Islamic Lifestyle Applications: Meeting the Spiritual Needs of Modern Muslims

We evaluated contemporary Islamic lifestyle applications supporting religious practices and motivation among Muslims. We reviewed 11 popular applications using self-determination theory and the technology-as-experience framework to assess their support for motivation and affective needs. Most applications lack features that foster autonomy, competence, and relatedness. We also interviewed ten devoted Muslim application users to gain insights into their experiences and unmet needs. Our findings indicate that existing applications fall short in providing comprehensive learning, social connections, and scholar consultations. We propose design implications based on our results, including spiritual empowerment through technology, designing for intrinsic motivation, culturally grounded design and community engagement. We aim to inform the design of Islamic lifestyle applications that better facilitate ritual practices, benefitting application designers and Muslim communities. Our research provides valuable insights into the untapped potential for lifestyle applications to act as religious companions supporting Muslims’ spiritual journey.