Frequently asked questions

NafsCheck is an Islamic app for daily Muhāsaba, or self-reflection. It helps Muslims consciously review their behaviour according to Islamic values and continue working on their character. Through structured self-checks, anonymous feedback from trusted people, and reminders from the Qur'an and Sunnah, NafsCheck helps make progress visible and supports long-term personal development.

NafsCheck is for Muslims who want to strengthen their relationship with Allah and develop their character consciously. The app is suitable both for people who already practise Muhāsaba regularly and for those who want to bring Islamic self-reflection into their daily life. Regardless of previous knowledge, it supports honest reflection and gradual personal growth.

Many people invest time in physical health, education, or professional development, while regular reflection on personal character can easily fall into the background. NafsCheck was developed to make the Islamic practice of Muhāsaba simple and structured for everyday life. The app helps users become more aware of their strengths and weaknesses and work continuously on their personality.

Muhāsaba (المحاسبة) means self-examination or self-reflection. The word comes from the Arabic verb ḥasaba and means to account, take stock, or hold oneself accountable. In an Islamic sense, Muhāsaba means honestly reviewing one’s intentions, words, and actions, taking responsibility for mistakes, and consciously striving to come closer to Allah and improve one’s character.

The Qur'an calls believers to examine themselves and reflect on their deeds. Allah says: “O you who believe! Fear Allah. And let every soul look to what it has put forth for tomorrow.” (Surah 59:18). Many scholars and righteous predecessors also emphasized regular self-examination. Muhāsaba is not about self-condemnation, but about recognizing mistakes, repenting, and improving step by step.

Nafs (النفس) refers in Islam to the inner self or soul of a person. It influences thoughts, decisions, desires, and actions. The Qur'an describes different states of the Nafs, from a soul that follows its desires to a soul that finds peace in obedience to Allah. Developing the Nafs is a lifelong process in which Muhāsaba and sincere repentance play an important role.

Tazkiyah (تزكية) means purification and refinement of the soul. It describes the process of leaving bad qualities behind and developing good character traits. The aim of Tazkiyah is to come closer to Allah and improve one’s character in line with the Qur'an and Sunnah. Regular Muhāsaba helps users become aware of their development and continue this process consistently.

The content of NafsCheck is oriented toward the Qur'an and authentic Sunnah. The character traits and reflection questions in the app are placed in an Islamic context and supplemented with suitable Qur'anic verses and explanations. The goal is to support daily Muhāsaba on a sound Islamic foundation.

The self-check starts with selecting a topic area, such as faith, character, personal ethics, or community and environment. You then answer various reflection questions based on Islamic values. After completing the check, you receive an overview of your results and can follow your development over time. The goal is not perfection, but regular and conscious self-reflection in everyday life.

NafsCheck divides self-reflection into four central areas of life: faith, character, personal ethics, and community & environment. These include qualities such as fear of Allah, sincerity, patience, honesty, humility, responsibility, self-control, helpfulness, respect, and justice. This structure helps users view their development holistically.

In addition to your own assessment, NafsCheck allows you to ask trusted people for an anonymous evaluation. People who know you well can independently rate your character traits. This gives you an outside perspective alongside your self-perception and can help you identify blind spots and deepen your self-reflection.

People often perceive their own strengths and weaknesses differently from those around them. Honest feedback can help reveal traits that may not be obvious to oneself. Combining self-assessment and external assessment creates a more balanced view of personal development. NafsCheck does not treat peer ratings as a judgment of your person, but as support on the path of personal and Islamic character growth.

After each self-check, your results are saved and can be compared with earlier assessments. This allows you to see how individual character traits change over time. Long-term developments become visible and help you recognize progress as well as areas that still need work. Muhāsaba becomes a continuous process rather than a one-time snapshot.

For many traits and reflection topics, NafsCheck provides suitable Qur'anic verses and Islamic notes. They are intended to deepen self-reflection and help place your assessment into context. The goal is not only to recognize weaknesses, but also to receive guidance and motivation for practical change in everyday life.

Lasting change comes through consistency. NafsCheck therefore rewards regular self-checks with milestones and achievements. These are purely motivational and are meant to encourage users to make Muhāsaba a lasting part of their daily life. The rewards do not say anything about a person’s value or standing before Allah.

Tokens enable the use of additional features in the app. They are mainly used for further peer ratings after the free allowance has been used. This allows users to continue receiving honest feedback from trusted people over the long term. Tokens can also be earned through referrals or purchased as an in-app purchase.

Yes. Protecting your personal data is very important to NafsCheck. Personal data is processed only for the purposes described in the privacy policy. NafsCheck does not use your data for advertising, does not sell it to third parties, and does not use advertising trackers. Detailed information can be found in our privacy policy.

Your self-checks and personal results are intended only for you. Peer ratings are evaluated anonymously and are only shown once enough responses are available. This means that no single rating can be assigned to a specific person. You receive honest feedback without compromising the anonymity of the people who rate you.

You can invite trusted people to rate you anonymously. Results are only displayed after at least three people have submitted their ratings. This keeps individual responses anonymous and creates a balanced overall picture that can meaningfully support your personal self-reflection.

Yes. A user account is required to use NafsCheck. It allows your self-checks to be saved, your progress to be tracked over time, and peer ratings to be managed securely. This makes your personal development traceable over a longer period and enables use across devices.

You can find the account deletion option in the app settings under account management.

After your account is deleted, your personal data is deleted according to the provisions of our privacy policy, unless statutory retention obligations apply. Detailed information about which data is affected and which legal exceptions apply can be found in our privacy policy.

Yes. NafsCheck can be downloaded and used free of charge. Self-checks and the personal progress history are available for free. Each user also receives ten free peer ratings. Additional peer ratings can be acquired as an in-app purchase or through referrals.

NafsCheck is available in multiple languages and currently supports German, English, Arabic, and Turkish. Both the user interface and the app content are available in these languages, so you can use NafsCheck in your preferred language.

NafsCheck is available for iPhone, iPad, and Android devices. The app can be downloaded from the Apple App Store and Google Play Store and is continuously being developed.

An internet connection is required to create a user account, synchronize your data, use peer ratings, and complete in-app purchases. Which additional functions can be used offline depends on how the app is used. For the latest information, please refer to the notes inside the app.

NafsCheck is not a classic journal and not a general habit-tracking app. It is based on the Islamic concept of Muhāsaba and helps you regularly reflect on your intentions, behaviour, and character according to the Qur'an and Sunnah. Structured self-checks, anonymous peer ratings, Islamic notes, and the personal progress history make NafsCheck a tool for conscious Islamic character development.

No. NafsCheck is a tool for personal self-reflection and character development. The app is meant to encourage users to reflect more consciously on their behaviour and apply Islamic values in everyday life. It does not replace the study of Islam, the advice of qualified scholars, or individual religious counselling.