Al Quran
A minimal, ad-free environment to read, study and listen to the Noble Quran.
- Role
- Author
- Team size
- 1 person
- Timeline
- Mar 2026 — present
- Status
- Live
The problem
Most Quran apps are free because they are funded by advertising, which puts banner ads next to scripture and trackers on people at their most private. I wanted one that did not do that, so I built one for myself.
Built for one user, kept for the rest
This started as a personal tool and I did not expect anyone else to use it. Then it picked up stars, and the calculus changed — an app other people rely on deserves more care about performance and less about my preferences. Most of the work since has been removing things rather than adding them.
Architecture decisions
No advertising, no analytics, no accounts
Why · The reason to build this was that the alternatives monetise attention. Adding a tracker later would make it one of them. Nothing to opt out of, because there is nothing collecting.
Trade-off · No usage data at all. I find out what is broken when someone tells me.
Static hosting on Vercel
Why · No server means nothing to keep patched and nothing that can go down while I am asleep. For a reading app there is no state worth a backend.
What broke, and how it was fixed
Arabic typography is unforgiving — the wrong line height or letter spacing makes the text harder to read rather than merely uglier.
Left the script alone. Minimal chrome, generous spacing, and no design flourish that competes with the text for attention.
Outcomes
- GitHub stars
- 8
- My most-starred repository
- Trackers
- 0
Keep reading
Gymscanner
Global platform for booking gym memberships, tourist passes and personal training sessions across 100+ cities.
Aurora
Product authenticity platform: manufacturers and shops get verified, every unit gets a serial number and a QR code, and buyers can check the chain themselves.