DIRECT ANSWER
An Islamic prayer app is not a generic “prayer tracker.” Build it by deciding authority timetable vs calculation method, exposing Asr madhab, scheduling azan on a rolling local-notification window, and computing or caching times offline. In Malaysia, prefer JAKIM’s published 60-zone times over recalculating MWL at a single lat/long.
Why “Prayer App” Is the Wrong Brief
Search for bare “prayer app” returns Christian and habit-tracker products. The product you mean is an Islamic prayer times app: Fajr, Dhuhr, Asr, Maghrib, Isha, qibla, Hijri, and optional Ramadan surfaces. Name that in the brief, the H1, and the store listing, or the build fights the wrong SERP and the wrong user expectations.
What Decisions Come Before Any Screen?
- Source of times. Official timetable (e.g. JAKIM e-Solat) where the congregation already trusts it; otherwise a labelled calculation method with country default and user override.
- Asr madhab. Shadow-length rules differ; hiding the setting chooses for the user without saying so.
- Notifications that still fire. iOS caps pending local notifications (~64). Schedule a rolling window and refresh on launch. Offline times for coming weeks are mandatory.
Angles, methods, and Malaysia zone rules are spelled out in Prayer Time Calculation Methods.
What Belongs Beside the Timetable?
| Usually in v1 | Only if the brief asks |
|---|---|
| Qibla with honest calibration UX | Mosque finder / map pack competition |
| Hijri with local adjustment day | Full Quran reader (separate product spine) |
| Widgets for next prayer | Social feed, lifestyle modules |
| Ramadan countdown / imsak–iftar on the same source | Becoming Muslim Pro in version one |
Seasonal countdown products die after Eid unless cost stays near zero — see Why Islamic Apps Die After Ramadan.
How Much Does It Cost?
A single-purpose prayer or Ramadan companion is DuaLab’s RM 15,000 tier (4–6 weeks). Agencies quote roughly USD 7,000–11,000. Estimate with the cost calculator or read Islamic app cost.
What Should You Do Next?
Category page: Islamic prayer app development. Proof: Takbir (JAKIM) and 1Ramadan.