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Bilal

2024 –

An athan that tells you when to leave for jama'ah at your masjid, not when the prayer starts. Out since 11 September 2026 on phone, Mac and the TV in your kitchen.

bilalathan.co.uk

What I say about it now, and what I was actually posting at the time.

It started as a question I posted in October 2024. In Muslim countries you hear the athan from the minaret and you get up and go to the masjid. On your phone it's one more notification you swipe away.

sakib @mertesakib ·

if you hear the athan out loud according to Jama'ah times will it prompt you to attend Jama'ah in the masjid? can we recreate that same behaviour that the muezzin actually calls you to? we're calling this project Bilal. and we're so excited to share more iA

Photo from the post.
66 likes · 3 reposts Open
sakib @mertesakib ·

when you hear the athan from minarets in Muslim countries, it prompts you to leave every and go to the masjid for Jama'ah athan apps were initially designed for this but they're not fit for purpose athan is the call to prayer but does your athan app actually call you to prayer?

55 likes · 7 reposts Open

Two weeks later we'd started testing it.

sakib @mertesakib ·

we’ve started doing early testing of project Bilal we want to make it as easy as possible for you to build a habit to go Jama’ah prayers at your local mosque set it up once and let it help you build a habit

Still from the video in the post.
26 likes · 3 reposts Open

The first version lived on the TV in my front room for the best part of two years. Somewhere in that it started getting me to jama'ah I'd have missed, at mosques two minutes away that I never knew were there.

sakib @mertesakib ·

im so excited to ship project bilal man, i can genuinely see it being a gamechanger for our communities

sakib @mertesakib ·

I can’t believe how many more Jama’ah I’m catching because of Bilal I missed asr at my local mosque and I found another mosque 2 mins away that was starting in 5 mins Bilal literally helping me discover new mosques I never would have found before

Photo from the post.
90 likes · 4 reposts Open

It launched properly on 11 September 2026 with the jama'ah times of over 2,500 masajid, on your phone, your Mac and the TV. The athan goes off when it's time to leave, and it's free and stays free. An iPhone app is coming soon, and Android after that, iA.

sakib @mertesakib ·

Introducing Bilal. Finally. (sound on!) An athan that tells you when to leave for jama'ah at your masjid, not when the prayer starts. Two years, over 2,500 masajid, and a call you can't scroll past. Out today for phone, Mac and the TV in your kitchen. Demos below πŸ‘‡πŸΎ

Still from the video in the post.
279 likes · 53 reposts Open
sakib @mertesakib ·

Bilal for Mac Your time to leave sits in the menu bar while you work. Isha Β· 20m. It goes warm at five. At zero the call comes up over whatever you're doing. "I'm on my way" and it folds back. Beta. No account needed.

Still from the video in the post.
7 likes · 1 repost Open
sakib @mertesakib ·

Bilal for the TV and Echo Show The one I wanted most. The athan out loud in the room, your masjid's timetable on the kitchen screen, and a "Leave now" everyone in the house can hear. Scan a code, pick your masjid, done. Experimental for now.

Still from the video in the post.
5 likes · 1 repost Open

Before I'd announced anything it was already going round WhatsApp groups, and it had 1,400 people on it in a couple of days.

sakib @mertesakib ·

Even before launching bilal started being shared across WhatsApp groups and got 1400+ users in a couple days It’s growing daily Ψ§Ω„Ψ­Ω…Ψ― Ω„Ω„Ω‡ It’s made me much more mindful of the mosque I hope it helps you!

The logo is a masjid arch, left open for you. Before you knew the way, someone took you to the masjid, and somewhere along the way most of us got lost again. There's still a place for you in the jama'ah.

sakib @mertesakib ·

introducing bilal's logo it's designed as a masjid arch, left open for you it also doubles up as a front facing doorway with the line at the bottom representing the final step to a staircase all designed for one thing: to welcome you into the masjid

Still from the video in the post.
60 likes · 3 reposts Open
sakib @mertesakib ·

before you knew the way someone took you to the masjid somewhere along the way we got lost again there is still a place for you answer the call

Photo from the post.
20 likes · 1 repost Open

Lately

sakib @mertesakib ·

your masjid time. in your pocket. bilal for ios coming soon.

Photo from the post.
10 likes · 2 reposts Open
sakib @mertesakib ·

Thanks to every who worked with us in Leicester to make this happen. Bilal is now in Leicester.

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24 likes · 3 reposts Open
sakib @mertesakib ·

an app designed to make you to get up and go bilal is intentionally being designed to create a habit loop

Photo from the post.
sakib @mertesakib ·

I’m having a bit too much fun with these bilal posters nostalgia maxxing

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136 likes · 4 reposts Open
sakib @mertesakib ·

bilal is going to change the game iA we want to completely remove the barrier to going to your local mosque we want our mosques full this is the beginning

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17 likes · 1 repost Open
sakib @mertesakib ·

The athan is designed to interrupt you Bilal for iOS is cooking up (Android later too iA) Dm me if you want the testflight!

Still from the video in the post.
17 likes · 1 repost Open