Do you find it hard to keep up with all the planning and preparations you need to make every year for the month of Ramadan? We have some great news for you – you can take it easy this year, all thanks to Google. The search-engine giant recently unveiled a website for the devout Muslims the world over called “My Ramadan Companion”.
The website aims to offer you absolutely everything you need to know about Ramazan. It doesn’t matter if you’re at home or millions of miles away from home – My Ramadan Companion will give you information relevant to your location. Need to know what time the sun is going to set in Dubai? No problem.
The website, apart from giving you information customized to a set location, also offers health advice, fasting tips and access to Ramazan related content on YouTube (like drama and comedy soaps). Apart from that, you can use the website to find the nearest charity Iftar and the fastest route to get there. You can also share Ramazan recipes with your loved ones around the world.
If you have a Google Now account, you can also look forward to receiving customized cards that offer Ramazan related information, like a countdown timer to Iftar, and app suggestions to help you keep track of Suhur, to find restaurants that serve Halal food and also apps that let you create greeting cards to wish your friends and family a happy spiritual month.
The Associate Product Marketing Manager of Middle East and North Africa for Google, Zain Kamal Masri, had this to say about the website on Google’s official blog, “Growing up, the best part about Ramadan was eating way too much lentil soup with my family and catching up on the latest episode of our favorite series, “Bab Al-Hara”. Today, living more than 1900 miles away from my family, I rely on technology to get close with them during Ramadan. Whether it’s sharing moments on Hangouts, my sister sending me pictures of the iftar spread of the day, or receiving an avalanche of recipes from my mother for me to save and try out, technology helps us stay connected and celebrate Ramadan together even when away.”
The website is accessible from your cellphone too. If you use Google Now on mobile, you will receive custom notifications every day from the June 17th to the evening of July 17th (when Ramadan ends). If there are restaurants near you that are offering special food, your cellphone will tell you about them – and also what time these restaurants open and close. You will also find options that let you recommend all the Ramadan related content you like to your friends and family. To help you find the best content, here is a link to a bundle of apps that Google thinks are a must-use to make the most of the holy month.
Google is using the power of technology to help the more than a billion Muslims worldwide – and the 200 million or more which live away from their family – to celebrate Ramadan this year. We hope you all have a happy Ramadan, too. Ramadan Kareem!
