Terawih Guide
Terawih Guide
A digital prayer guide for Terawih - accurate, mobile-first, and usable mid-prayer.
Why I built it
The booklet in your pocket shouldn't be a booklet
Terawih prayers follow a specific sequence - dialogue, roles, surahs - that most Muslims don't have committed to memory. Physical booklets exist, but they're awkward to reference mid-prayer, and are usually printed only in Arabic, with no translation. Digital copies fare no better - they're usually PDFs, which are just as hard to scan in the moment. I wanted a clear digital guide that was accurate, easy to navigate as an app, and genuinely usable between prayers or during them.
How it came together
Three things that shaped how it was built
Getting this right came down to three things: accuracy, structure, and real feedback.
Accuracy first
Cross-referenced four sources: an existing booklet we've been using, and guides from Muis, Darul Arqam, and JAKIM. Where they differed, we worked out which flow made the most sense. English translations were adapted from Darul Arqam's guide - solid content, but only available as a PDF.
Structured for a first-timer
Built the flow in the order someone would generally encounter it in Singapore. If you've never done Terawih before, the guide walks you through it in sequence.
Tested with real users
Tested with immediate family first, then extended family during Ramadan gatherings. Having people use it live surfaced things no desktop review would catch.
See it in action
Live for Ramadan 2026
The Terawih Guide is a mobile-first Progressive Web App (PWA) covering the 8-rakaat terawih flow - from the niat, surah recitations, bilal-jemaah dialogue, Qasidah, and Doa Terawih. Available in Arabic (including transliteration), English, and Malay.
Onboarding
A one-time welcome modal walks new visitors through adding the guide to their Home Screen as a PWA.
What I learnt
What building a prayer app taught me about UX
Content design and UX writing are the same skill
Making religious content accessible across abilities - from first-timers to those who have prayed for decades - required the same clarity of thinking as any product. The structure is the experience.
Context collapses complexity
Terawih has many variables: your role, the night of Ramadan, your mosque's tradition. Progressive disclosure - showing each variable only when relevant - meant the guide never felt overwhelming.
Some habits die hard
Tech-savvy family members loved the app. But older relatives - more comfortable with paper - asked for a PDF or a physical copy to flip through. We ended up printing several copies. Digital isn't always the right answer for everyone in the room.
What's next
On the roadmap
Audio recitation
Follow along with Arabic pronunciation in real time. The challenge is sourcing recitations for the non-Quranic verses - something worth exploring.
An umbrella app for daily Islamic practice
Expand beyond Terawih into a single app covering your Quran, daily duas, and prayers - including prayers for the deceased. One place for the moments that matter most.