Our Story
A Muslim and a non-Muslim
built this together
Because the best ideas come from unexpected friendships, shared meals, and honest conversations about what matters.
It started with a conversation over coffee.
One of us is Muslim. The other isn't. We were talking about screen time — how both of us felt like we were losing hours every day to mindless scrolling. But for one of us, it was more than just lost time. It was time that could have been spent in ibadah.
"What if you could trade screen time for worship time?" The idea was simple. Almost too simple. But the more we talked about it, the more it felt right. Not another app that shames you into putting your phone down. An app that gives you something better to pick it up for.
That is the core insight behind Nafs: substitution, not reduction.
We don't believe willpower alone can beat the attention economy. TikTok has thousands of engineers making their app irresistible. We can't compete with that by telling you to just stop. But we can compete by offering something more fulfilling — something that nourishes your soul instead of draining it.
The 1:1 exchange — 1 minute of ibadah for 1 minute of screen time — is our way of making the trade concrete. You are not being punished for wanting to scroll. You are being rewarded for choosing to worship first.
Why "Nafs"?
In Islamic tradition, the nafs is your inner self — your desires, your ego, your soul. The struggle of the nafs is one of the most relatable themes in the Quran. We all have a nafs that pulls us toward distraction. This app is a tool to redirect it — gently, compassionately — toward what actually matters.
Building Nafs as a Muslim-and-non-Muslim team has been a gift. It means every feature gets questioned from both perspectives. Is this authentic? Is this accessible? Would this feel preachy? Would this feel meaningful? The result is an app that feels intimate to Muslims without being exclusionary — spiritual without being clinical.
Substitution, not reduction
We don't shame you for using your phone. We give you something sacred to do with it first.
Compassion, not judgement
Everyone's relationship with their phone is different. Nafs meets you where you are with warmth and understanding.
Privacy is sacred
Your ibadah is between you and Allah. We encrypt your data, never sell it, and have no social feed.
The Nafs Character
Every app needs a soul. Ours is a kawaii heart wearing a kufi cap. It is your companion — celebrating your wins, gently nudging you back when you drift, and reminding you that every small act of worship counts.
The character embodies what Nafs is about: warm, playful, spiritual, never preachy. It's not a gamification mascot. It's a friend.
Friendly 
Celebrating 
Serene 
Excited