Screen time and the akhirah: what Muslims can do about phone addiction
The Quran treats time as something we're responsible for: Surah Al-Asr opens with an oath by time and says people are in loss except those who believe, do good and encourage truth and patience (103:1–3). Phone addiction isn't solved by guilt. It's solved by small, practical changes: fewer notifications, a phone-free bedroom, and giving the first part of each day to the Quran.
Most of us have had the moment: you check your screen-time report and the number is higher than you’d like to admit. Then the uncomfortable follow-up thought: how much of that did I give to the Quran?
This isn’t an article about guilt. Guilt rarely changes habits, and Allah is Most Merciful. It’s about looking honestly at where our attention goes, what the Quran says about time, and what we can actually do about it.
What the numbers say
It helps to know you’re not alone, and that the pull of the phone isn’t a personal failing.
- According to DataReportal’s Digital 2026 global overview, online adults spend well over 2½ hours a day on social media once video platforms such as YouTube and TikTok are included, and roughly 33½ hours a week on all kinds of online media.
- In the UK, Ofcom’s Online Nation 2025 report found adults spend about four and a half hours online a day, most of it on a smartphone.
These are averages, and averages hide a lot. But they make one thing clear: for most people, the phone is now one of the biggest uses of waking time.
What the Quran says about time
Allah swears by time itself in one of the shortest surahs of the Quran:
وَٱلْعَصْرِ إِنَّ ٱلْإِنسَـٰنَ لَفِى خُسْرٍ إِلَّا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ وَعَمِلُوا۟ ٱلصَّـٰلِحَـٰتِ وَتَوَاصَوْا۟ بِٱلْحَقِّ وَتَوَاصَوْا۟ بِٱلصَّبْرِ
“By time, Indeed, mankind is in loss, Except for those who have believed and done righteous deeds and advised each other to truth and advised each other to patience.” (Al-Asr 103:1–3, Sahih International)
The surah doesn’t say time is bad, or that rest is wasted. It says the way out of loss is belief, good deeds, and helping each other towards truth and patience. That’s a useful lens for the phone: not “is this allowed?”, but “is this taking me towards those things, or away from them?”
Surah At-Takathur names the distraction directly:
“Competition in [worldly] increase diverts you Until you visit the graveyards.” (At-Takathur 102:1–2, Sahih International)
and ends with a reminder:
“Then you will surely be asked that Day about pleasure.” (At-Takathur 102:8, Sahih International)
For explanation of these verses, read an established tafsir such as Ibn Kathir’s. We’re not offering our own interpretation here, only pointing to the verses as reminders.
Why “just use it less” doesn’t work
If willpower were enough, screen-time reports would have fixed this years ago. Feeds are designed to be endless, notifications are designed to pull you back, and the phone is within reach almost all day. Fighting that with good intentions alone means losing most days.
What works is changing the environment, so the good choice is the easy one.
Practical steps
1. Remove the triggers
- Turn off notifications for every social and video app.
- Move those apps off your home screen.
- Keep the phone out of your bedroom at night. A basic alarm clock costs very little and protects both your sleep and your Fajr.
2. Give the first part of the day to Allah
The first thing you open shapes the rest of the morning. Make it the Quran: a few verses after Fajr, before any feed. Quran first, then the world.
This isn’t about earning your apps. It’s about protecting an intention you already have from a device that’s very good at taking it.
3. Make the habit small and daily
A small goal kept every day beats a big goal kept occasionally. The Prophet ﷺ taught that the deeds most beloved to Allah are the most consistent, even if small (Sahih al-Bukhari 6464).
If you’re not sure where to start, the Quran completion planner shows how far a few verses a day can take you.
4. Use tools as guards, not crutches
Built-in tools like iPhone Screen Time or Android’s Digital Wellbeing can set daily limits. Dedicated apps add stronger locks. We’ve compared the options honestly in the best Muslim app blockers.
Qurb, the app we build, is one of them. You pick your distracting apps and a daily Quran goal; at your reading time those apps stay locked until today’s verses are read, and then they open straight away. App locking is part of Qurb Premium and works on iPhone through Apple’s Screen Time. The Quran reader, with translations, transliteration and audio, is free and has no ads.
5. Replace, don’t just remove
When you cut back on scrolling, something has to fill the gap. Have better options within reach: recitation for the commute, a few verses with translation while you wait, a phone call with family instead of watching their stories.
6. Be gentle with yourself
You’ll slip. Everyone does. Notice it, make a small adjustment, and start again tomorrow. Every verse you read is something to be grateful for, not a score to beat yourself up with.
A note on balance
Your phone also carries good: the Quran in your pocket, prayer times, calls with family far away, beneficial knowledge. The goal isn’t to fear it. It’s to make sure it serves you, and that the best of your attention goes where you’d want it to go when you look back on your life.
If you want to go further, read how to stop doomscrolling as a Muslim for a step-by-step phone setup, or how to read Quran every day with a busy schedule.
Questions
What does Islam say about wasting time?
The Quran repeatedly reminds us that time is limited and that we'll be asked about how we lived, for example in Surah Al-Asr (103:1–3) and Surah At-Takathur (102:1–8). For specific rulings about phone use or particular content, please ask a qualified scholar.
How much screen time is too much?
There's no single number. A better question is whether your phone is taking time from things you care about: prayer, the Quran, sleep, family. If it is, that's your signal to change something.
Is it wrong to use social media as a Muslim?
We don't give religious rulings. Many Muslims use social media for family, learning and community. This article is about keeping it in its place, not about whether it's allowed.
Where should I start if I feel addicted to my phone?
Start with one change: charge your phone outside the bedroom, or read a few verses of the Quran before opening any feed. Then add the next change when that one sticks.