Friday 5 July 2013

RECITE!




THE BUTTERFLY HAS LOST ITS WINGS
THE BEE HAS LOST ITS STING….
This is the first time in a long time that I am writing for real not because I have got a deadline to meet or an application or any other reason that may seem official.  Well so Ramadan is here again. Well sometimes in the past I wrote an article about reading the Qur’an in the month of Ramadan.  Therein I did a kind of review of the MOSHAF application. Well NOW I’M BACK and this time it is not the MOSHAF application that I want to review but the… iQuran and trust me you don’t have to have an iPAD or iPHONE any other gadget that starts with the letter ‘i’ to run this great app.  For those of us who really want to enjoy reading the Qur’an this Ramadan I think having the iQuran is a MUST HAVE for this Ramadan.
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Who Developed The iQuran?
The iQuran was designed by GUIDEDWAYS. I believe some of us are familiar with them.  They were the ones who developed the QURAN PRO java application if you want to compare the QURAN pro to the iQuran well there’s just one phrase that comes to my mind…. IMPROVEMENT.
Is the font of the iQuran clear to read?
The iQuran shows the Qur’an in clear Uthmanic font for one to read. One can even zoom if it is not legible enough so you don’t have to strain your eyes.

Are there any Reciters that come along with the iQuran?
The iQuran comes along with 8 reciters that you can choose from including Al-Ghamidi, Husary, Al-Afasy, Sudais & Shuraim, Abdul- Basit, Abu Bakr Ash-Shatree (my favourite), Minshawy and Malik Al-Muauyqali. You get to feel the joy of reading alongside your favourite reciters and even cry along with them. The only obstacle here is one has to download the audio of these reciters before one can actually hear them recite and this requires a VERY GOOD INTERNET CONNECTION.


Does the iQuran help me recite the Qur’an with Tajweed?
YES of course! The Arabic font in the iQuran is color coded i.e. the rules of Tajweed (Idhgam, Ikfa'a, Iqlab etc.)  are colour coded so you can know when to apply each rule. Also at the bottom of the screen is the name of each Tajweed rule in its corresponding colour. Pressing the rule brings out a menu which briefly explains the rule and even with an audio sample from a verse in the Quran on how it is applied. How splendid.  Moreover you also have the various signs explained so one can know when to pause slightly or when to continue as one recites the Quran.
 
Does The iQuran Have English Translations?
The iQuran doesn’t have only one English translation but many translations of the Qur’an in the English language including Yusuf Ali, Pickthal and Asad. The iQuran doesn’t just stop there it has translations in many languages including French, German, Malay, Urdu, Japanese and a whole lot of others.
 

DOES THE iQuran have transliteration?
Yes the iQuran has transliteration for those of us just learning to read the Quran.
Can I share verses of the Quran on social media using the iQuran?
 YES YOU CAN! The iQuran allows one to share verses on social media including Facebook, LinkedIn, etc. so now you can share verses on your wall such that all your friends can benefit. You never know who might benefit when you share even potential Muslims too. Just click on the share button whenever you highlight any verse.
Can I Bookmark On The iQuran?
You have practically unlimited bookmarks on the iQuran so you can save as many verses as you want. You can also tag some verses if you want to.
Can I search for words in the Quran using the iQuran?
 The iQuran has a search button that allows you to  find words in the whole of the Quran in a jiffy. Just type the word and press search. Instantly you get your results. This can really prove useful when preparing for a lecture or looking for evidence from the Quran.


Are there any other special features in the iQuran?
 Of course there are. The iQuran allows you to set reminder to read Suratul Kahf on Fridays. Also you could choose the number of times you want to hear a verse or even choose the range of verse numbers you want to hear repeatedly when memorizing. There also exists special duas from the Quran which can be recited.  Ramadan is a month of making lots of dua and it's best to make dua from the Qur'an directly.



Must I get an iPhone or iPAD to use the iQuran?
One doesn’t need to have any device that begins with the letter i, whether it is the iPAD or iPHONE. The iQuran is an android application and it is available on Google play store or can be downloaded on the internet as an .APK file and then installed on your device.

Well so that’s my review. I guess you now understand why I said the iQuran is a must have app for this Ramadan. Wishing you a wonderful month of Ramadan filled with acceptable good deeds. Don’t forget to RECITE.
…HOPEFULLY SOON THE BUTTERFLY WOULD GROW NEW WINGS
AND THE BEE WOULD HAVE A NEW STING