In the current time, the flow of daily life is regulated to a significant extent through digital technologies. In such a social environment, individuals are able to go beyond the limits of physical places and create a different culture and lifestyle due to the possibility of virtual spaces. In the digital age, where
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it is experienced that communication and interaction between recipients and sources have gathered speed, it is observed that a digital religious culture has been created by adapting the messages and almost everything else that religious groups want to communicate into digital form and transferring them to digital platforms. In other words, spirituality, religious belief and cultural values are also being transferred to digital platforms in accordance with the spirit of the age, produced and presented to the use, consumption and liking of the individuals and groups it appeals to.
One of the current complexions of the integration of religions into the virtual space is comprised of
"religious mobile applications". Applications with "religious" or "spiritual" content developed by content/service providers form one of the intersections between digitalization and religion with their nature that touches on the communication and interaction environments. As with other mobile applications, what is targeted in religious mobile applications is that they are practical. Thus, individuals can easily access to religious information, support their religious practices through supporting programs and have the opportunity to perform their processes of worship without adhering to temporal and spatial restrictions.
Considerations such as design, functionality and efficiency that are prominent in mobile applications also apply to religious mobile applications. In other words, religious mobile applications are expected to have an easy-to-use design, an aesthetic interface (layout, graphics, visuals, etc.), understandable content and to satisfy a need. On the other hand, it is desirable that religious mobile applications are as sensitive to a
"sterile" content – that is that they are sensitive to both accurate information and the world of faith - as they are functional.
This subject of this study is religious mobile applications, and, within this framework, it focuses only on Islamic mobile applications produced in Turkey. Islamic mobile applications are ultimately produced to meet the needs of individuals and groups, to, in a sense, regulate the flow of daily life or to add color to the course of life. The principal issue of this study is to understand how Islamic mobile applications respond to the needs and desires of individuals and groups, and to evaluate the interactiveness and functionality of applications in this direction. In line with this problem, in the study, it is aimed to classify and perform a thematic analysis of Islamic mobile applications, which possess various contents and functions and are offered to the liking/consumption/use of the Muslim individual.
Method
In the study, the “convergent mixed method design”, which allows qualitative and quantitative analysis on a single type or two types of data in order to examine and classify the Islamic mobile applications produced in Turkey, identify common types of applications, and provide a thematic analysis of the types, contents and functions of these applications, has been preferred. In accordance with the purpose of the study, "purposeful sampling", that is the selection of information-rich situations, and "typical case sampling", which is a type of this sampling, were used.
Firstly, 22 groups of keywords (Ramadan, Qurban, the Quran, hajj, prayer, zakat, pray, Islamic journal, Islamic story, hijab, halal food, religious game, Islamic calendar, Islamic sticker, Islamic marriage, Islamic music, Islamic name, religious word, religious message, Islamic wallpaper, religious education, religious education directed at the disabled) were determined and a search was carried out on these in order to identify the Islamic mobile applications in Google Play Store, within the scope of the research model which has been designed. This was followed by the identification of 724 Islamic mobile applications, the
content / service developer of which produced in Turkey. These applications were included in the sample group and categorized according to their content. The quantitative data of the applications (number of applications in the category, download rate, user comments and mean scores) was analyzed using SPSS 23, while the qualitative data (word cloud, graphics, etc.) was analyzed using the MAXQDA 2020 version, and lastly, they were classified and interpreted thematically in terms of their interaction and functions.
Findings
It was determined that the 724 Islamic mobile applications discussed within the scope of the study had been designed in different ways in terms of their subject, content, function and design, and that they also appeal to different social categories (gender, age, professional status, educational status, etc.). As a result of the categorical classification of applications, it was determined that they can be divided into 19 categories: the Qur'an, Prayer, Islamic Music, Pray, Shopping/Lifestyle, Entertainment/Games, Ramadan, Islamic Stories, Qurban, Religious Words and Messages, Hajj, Religious Education, Islamic Journals, Islamic Calendar, Islamic Wallpaper, Friendship/Socialization, Islamic Stickers and Zakat.
While "Quran" applications are the most prevalent among Islamic mobile applications, "Zakat"
applications are the least used. In terms of popular usage, it can be seen that the highest category in downloads and comments is "Prayer". Apart from this, it is observed that some applications in the categories of "Pray", the "Quran", "Shopping and Lifestyle" and "Games and Entertainment" are also popular. It can be seen that Islamic applications produced for individuals who are trying to learn, remember or reinforce the basic worships and rituals of the Islamic religion (Prayer, Fasting-Ramadan, Qurban, Hajj-Umrah, Pray, Zakat) are more intensive. With such applications, it can be said that religious guidance on issues such as learning and applying general information about the fundamental forms of worship of Islam, being able to concretize religious and intangible concepts and grasp hold of the current ones has been transferred to the online field through digital platforms.
Islamic mobile applications produced in Turkey have been discussed and interpreted within the framework of six thematic headings (Worship and Rituals, Mobile Learning and Education, Lifestyle and Consumption Practices, Interaction and Communication Tools, the Culture of Games and Entertainment and Daily Life Practices) according to their functions. There are also various Islamic mobile applications designed for the lifestyles, consumption practices, interaction and socialization of religious individuals.
These applications can be functional for individuals who shape their daily lives in line with their beliefs.
The applications, which are shaped by taking into account the tastes of religious individuals in matters such as food, clothing, cosmetics, games and entertainment, conversation and friendship and the evaluation of their leisure time, also ensure access to both products and services that are considered "halal" from an Islamic point of view in sterile environments. Therefore, it can be said that there exists a "religious consumption culture", which is both the producer and the consumer of this world, and which is endeavoring to adapt to the digital world as a necessity of the age.
Conclusion
The applications discussed within the scope of this study have been divided into 19 categories and interpreted thematically based on six themes in terms of their functions. It can be seen that Islamic mobile
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applications produced in Turkey have been designed in various different ways, are able to appeal to individuals of all ages, and create a new life model for religious individuals to adapt to digital culture.
It can be seen that Islamic mobile applications are functional in learning and consolidating religious knowledge and the creation of a digital learning platform within the framework of the m-learning model.
In addition, it has also been determined that they are also functional in individuals and groups reflecting their lifestyles and consumption practices, and especially in the socialization of children and young people when evaluating their free time. Within this framework, Islamic mobile applications possess a functional appearance both as a learning environment and as an platform for interaction. In this respect, it can also be stated that they are commercial venues that are offered to the liking of religious individuals. Considering the development of the mobile application market in recent years, it can be claimed that the categories in Islamic mobile applications will increase and diversify with every passing day
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Makale Bilgileri
Etik Kurul Kararı: Etik kurul kararından muaftır.
Katılımcı Rızası: Katılımcı yoktur.
Mali Destek: Çalışma için herhangi bir kurum ve projeden mali destek alınmamıştır.
Çıkar Çatışması: Çalışmada kişiler ve kurumlar arası çıkar çatışması bulunmamaktadır.
Telif Hakları: Telif hakkına sebep olacak bir materyal kullanılmamıştır.
Article Information
Ethics Committee Approval: Exempt from the Ethics Committee Decision.
Informed Consent: No participant.
Financial Support: No financial support from any institution or project.
Conflict of Interest: No conflict of interest.
Copyrights: No material subject to copyright is included.
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