Smart Azan

Jack M. Wilson First Product to Market Award (tied) at the 11th Annual DifferenceMaker $50,000 Idea Challenge

After finding a common issue that Muslims encounter when keeping track of when to pray, Sophomore Biology student, Haad Naeem knew he needed to find a solution to make praying more convenient. As a Muslim, Haad often struggled to keep track of the times he needed to pray which was specific to each day depending on the location of the sun. He figured he needed to find a solution to solve this everyday problem. Now, the only way a Muslim knows when it is time to pray is by hearing the announcement made at Mosques. However, for many Americans, there is not always a mosque close enough to hear the announcement which leaves millions of Muslims to keep track of the prayer schedule themselves.

Haad developed an app that would solve this problem and make praying more convenient for the millions of Muslims across the world that also experience this similar frustration. This app called Smart Azan would notify the user when it is time to pray. Additionally, the app helps Muslims listen to the call of prayer on their Google home speakers or phone, keep track of prayer times based on location, and listen to the Holy Quran. During his pitch, Haad showed data including the number of Muslims across the world and conducted a survey to show the percentage of Muslims that would be inclined to use the app.

Currently, Haad developed the app which is available to smartphone users across the world. At the 11th Annual $50,000 Idea Challenge, Haad tied for the Jack M. Wilson First Product to Market Award with another team. With the $3,000 that he won, he continues to expand the app and will use the money to focus on marketing and advertising the application.