Islam in Brazil
A small community with deep roots
Islam first came to Brazil with enslaved West Africans. In Salvador, Bahia, Muslims known as malês led the uprising of 1835 remembered as the Malê Revolt. From the late nineteenth century, immigrants from Syria, Lebanon and Palestine built new communities, and the Mesquita Brasil in São Paulo, whose community dates back to 1929, is the oldest mosque in the country.
In the 2022 census, about 41,000 residents gave Islam as their religion; Muslim organisations give much higher estimates.
Prayer times
Prayer times in Brazil: what to choose
Brazil has no national prayer timetable: each mosque and Islamic centre keeps its own. The Instituto Islâmico Brasileiro, for one, publishes its timetables with the Muslim World League method (Fajr 18°, Isha 17°), and Awwab has it. Choose it once in Settings: Awwab starts on the Egyptian method and does not switch by country.
Then compare it with your mosque's adhan for a few days:
- Fajr: if your mosque calls it earlier, go back to Egyptian General Authority (19.5°), which puts Fajr about 6 to 10 minutes earlier across Brazil.
- Asr: choose your madhab in Settings. Hanafi puts Asr much later, about 40 to 50 minutes in June and over an hour in December; every other choice gives the earlier time.
- Maghrib is calculated at sunset. Many mosques call it a few minutes later, so the lock can start a little before the adhan.
- Jumu'ah: on Fridays the app shows Jumu'ah in place of Dhuhr.
Times are calculated on your phone for exactly where you are, from Manaus to Porto Alegre, and work offline. Brazil has had no daylight saving time since 2019, and the app needs no setting for it. Manual minute adjustments are not in the app yet, so when the app and your mosque differ, pray with your mosque.
Ramadan and Eid
Fasting in the southern summer
Awwab reminds you of Ramadan, the first ten days of Dhul Hijjah, the Day of Arafah, both Eids, Ashura and the White Days. These dates follow the calculated Umm al-Qura calendar.
In Brazil the start of Ramadan and the day of Eid are announced by mosques and Islamic centres, and communities do not always begin on the same day, so the app's date can be a day off. Follow the announcement your community follows. The five daily prayer times are not affected.
Ramadan 1448 falls in February and March 2027, at the end of the southern summer, when the days are still long in the south of the country.
Inside the app
A companion for the whole day
Peace at each prayer, contentment through the day, and the joy of returning — gently, and on your own terms.
Prayer tracking, honest stats
Log the five prayers, keep a streak, and see your real consistency over weeks and months.
Qibla
A live compass that points to the Kaaba from wherever you are.
Adhkar, tasbih and the 99 Names
Morning and evening adhkar, a tasbih counter, the Beautiful Names of God, and duas from the Sunnah.
Knowledge quiz
Questions on creed, the Qur'an, the prophets and the Seerah, each answer shown with its source. Also free to play at awwab.app/play.
Heal
Private recovery programs for habits like smoking, without shame, locked with Face ID or Touch ID.
Period mode
For women: prayers are marked as excused and the lock pauses, kept especially private.
Islamic occasions
Reminders for Ramadan, the first ten days of Dhul Hijjah, the Day of Arafah, both Eids, Ashura and the White Days.
Apple Watch and widgets
Your next prayer and today's prayers on your wrist and Home Screen, marked with a tap.
The Shield (optional)
Want a little help staying present?
Completely optional. Awwab calls it the Shield: when it's time to pray, the apps you choose rest with you — and come back the moment you've prayed.
Choose the apps that can wait
Pick them through Apple's Screen Time. The choice stays on your phone, and Awwab never sees which apps they are.
They rest while you pray
When a prayer begins, those apps lock. Open one and you see a verse of the Qur'an and a way to your prayer, not a harsh “Blocked”.
Pray, and they come back
Mark the prayer as prayed and everything opens. If you truly need an app first, a short snooze lifts the lock for the time you set, from 1 to 30 minutes.
Free and private
No paywall, no ads, no tracking
Every feature is free. There is an optional supporter subscription for people who want to help the work continue; it unlocks nothing extra.
There is no account and no sign-in. The app shows no ads and has no analytics or tracking. Your prayers and settings live in your own private iCloud, and we never receive them.
Awwab is on the App Store for iPhone and Apple Watch, and on Google Play for Android.
Qibla in Brazil
In Brazil, the Qibla is roughly east-north-east: from 66° to 73° from true north, depending on the city.
| City | Qibla | Direction | Distance to the Kaaba (km) |
|---|---|---|---|
| São Paulo | 69° | east-north-east | 10,603 |
| Rio de Janeiro | 68° | east-north-east | 10,248 |
| Belo Horizonte | 68° | east-north-east | 10,195 |
| Salvador | 66° | east-north-east | 9,359 |
| Fortaleza | 68° | east-north-east | 8,961 |
| Manaus | 69° | east-north-east | 11,153 |
| Brasília | 69° | east-north-east | 10,417 |
| Curitiba | 70° | east-north-east | 10,926 |
| Recife | 66° | east-north-east | 8,777 |
| Goiânia | 69° | east-north-east | 10,585 |
Questions
Is Awwab free in Brazil?
Yes. Every feature is free and the app has no ads. An optional supporter subscription exists for people who want to support the work; it unlocks nothing.
Which prayer-time method should I choose in Brazil?
Muslim World League, chosen once in Settings. There is no national timetable, so compare with your mosque for a few days. If your mosque's Fajr is earlier, the Egyptian method, the one Awwab starts on, puts it about 6 to 10 minutes earlier.
When is Ramadan in 2027?
By the calculated Umm al-Qura calendar, Ramadan 1448 begins around 8 February 2027, Eid al-Fitr falls around 9 March and Eid al-Adha around 16 May 2027. In Brazil the day is announced by your mosque or Islamic centre, and it can differ by a day.
Can I add or subtract minutes from a prayer time?
Not yet. Manual minute adjustments are not in the app today, so choose the closest method and follow your mosque when they differ.
Is the app in Portuguese?
Yes. Awwab is in Portuguese, as well as in English, Arabic and 11 other languages. It starts in your phone's language; you can change it at any time in Settings → Language.
Does it work without the internet?
Yes. Prayer times and the Qibla are calculated on your phone, so they work offline.
Do I have to allow Screen Time?
Only for the lock. It is built on Apple's Screen Time, which you allow once. You can skip it during setup, and everything else in the app works without it. The list of apps you choose stays on your phone.
Is there an Android version?
Yes. Awwab is on Google Play for Android, and on the App Store for iPhone and Apple Watch.