Universal Qibla and Prayer Time Finder

People nowadays love to travel around the world. Regardless of their location and time, they especially Muslims still need to perform their five times prayer. Normally for travelers, they need to bring maps, compass and for Muslim, they even have to bring Qibla pointer when they travel. It is slightly difficult to determine the Qibla direction and to know the time for each prayer. In this paper we present a new electronic device called Universal Qibla and Prayer Time Finder to locate the Qibla direction and to determine each prayer time based on the current user-s location. This device use PIC microcontroller equipped with digital compass and Global Positioning System (GPS) where it will display the exact Qibla direction and prayer time automatically at any place in the world. This device is reliable, user friendly and accurate in determining the Qibla direction and prayer time.

Authors:

• M. Z. Ibrahim
• M. Z. Norashikin

Keywords:

• Digital compass
• embedded system
• global position system
• prayer time
• qibla

References:

[1] Hajewaming Niweateh, Al Falak, Islamic Academy, Bangkok, Thailand,2002.
[2] Susikman Azhari, Ilmu Falak, Lazuardi, Yogyakarta, Indonesia, 2001.
[3] Mohammad Ilyas, A Modern Guide to Astronomical Calculations of
Islamic Calendar, Times & Qibla, Berita Publishing Sdn Bhd., Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, 1984.
[4] Jason John Nassau, Practical Astronomy, Mc-Graw-Hill Book
Company, New York, 1984.
[5] Jean Meeus, Astronomical Algorithms, Willmann -Bell Inc, Richmond,
USA, 1991.
[6] Moulana Yakub Qasmi and Tariq Muneer, Prayer Times for United
Kingdom & Ireland, Islamic Research Institute of Britain, Dewsbury, UK ,1989.
[7] Bagvi and Malik Bashir Ahmed, Determination of the Direction of Qibla and the Islamic Timings, Ashraful-Madaris, Karachi, 1970.
[8] www.islamicpopulation.com, February 2007.