — follow the recitation word-by-word when timing data is available
• Mushaf Page — a traditional fixed-page Qur’an reading layout
• Listening Scene — focus on the recitation with calm visual scenes and optional ambient sound

Depending on the recitation, the app can follow along verse-by-verse, word-by-word, or even letter-by-letter.

🎧 Listening & offline use

You can browse by reciter or chapter, stream complete recitations, download them for offline listening, continue playback in the background, and manage a playback queue.

It also includes translations, commentary, bookmarks, private notes, playlists, saved verses, repetition tools, search, and customizable image sharing.

📊 Activity & reading goals

Version 1.7 also adds optional activity tracking, including:

• Listening and reading progress
• Daily goals
• Reading plans
• Total listening time
• Top reciters
• Most-played chapters

🔐 Optional account & sync

You don’t need an account to browse, read, listen, or download anything.

If you choose to sign in, you can synchronize things like bookmarks, notes, favorite reciters, playlists, settings, and your last-read position across supported devices.

Activity is only recorded while signed in, while downloads, searches, recent playback, and other device-specific data remain local.

Ayah Player is available on iPhone, iPad, Android phones, and Android tablets.

iOS:
https://apps.apple.com/fi/app/ayah-player/id6769859430

Android:
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.ayah.player

Website:
https://ayahapps.com/player

30-sec preview:
https://youtube.com/shorts/ZF2uHKbi3i0

I’m still actively working on it, so I’d genuinely appreciate feedback — especially from other developers on the product, UX, accessibility, and cross-platform experience.

One thing that has bothered me for a long time with Qur’an and other religious apps is the advertising.

You open an app because you want to read, listen to a recitation, or just have a quiet moment — and suddenly there is an ad in the middle of it.

Sometimes those ads are completely unrelated to the purpose of the app, and occasionally they can even contain content that is inappropriate for the audience using it.

I understand that developers need to support their apps somehow. But with many Qur’an apps, removing ads often means paying for a subscription, and those subscriptions can be surprisingly expensive.

I wanted something simpler:

No ads while reading or listening.
No expensive subscription just to remove them.
No features locked behind a paywall.

So over the last few months, I started building the app I wanted to use myself.

It’s called Ayah Player, and it is completely free — no ads, no subscriptions, and no paywalls.

It now includes more than 1,000 Qur’an reciters, and I’ve just released version 1.7, which is the biggest update so far.

📖 Four ways to read and listen

You can switch between four different experiences:

• Ayahs — read the Arabic text alongside translations, commentary, notes, and other reader tools
• Words — follow the recitation word-by-word when timing data is available
• Mushaf Page — a traditional fixed-page Qur’an reading layout
• Listening Scene — focus on the recitation with calm visual scenes and optional ambient sound

Depending on the recitation, the app can follow along verse-by-verse, word-by-word, or even letter-by-letter.

🎧 Listening & offline use

You can browse by reciter or chapter, stream complete recitations, download them for offline listening, continue playback in the background, and manage a playback queue.

It also includes translations, commentary, bookmarks, private notes, playlists, saved verses, repetition tools, search, and customizable image sharing.

📊 Activity & reading goals

Version 1.7 also adds optional activity tracking, including:

• Listening and reading progress
• Daily goals
• Reading plans
• Total listening time
• Top reciters
• Most-played chapters

🔐 Optional account & sync

You don’t need an account to browse, read, listen, or download anything.

If you choose to sign in, you can synchronize things like bookmarks, notes, favorite reciters, playlists, settings, and your last-read position across supported devices.

Activity is only recorded while signed in, while downloads, searches, recent playback, and other device-specific data remain local.

Ayah Player is available on iPhone, iPad, Android phones, and Android tablets.

iOS:
https://apps.apple.com/fi/app/ayah-player/id6769859430

Android:
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.ayah.player

Website:
https://ayahapps.com/player

30-sec preview:
https://youtube.com/shorts/ZF2uHKbi3i0

I’m still actively working on it, so I’d genuinely appreciate feedback — especially from other developers on the product, UX, accessibility, and cross-platform experience.

Assalamu alaikum

One thing that has bothered me for a long time with Qur’an and Islamic apps is the advertising.

You open an app because you want to read the Qur’an, listen to a recitation, or just have a quiet moment — and suddenly there is an ad in the middle of it.

And sometimes the ads have absolutely nothing to do with Islam — or, Allah forbid, may even contain inappropriate or even haram content.

Of course, developers need to support their apps somehow, and I understand that. But with many Qur’an and Islamic apps, the only way to remove the ads is to pay for a subscription — and those subscriptions are often very expensive.

For something you may want to use every single day just to read or listen to the Qur’an, I never felt that should be the only option.

I kept thinking that I just wanted a Qur’an app I could open without worrying about any of that.

No ads while reading or listening.
No expensive subscription just to remove them.
No features locked behind a paywall.

So over the last few months, I started building the Qur’an app I wanted to use myself.

It’s called Ayah Player, and it is completely free: no ads, no subscriptions, and no paywalls.

It now has more than 1,000 Qur’an reciters, and I’ve just released version 1.7, which is the biggest update so far.

📖 Four ways to read and listen

You can choose between four different Qur’an views:

• Ayahs — Arabic text with translations, tafsir, notes, repeating, and reader tools
• Words — follow the recitation word-by-word when timing is available
• Mushaf Page — read using a fixed-page Qur’an presentation
• Listening Scene — focus on the recitation with calm visual scenes and optional ambient sound

Depending on the selected recitation, Ayah Player can follow along ayah-by-ayah, word-by-word, or even letter-by-letter.

🎧 Listening & offline use

You can browse by reciter or Surah, stream complete recitations, download them for offline listening, listen in the background, and manage your playback queue.

The app also includes translations, downloadable translations, tafsir, bookmarks, private notes, playlists, ayah folders, repeating, Qur’an search, and Ayah Card sharing.

📊 Quran Activity

Version 1.7 introduces Quran Activity, including:

• Listening and reading progress
• Daily goals
• Qur’an reading plans
• Total listening time
• Top reciters
• Most-played Surahs

🔐 Optional Ayah Account

You do not need an account to browse, read, listen, or download anything.

If you choose to sign in, Ayah Account can synchronize things like bookmarks, notes, favorite reciters and recitations, playlists, ayah folders, selected settings, and your last-read position across supported devices.

Activity is only recorded while signed in, while things like downloads, searches, raw recent playback, and other device-specific data remain on your device.

Ayah Player is available on iPhone, iPad, Android phones, and Android tablets.

iOS:
https://apps.apple.com/fi/app/ayah-player/id6769859430

Android:
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.ayah.player

Website:
https://ayahapps.com/player

30-sec preview video:
https://youtube.com/shorts/ZF2uHKbi3i0

I’m still actively working on it, so if you try it, I’d genuinely appreciate any feedback — especially about the new reader views, Mushaf Page, Listening Scene, recitation tracking, and Quran Activity.

May Allah accept it, forgive its shortcomings, and make it beneficial.

Assalamu alaikum

One thing that has bothered me for a long time with Qur’an and Islamic apps is the advertising.

You open an app because you want to read the Qur’an, listen to a recitation, or just have a quiet moment — and suddenly there is an ad in the middle of it.

And sometimes the ads have absolutely nothing to do with Islam — or, Allah forbid, may even contain inappropriate or even haram content.

Of course, developers need to support their apps somehow, and I understand that. But with many Qur’an and Islamic apps, the only way to remove the ads is to pay for a subscription — and those subscriptions are often very expensive.

For something you may want to use every single day just to read or listen to the Qur’an, I never felt that should be the only option.

I kept thinking that I just wanted a Qur’an app I could open without worrying about any of that.

No ads while reading or listening.
No expensive subscription just to remove them.
No features locked behind a paywall.

So over the last few months, I started building the Qur’an app I wanted to use myself.

It’s called Ayah Player, and it is completely free: no ads, no subscriptions, and no paywalls.

It now has more than 1,000 Qur’an reciters, and I’ve just released version 1.7, which is the biggest update so far.

📖 Four ways to read and listen

You can choose between four different Qur’an views:

• Ayahs — Arabic text with translations, tafsir, notes, repeating, and reader tools
• Words — follow the recitation word-by-word when timing is available
• Mushaf Page — read using a fixed-page Qur’an presentation
• Listening Scene — focus on the recitation with calm visual scenes and optional ambient sound

Depending on the selected recitation, Ayah Player can follow along ayah-by-ayah, word-by-word, or even letter-by-letter.

🎧 Listening & offline use

You can browse by reciter or Surah, stream complete recitations, download them for offline listening, listen in the background, and manage your playback queue.

The app also includes translations, downloadable translations, tafsir, bookmarks, private notes, playlists, ayah folders, repeating, Qur’an search, and Ayah Card sharing.

📊 Quran Activity

Version 1.7 introduces Quran Activity, including:

• Listening and reading progress
• Daily goals
• Qur’an reading plans
• Total listening time
• Top reciters
• Most-played Surahs

🔐 Optional Ayah Account

You do not need an account to browse, read, listen, or download anything.

If you choose to sign in, Ayah Account can synchronize things like bookmarks, notes, favorite reciters and recitations, playlists, ayah folders, selected settings, and your last-read position across supported devices.

Activity is only recorded while signed in, while things like downloads, searches, raw recent playback, and other device-specific data remain on your device.

Ayah Player is available on iPhone, iPad, Android phones, and Android tablets.

iOS:
https://apps.apple.com/fi/app/ayah-player/id6769859430

Android:
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.ayah.player

Website:
https://ayahapps.com/player

30-sec preview video:
https://youtube.com/shorts/ZF2uHKbi3i0

I’m still actively working on it, so if you try it, I’d genuinely appreciate any feedback — especially about the new reader views, Mushaf Page, Listening Scene, recitation tracking, and Quran Activity.

May Allah accept it, forgive its shortcomings, and make it beneficial.

Assalamu alaikum

One thing that has bothered me for a long time with Qur’an and Islamic apps is the advertising.

You open an app because you want to read the Qur’an, listen to a recitation, or just have a quiet moment — and suddenly there is an ad in the middle of it.

And sometimes the ads have absolutely nothing to do with Islam — or, Allah forbid, may even contain inappropriate or even haram content.

Of course, developers need to support their apps somehow, and I understand that. But with many Qur’an and Islamic apps, the only way to remove the ads is to pay for a subscription — and those subscriptions are often very expensive.

For something you may want to use every single day just to read or listen to the Qur’an, I never felt that should be the only option.

I kept thinking that I just wanted a Qur’an app I could open without worrying about any of that.

No ads while reading or listening.
No expensive subscription just to remove them.
No features locked behind a paywall.

So over the last few months, I started building the Qur’an app I wanted to use myself.

It’s called Ayah Player, and it is completely free: no ads, no subscriptions, and no paywalls.

It now has more than 1,000 Qur’an reciters, and I’ve just released version 1.7, which is the biggest update so far.

📖 Four ways to read and listen

You can choose between four different Qur’an views:

• Ayahs — Arabic text with translations, tafsir, notes, repeating, and reader tools
• Words — follow the recitation word-by-word when timing is available
• Mushaf Page — read using a fixed-page Qur’an presentation
• Listening Scene — focus on the recitation with calm visual scenes and optional ambient sound

Depending on the selected recitation, Ayah Player can follow along ayah-by-ayah, word-by-word, or even letter-by-letter.

🎧 Listening & offline use

You can browse by reciter or Surah, stream complete recitations, download them for offline listening, listen in the background, and manage your playback queue.

The app also includes translations, downloadable translations, tafsir, bookmarks, private notes, playlists, ayah folders, repeating, Qur’an search, and Ayah Card sharing.

📊 Quran Activity

Version 1.7 introduces Quran Activity, including:

• Listening and reading progress
• Daily goals
• Qur’an reading plans
• Total listening time
• Top reciters
• Most-played Surahs

🔐 Optional Ayah Account

You do not need an account to browse, read, listen, or download anything.

If you choose to sign in, Ayah Account can synchronize things like bookmarks, notes, favorite reciters and recitations, playlists, ayah folders, selected settings, and your last-read position across supported devices.

Activity is only recorded while signed in, while things like downloads, searches, raw recent playback, and other device-specific data remain on your device.

Ayah Player is available on iPhone, iPad, Android phones, and Android tablets.

iOS:
https://apps.apple.com/fi/app/ayah-player/id6769859430

Android:
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.ayah.player

Website:
https://ayahapps.com/player

30-sec preview video:
https://youtube.com/shorts/ZF2uHKbi3i0

I’m still actively working on it, so if you try it, I’d genuinely appreciate any feedback — especially about the new reader views, Mushaf Page, Listening Scene, recitation tracking, and Quran Activity.

May Allah accept it, forgive its shortcomings, and make it beneficial.

Assalamu alaikum,

About two months ago, I shared the idea behind The Straight Path: a community where Muslims could discover beneficial projects, support their makers, and build for the sake of Allah.

At the time, the Discord community existed, but the website was still only an idea.

Alhamdulillah, it is now live:

thestraightpath.guide

Qur’an Library

The Qur’an library offers:

• Recitations organized by surah and hizb
• Search and filtering
• Dedicated pages for each recitation
• Short, sourced overviews of each surah’s themes
• A simple place to listen, reflect, and return to the Qur’an

Discover Projects

Discover is a curated directory of projects created to benefit Muslims, including apps, websites, developer tools, learning platforms, content channels, and other useful resources.

You can:

• Browse Muslim-built projects in one organized place
• Filter projects by category, format, platform, stage, and support needed
• View project pages containing screenshots, descriptions, availability, and links
• Discover the makers and teams behind projects
• Submit your own project using your Discord account
• Request testers, collaborators, feedback, translation, or launch support

Projects are reviewed before publication. Once approved, a project is published on the website and connected to the Discord community, where people can discuss it, provide feedback, and support its development.

Makers and Teams

The platform also gives builders a public identity connected to their work.

Using a Discord account, you can:

• Create a maker profile
• Introduce yourself and describe what you build
• Connect your published projects to your profile
• Keep your work visible in one place
• Create or join a team
• Give a company, community, or development team its own page
• Show which makers contributed to a project
• Submit new projects and manage existing submissions

Over time, a maker profile can become a simple portfolio of beneficial work created for the ummah.

You do not need to be a developer to participate. Anyone can browse, test, review, share, and support the projects being built.

The website remains the organized public home for projects and profiles. Discord remains the active space for discussion, collaboration, testing, feedback, and project updates.

The platform is still developing, and I would genuinely appreciate your feedback:

• Is the website easy to understand and browse?
• What features or categories are missing?
• Would you use it to discover Islamic apps and resources?
• If you are building something, would you submit it?

Website: thestraightpath.guide
Discord: Join The Straight Path community

May Allah place benefit in it and guide us to build things that genuinely serve the ummah.

Assalamu alaikum,

About two months ago, I shared the idea behind The Straight Path: a community where Muslims could discover beneficial projects, support their makers, and build for the sake of Allah.

At the time, the Discord community existed, but the website was still only an idea.

Alhamdulillah, it is now live:

thestraightpath.guide

Qur’an Library

The Qur’an library offers:

• Recitations organized by surah and hizb
• Search and filtering
• Dedicated pages for each recitation
• Short, sourced overviews of each surah’s themes
• A simple place to listen, reflect, and return to the Qur’an

Discover Projects

Discover is a curated directory of projects created to benefit Muslims, including apps, websites, developer tools, learning platforms, content channels, and other useful resources.

You can:

• Browse Muslim-built projects in one organized place
• Filter projects by category, format, platform, stage, and support needed
• View project pages containing screenshots, descriptions, availability, and links
• Discover the makers and teams behind projects
• Submit your own project using your Discord account
• Request testers, collaborators, feedback, translation, or launch support

Projects are reviewed before publication. Once approved, a project is published on the website and connected to the Discord community, where people can discuss it, provide feedback, and support its development.

Makers and Teams

The platform also gives builders a public identity connected to their work.

Using a Discord account, you can:

• Create a maker profile
• Introduce yourself and describe what you build
• Connect your published projects to your profile
• Keep your work visible in one place
• Create or join a team
• Give a company, community, or development team its own page
• Show which makers contributed to a project
• Submit new projects and manage existing submissions

Over time, a maker profile can become a simple portfolio of beneficial work created for the ummah.

You do not need to be a developer to participate. Anyone can browse, test, review, share, and support the projects being built.

The website remains the organized public home for projects and profiles. Discord remains the active space for discussion, collaboration, testing, feedback, and project updates.

The platform is still developing, and I would genuinely appreciate your feedback:

• Is the website easy to understand and browse?
• What features or categories are missing?
• Would you use it to discover Islamic apps and resources?
• If you are building something, would you submit it?

Website: thestraightpath.guide
Discord: Join The Straight Path community

May Allah place benefit in it and guide us to build things that genuinely serve the ummah.

Assalamu alaikum,

About two months ago, I shared the idea behind The Straight Path: a community where Muslims could discover beneficial projects, support their makers, and build for the sake of Allah.

At the time, the Discord community existed, but the website was still only an idea.

Alhamdulillah, it is now live:

thestraightpath.guide

Qur’an Library

The Qur’an library offers:

• Recitations organized by surah and hizb
• Search and filtering
• Dedicated pages for each recitation
• Short, sourced overviews of each surah’s themes
• A simple place to listen, reflect, and return to the Qur’an

Discover Projects

Discover is a curated directory of projects created to benefit Muslims, including apps, websites, developer tools, learning platforms, content channels, and other useful resources.

You can:

• Browse Muslim-built projects in one organized place
• Filter projects by category, format, platform, stage, and support needed
• View project pages containing screenshots, descriptions, availability, and links
• Discover the makers and teams behind projects
• Submit your own project using your Discord account
• Request testers, collaborators, feedback, translation, or launch support

Projects are reviewed before publication. Once approved, a project is published on the website and connected to the Discord community, where people can discuss it, provide feedback, and support its development.

Makers and Teams

The platform also gives builders a public identity connected to their work.

Using a Discord account, you can:

• Create a maker profile
• Introduce yourself and describe what you build
• Connect your published projects to your profile
• Keep your work visible in one place
• Create or join a team
• Give a company, community, or development team its own page
• Show which makers contributed to a project
• Submit new projects and manage existing submissions

Over time, a maker profile can become a simple portfolio of beneficial work created for the ummah.

You do not need to be a developer to participate. Anyone can browse, test, review, share, and support the projects being built.

The website remains the organized public home for projects and profiles. Discord remains the active space for discussion, collaboration, testing, feedback, and project updates.

The platform is still developing, and I would genuinely appreciate your feedback:

• Is the website easy to understand and browse?
• What features or categories are missing?
• Would you use it to discover Islamic apps and resources?
• If you are building something, would you submit it?

Website: thestraightpath.guide
Discord: Join The Straight Path community

May Allah place benefit in it and guide us to build things that genuinely serve the ummah.

Codex has now merged with ChatGPT:

https://learn.chatgpt.com/docs/app

Building the app was only half of it

Around one month ago, I launched my first app on both the iOS App Store and Google Play Store.

I had no idea how app launches worked, what Apple and Google would ask for, how long approval would take, or what kind of numbers would be considered “good” for a first app. I wanted to share some early numbers and lessons from the process, in case it benefits someone else.

Apple App Store experience

Signing up for the Apple Developer Program costs $99/year.

My experience with Apple was actually easier than I expected. I knew Apple was strict with the approval process, and I expected to spend a while fixing things before the app would be accepted, but in the end the process was quite straightforward.

I signed up for the Apple Developer Program and submitted the app on 15 May.

The next day, on 16 May, the first version was not accepted immediately. Apple asked for more information, including things like a screen recording, tested devices, the app’s purpose, target audience, instructions for using the main features, external services used, and whether there were any regional differences.

At first, it felt like a lot, but looking back, it made sense. Apple did not only want to know whether the app worked. They wanted to understand what the app does, who it is for, how it works, and whether everything is properly explained.

After I fixed the missing details, the app was approved on 18 May, and it became available on the App Store on 19 May.

One thing that surprised me was that after Apple approved the app, it still did not appear properly in all regions at first. I later realized there were still agreements and terms I had to accept in App Store Connect. Some were related to countries, laws, regulations, distribution, and App Store terms.

So one lesson was:

An app being approved does not always mean your developer account is fully ready.

You also need to check agreements, terms, privacy policy, support links, copyright/content information, and all required documents.

After the first approval, Apple updates were usually smooth. Most reviews were completed within 24–48 hours.

Overall, Apple felt strict but polished. App Store Connect was confusing at first, but after learning it, it became quite straightforward. Apple’s analytics also feel detailed and fairly up to date. I could usually see data up to around the last 24 hours.

Google Play experience

Signing up for a Google Play Developer account costs $25 once.

The account fee is cheaper, and updates after launch are much faster, but the initial publishing process was more complicated for me because I was using a personal developer account.

For new personal developer accounts, Google requires closed testing before public release. In my case, Google specifically guided me to run a 14-day closed test with at least 12 users.

My Google Play Console identity verification was completed on 14 May.

I shared the first testing link on 15 May, had enough testers by around 17 May, and after the testing period, production access was granted on 1 June. That same day, the app launched publicly on Google Play.

So the Google timeline was roughly:

• 14 May — identity verified
• 15 May — testing links shared
• 17 May — enough testers reached
• 1 June — production access granted
• 1 June — public launch

Google felt slower at first because of the testing requirement, but much faster after launch.

Usually, after uploading an update to Google Play, it can become available in around one hour. With Apple, each update goes through review again and usually takes 24–48 hours.

Google Play analytics felt more delayed, sometimes by around 3–4 days, which made it harder to know what was happening after sharing or promoting the app.

So my experience was:

Apple was faster to launch once the documents were fixed, but slower for updates.

Google was slower to launch for a new personal account, but faster for updates after production access.

Early numbers

The app launched on the iOS App Store on 19 May 2026.

Exactly one month after launch, it had:

• 150 first-time downloads
• 9 five-star reviews

It launched publicly on the Google Play Store on 1 June 2026.

As of 22 June, it had:

• 79 downloads
• 7 five-star reviews
• 1 three-star review

The three-star review affected me more than I expected, to be honest. Not because I think everyone has to give five stars, but because when you build something with sincere intention, make it free, remove ads and subscriptions, and try to create something beneficial, even one lower rating can feel a little personal.

But I think that is also part of releasing something publicly. People will experience your app in different ways. A feature you spent the most time developing might be overlooked or even disliked, while something you did not prioritize much might become one of the things users appreciate most.

And that is something you often only discover AFTER publishing, no matter how prepared you think you are.

How I promoted it

I did not have a big launch campaign, and I did not have any real experience with promoting apps. I shared it in different Discord servers, a couple of subreddits, with family and friends, and made a few TikTok and social media videos.

The app itself is polished, and I honestly think it has more features and a better UI than some competing apps. But one thing I learned is that building a good app is not enough. You also need to know how to present it, explain it, and market it.

Right now, I feel like the biggest bottleneck is not the app itself, but my own ability to market it properly.

Screenshots and product pages matter more than I expected

One thing I underestimated was how important the product page is.

Before launching, I was mostly focused on the app itself. But when you publish on the App Store or Google Play, the product page becomes the first impression. For many people, it decides whether they download the app or ignore it.

You need good screenshots, clear text, and a page that quickly explains why someone should care.

The screenshots are also not as simple as just taking random screenshots from your phone. You need to prepare them properly, with the correct sizes, dimensions, and formats for each platform. Apple and Google both have their own requirements, and if the screenshots are the wrong size or do not clearly show the app, it can slow you down or make the product page weaker.

I also learned that screenshots are not only technical requirements. They are marketing material. They should show the best parts of the app, explain the value quickly, and look polished. A good app with weak screenshots can easily look less serious than it actually is.

This is something I would put more effort into earlier next time.

Final thoughts

I am still learning, and I am not sure how to judge the numbers yet.

The app has now passed 300 total downloads, which I am grateful for, but I also realize that a polished app does not automatically reach people. Distribution, presentation, screenshots, product pages, and marketing matter a lot.

One personal thing I noticed during this launch is how much my own perfectionism affected the process. I hold my work to a very high standard. Small details that many people might overlook can bother me a lot, and I often spend more time than necessary trying to polish things that others may not even notice.

That can be time-consuming, but I also see it as one of my strengths. When I take responsibility for something, I want it to be done properly and to the best of my ability.

At the same time, launching an app publicly teaches you that perfection is not really the finish line. You can polish something for a long time, but once it is public, people will still experience it differently. Some will love it, some will have criticism, and some may notice things you never expected.

If you are planning to launch your first app, especially as an independent developer, I hope this gives you a more realistic picture of what the early stage can look like.

Assalamu alaikum,

I’ve been thinking about how many Muslims are building useful things, but there still isn’t really one clear active place for Muslim developers, designers, creators, and builders to come together around those projects.

There are a few places on Reddit where people can share Islamic apps or Muslim-made projects, and I’ve posted in some of them before. But many of those communities are still quite small or new, and Reddit is not always the easiest place for ongoing discussion, collaboration, or directly talking with other developers.

That’s why I created The Straight Path on Discord.

The idea is to have a more active space where Muslim developers and creators can come together and build things for the sake of Allah, to benefit the ummah.

In the server, we can:

• share Islamic apps, websites, open-source tools, AI experiments, content channels, community tools, and early ideas
• see what other Muslims are developing
• give feedback and help improve each other’s projects
• collaborate when someone needs help with development, design, content, translations, marketing, or anything else
• test each other’s apps and help with launch requirements, such as joining Google Play closed testing groups when an app needs testers before publishing
• support beneficial launches by upvoting, commenting, sharing, reviewing, and helping projects reach the right audience
• share useful resources, tools, APIs, datasets, tutorials, and opportunities

A lot of Muslim-made projects struggle not because the idea is bad, but because the right people never hear about it, or because the builder is doing everything alone. If we can support each other in an organized way, even small actions from many people can make a big difference, inshaAllah.

This is not only for finished projects. Early ideas are welcome too. Sometimes a project just needs feedback, testing, encouragement, or one person with the right skill to become much better.

I’m also planning, inshaAllah, to create a website connected to the server, where we can showcase projects and apps to a wider audience outside of Discord.

The aim is simple: to gather Muslim builders, help each other, and build things that are pleasing to Allah and beneficial for the ummah.

If this sounds useful to you, you’re welcome to join:

Join Discord

Assalamu alaikum,

I’ve released Ayah Player 1.3, a free Qur’an app that brings recitation playback and Qur’an reading together in one clean, straightforward experience.

It is made for people who want a simple app to listen to the Holy Qur’an without ads, subscriptions, accounts, or unnecessary distractions. You can browse reciters, choose a surah, listen in the background, read while listening, save recitations, create playlists, download audio, and follow along with the recitation where timing is available.

Since the last post, I’ve added a lot of new functions and features. The biggest one is being able to read the Qur’an with transliteration and translations in multiple languages, while the app follows the audio ayah by ayah for over 100 reciters. Alhamdulillah, the app is now also available on Google Play.

Main features:

• 1,000+ Qur’an reciters
• Full-surah playback from Surah 1 to 114
• Qur’an reading with Arabic text
• Transliteration and translations
• Downloadable Qur’an translations
• Ayah follow-along where timing is available
• Background audio playback
• Mini player and full-screen player
• Save favorite reciters
• Save specific recitations
• Create and edit playlists
• Download recitations for easier access
• Manage downloads and storage
• Search by reciter, surah, Arabic name, country, and common spelling
• Reciter profile pages with artwork and country information
• Light, dark, and automatic theme modes
• 40+ in-app languages
• iPhone, iPad, Android phone, and Android tablet support
• Share links that open a specific recitation in the app
• Report broken audio, incorrect reciter information, missing country data, image issues, or app issues

Ayah Player is completely free to use.

No ads.

No subscriptions.

No paywalls.

No account required.

The goal is simple: listening to and reading the Holy Qur’an should be easy, and accessible to everyone.

Android:

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.ayah.player

App Store:

https://apps.apple.com/fi/app/ayah-player/id6769859430

Website:

https://nowari.fi/ayah-player

Made by Nowari.

Assalamu alaikum,

I’ve released Ayah Player 1.3, a free Qur’an app that brings recitation playback and Qur’an reading together in one clean, straightforward experience.

It is made for people who want a simple app to listen to the Holy Qur’an without ads, subscriptions, accounts, or unnecessary distractions. You can browse reciters, choose a surah, listen in the background, read while listening, save recitations, create playlists, download audio, and follow along with the recitation where timing is available.

Since the last post, I’ve added a lot of new functions and features. The biggest one is being able to read the Qur’an with transliteration and translations in multiple languages, while the app follows the audio ayah by ayah for over 100 reciters. Alhamdulillah, the app is now also available on Google Play.

Main features:

• 1,000+ Qur’an reciters
• Full-surah playback from Surah 1 to 114
• Qur’an reading with Arabic text
• Transliteration and translations
• Downloadable Qur’an translations
• Ayah follow-along where timing is available
• Background audio playback
• Mini player and full-screen player
• Save favorite reciters
• Save specific recitations
• Create and edit playlists
• Download recitations for easier access
• Manage downloads and storage
• Search by reciter, surah, Arabic name, country, and common spelling
• Reciter profile pages with artwork and country information
• Light, dark, and automatic theme modes
• 40+ in-app languages
• iPhone, iPad, Android phone, and Android tablet support
• Share links that open a specific recitation in the app
• Report broken audio, incorrect reciter information, missing country data, image issues, or app issues

Ayah Player is completely free to use.

No ads.

No subscriptions.

No paywalls.

No account required.

The goal is simple: listening to and reading the Holy Qur’an should be easy, and accessible to everyone.

Android:

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.ayah.player

App Store:

https://apps.apple.com/fi/app/ayah-player/id6769859430

Website:

https://nowari.fi/ayah-player

Made by Nowari.

Ayah Player — a free Quran recitation app with playlists, downloads, and 1,000+ reciters

Ayah Player is a focused Qur’an listening app made for simple recitation playback. The idea is to have something that feels familiar like a modern audio player, but built specifically for listening to the Holy Qur’an — clean, calm, and without unnecessary distractions.

You can browse reciters, choose a surah, listen in the background, save your favorite recitations, create playlists, download audio, and share direct listening links with others.

Some of the main features:

• 1,000+ Qur’an reciters
• Full-surah playback from Surah 1 to 114
• Background audio playback
• Mini player and full-screen player
• Save favorite reciters
• Save specific recitations
• Create and edit playlists
• Download recitations for easier access
• Manage downloads and storage
• Search by reciter, surah, Arabic name, country, and common spelling
• Reciter profile pages with artwork and country information
• Light, dark, and automatic theme modes
• 40+ in-app languages, including English, Arabic, Finnish, Kurdish Sorani, Indonesian, Turkish, French, German, Spanish, Urdu, and more
• Share links that open a specific recitation in the app
• Report broken audio, incorrect reciter information, missing country data, image issues, or app issues

Ayah Player is completely free to use.

No ads.
No subscriptions.
No paywalls.
No account required.

The goal is simple: listening to the Holy Qur’an should be easy, and available to everyone without having to pay or go through unnecessary steps.

Website:
https://nowari.fi/ayah-player

App Store:
https://apps.apple.com/fi/app/ayah-player/id6769859430

Made by Nowari.

Ayah Player 1.2 — a free Quran recitation app with playlists, downloads, and 1,000+ reciters

Ayah Player is a focused Qur’an listening app made for simple recitation playback. The idea is to have something that feels familiar like a modern audio player, but built specifically for listening to the Holy Qur’an — clean, calm, and without unnecessary distractions.

You can browse reciters, choose a surah, listen in the background, save your favorite recitations, create playlists, download audio, and share direct listening links with others.

Some of the main features:

• 1,000+ Qur’an reciters
• Full-surah playback from Surah 1 to 114
• Background audio playback
• Mini player and full-screen player
• Save favorite reciters
• Save specific recitations
• Create and edit playlists
• Download recitations for easier access
• Manage downloads and storage
• Search by reciter, surah, Arabic name, country, and common spelling
• Reciter profile pages with artwork and country information
• Light, dark, and automatic theme modes
• 40+ in-app languages, including English, Arabic, Finnish, Kurdish Sorani, Indonesian, Turkish, French, German, Spanish, Urdu, and more
• Share links that open a specific recitation in the app
• Report broken audio, incorrect reciter information, missing country data, image issues, or app issues

Ayah Player is completely free to use.

No ads.
No subscriptions.
No paywalls.
No account required.

The goal is simple: listening to the Holy Qur’an should be easy, and available to everyone without having to pay or go through unnecessary steps.

Website:
https://nowari.fi/ayah-player

App Store:
https://apps.apple.com/fi/app/ayah-player/id6769859430

Made by Nowari.

Assalamu alaikum.

I’m preparing the iOS App Store product page for Ayah Player, a free Quran recitation app, and I’d really appreciate your feedback on the screenshots.

I know I posted about the app a couple of days ago, so I hope this is okay to share. I’m just excited and trying to make the product page look as clean, trustworthy, and useful as possible.

Any feedback is welcome

Jazakum Allahu khairan.

Assalamu alaikum,

I recently built and published a Quran recitation app called Ayah Player.

The idea was to make something simple and calm, closer to a Spotify-style audio player, but focused only on Quran recitation. You can browse reciters, browse surahs, save favorites and listen to full-surah recitations.

Some of the features:

• 800+ Quran reciters
• Full-surah playback
• Reciter profiles
• Surah browsing
• Favorites
• Recent playbacks
• Light and dark themes
• Arabic and English display modes
• Background audio
• Mini player and full-screen player

I built it because I wanted a Quran listening app that felt clean, focused, and easy to use without accounts or unnecessary distractions.

What makes this special is that the app is COMPLETELY FREE. There are no ads, no subscriptions, and no paywalls. Ayah Player is and will always be completely free.

It's available on iOS App Store but coming soon on Android.

I’d love feedback from other Muslim developers, especially around UX, app architecture, data sources, and what would make a Quran audio app more useful without making it too cluttered.

https://nowari.fi/ayah-player

Link: https://apps.apple.com/app/ayah-player/id6769859430

Jazakum Allahu khairan.