Athan Automation
Athan Automation
I had always wanted the Athan to play on the HomePod on our main floor so everyone in the house could hear it, rather than relying on individual phone notifications.
My first solution used IFTTT and Homebridge. It was simple to set up, and IFTTT was free when I started. In 2024, however, IFTTT moved webhooks to its Pro subscription. I initially subscribed because the plan allowed up to 20 applets, which was more than enough for this project.
After upgrading, I began seeing occasions when the Athan was not announced. When I checked the applets, the Muslim Pro service appeared to be failing to trigger. That reliability issue led me to look for another approach, which is how I arrived at the Homebridge and WebCal version.
This version uses Muslim Pro in IFTTT to trigger a webhook. The webhook presses a virtual Homebridge button, which runs a HomeKit scene and plays the Athan on the selected HomePods.
Read Homebridge and IFTTT guide
This version reads prayer times from a WebCal calendar. Homebridge exposes the calendar events as contact sensors, which can trigger the appropriate HomeKit scenes without relying on IFTTT webhooks.
Read the Homebridge and WebCal guide