Indonesia’s mosques app up to connect with Muslim communities

Two Indonesian tech startups, Masjeed and Masjidku, are spearheading efforts to help Indonesia's 900,000 mosques establish an online presence to reach their communities. 

Masjeed provides the location of nearby mosques and a feed of their various events and programs. Users can also share their thoughts about sermons. Masjeed only has around 1,000 registered mosques on its network so far. 

Masjidku co-founder Muchdlir Johar Zauhariy was inspired to build his own app when he and the company's co-founders realized that many mosques wanted to go digital but had limited funding and virtually no expertise. The Masjidku app is similar to Masjeed in that users can find and connect with local mosques. 

"We observed mosques have specific needs to be communicated, which can be translated into features such as an information channel, a transparency channel (for worshippers) to check how their funding is used, and an alternative funding channel. Users can also access our prayer reminder, compass (to locate the qibla, or prayer direction to the Kaaba) and mosque location finder," says Zauhariy. 

In addition to the smartphone app, Masjidku also assists mosques -- at no charge -- to create their own websites. Masjidku has had 12,000 downloads so far and has 100 mosques in Java, Sumatra, Kalimantan, Bali, Sulawesi on its network. 

"Our feedback has been very positive," Zauhariy says. "We have also got a lot of emails and text messages from mosques that want to join and be registered on our platform."

Both startups aspire to attract Muslim-related businesses to advertise on their apps. These include firms dealing in modest fashion, halal food and beverages, annual pilgrimages to Mecca, and Islamic banking. Businesses could aslo use the apps to narrow down their marketing funnel and more effectively reach their target demographics. 

"Indonesia's total Internet market is around 88 million users and its smartphone market is around 96 million users. Knowing that Muslims comprise more than 80 percent of its population, the opportunities for Shariah-based commerce are wide open," says Zauhariy. "In our later development, the apps will also feature mosques' e-stores...The profit will be shared between the mosques and Masjidku."

STAYING LOCAL, FOR NOW

Beyond Indonesia, 40 percent of Southeast Asia's population is Muslim. For now, however, neither startup is ready to monetise its app or expand internationally. 

"Our app just reached 1,000 to 1,500 users, which is still far from our target. We still need funding and investment to develop our product and market. We will reach out to sponsors if our downloads reach a minimum of 100,000 users," says Masjeed CEO Deddy Rahman. "When I first built this app, my intention was purely to unite mosques with their ummah. I did not think of business at all."

Rahman says he aspires to unite all Muslim communities around the world on a social network for mosques. "With the world's mosques united, they can share information and support each other in doing good deeds," he says. 

Zauhariy's sentiment is similar. "While we understand the opportunity is lucrative, at this stage we are still focusing on how Masjidku can become a digital bridge between mosques and users."

Despite the rise of mosques embracing tech and the lucrative business opportunities the phenomenon offers, no one yet knows how Muslim communities will respond. Whether they embrace the technology or ignore it will determine if investors should take a closer look. 

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