The Islamic month of Ramadan begins on Wednesday. What would the holy book have to say about high-tech applications?
Ramadan is in the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, where the first verses of the Koran are said to have been revealed to the Prophet Muhammad, that participating Muslims pay their daily respects by not drinking, eating or participating in sexual activities from dawn until sunset.
Quite literally, nothing seems sacred any longer, what with the likes of “iPray” and “iQuran” having been launched. Their beeping coincides with prayer times, while programs such as “Find Mecca” and “mosque finder” will locate the nearest place to pray.
The AP spoke to Jim Otun of Fairfield, New Jersey, who has a bunch of Islamic-themed apps on his iPhone and iPad. Unable to resist the obvious (perhaps he used iQuote?), Otun remarked, “Whoever came up with this idea: God bless him or her,” before adding, “If you forgot to pray, you might not be responsible, because you’re human; you forget and you can make it up later. But not now that you have those apps, that might change things in God’s level.”
But other faiths need not feel left out: Applications are available for texts such as the Catholic Holy Bible to the Hindu scripture called the Bhagavad Gita. All further proof, if it were needed, that God moves in mysterious ways.