Is Using a Prayer Tracker Bid'ah? Islamic Ruling & Fatwa

Learn the Islamic ruling on using weekly schedules or trackers for obligatory and Sunnah prayers. Understand why scholars warn against this innovation (bid'ah).

This method is not prescribed; rather, it is an innovation (bid'ah). It may strip the heart of the meaning of true servitude and devotion ('uboodiyyah) to Allah the Exalted, turning acts of worship into mere routine actions, as they say. In the Sahihayn [Bukhari and Muslim], it is reported from Anas bin Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) who said:

The Messenger of Allah ﷺ entered the mosque and saw a rope stretched between two pillars. He asked: 'What is this?' They replied: 'It is a rope for Zainab; when she prays and feels tired or sluggish, she holds onto it.' He ﷺ said: 'Untie it. Let one of you pray when he has energy, and if he gets tired or sluggish, let him sit down.'

Sahih Bukhari & Sahih Muslim

Furthermore, a person might be presented with an action that is originally less virtuous, but it becomes more virtuous in his specific situation for a reason.

For example, if he is occupied with honoring a guest who has come to him rather than praying the regular Sunnah of Dhuhr, his being occupied with that guest is better than the Sunnah prayer.

I advise our youth against using these methods to stimulate worship, because the Prophet (ﷺ) warned against such things when he urged the following of his Sunnah and the Sunnah of the Rightly-Guided Caliphs, and warned against innovations (bid'ah), explaining that every innovation is misguidance—even if its innovators consider it to be good.

There was nothing like this in his guidance, nor in the guidance of his Caliphs and Companions (may Allah be pleased with them).