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.
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·π
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
sakib@mertesakib·π
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?
Two weeks later we'd started testing it.
sakib@mertesakib·π
weβve started doing early testing of project Bilal
we want to make it as easy as possible for you to build a habit to go Jamaβah prayers at your local mosque
set it up once and let it help you build a habit
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·π
im so excited to ship project bilal man, i can genuinely see it being a gamechanger for our communities
sakib@mertesakib·π
I canβt believe how many more Jamaβah Iβm 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
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·π
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 ππΎ
sakib@mertesakib·π
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.
sakib@mertesakib·π
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.
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·π
Even before launching bilal started being shared across WhatsApp groups and got 1400+ users in a couple days
Itβs growing daily Ψ§ΩΨΩ Ψ― ΩΩΩ
Itβs 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·π
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
sakib@mertesakib·π
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
Lately
Everything else I’ve posted about it, newest first. Keeps going as you scroll.
sakib@mertesakib·π
your masjid time. in your pocket.
bilal for ios coming soon.
sakib@mertesakib·π
Thanks to every who worked with us in Leicester to make this happen.
Bilal is now in Leicester.
sakib@mertesakib·π
an app designed to make you to get up and go
bilal is intentionally being designed to create a habit loop
sakib@mertesakib·π
Iβm having a bit too much fun with these bilal posters
nostalgia maxxing
sakib@mertesakib·π
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
sakib@mertesakib·π
The athan is designed to interrupt you
Bilal for iOS is cooking up (Android later too iA)
Dm me if you want the testflight!