Sakeenah: New mindfulness app offers specially created meditation for Muslims

The app features guided meditation that includes teachings from the Quran, Hadith and Islamic literature

Sakeenah offers specially created guided meditation for Muslims. Courtesy Sakeenah

A new home-grown mindfulness app that caters especially to Muslims has been released.

Sakeenah, which translates to “tranquility”, offers Muslims a space to improve their mental health and well-being through a series of guided meditations.

Topics range from coping with depression, anxiety and a lack of sleep, to tackling emotional issues such as dealing with grief and loss.

Each meditation has been created with the Quran, Hadith and Islamic literature in mind, with input from life coaches and scholars from around the world.

The app offers both beginners' meditation sessions, which last between five and 10 minutes, as well as longer sessions for those more advanced in the practice.

“The aim is for Sakeenah to eventually become a part of the daily lives of all members of a Muslim household – offering content addressing all age groups,” says Muhammad Naeem Malik, chief operating officer of Sakeenah. “We will soon introduce more languages to increase the reach and some innovative initiatives are in pipeline to be soon unveiled.”

As well as having a positive effect on mental well-being, meditation can lower your blood pressure and boost your physical health.

Sakeenah says that meditation and Islam can go hand in hand, and the practice can act as a tool to assist in transcending your ego – known in Islam as “Jehad un Nafs” – a greater struggle against the self.

The app is now available to download on iOS and Android, and offers new users a seven-day free trial. It will then operate on a subscription service, costing $5 (Dh18) per month, and will soon have yearly and lifetimes offers available.