Prayer Time Display Boards for Masjids: Options Compared
A prayer-time display board shows the congregation the adhan and iqamah times for each prayer, plus the date and often announcements. There are three main options: a dedicated prayer-time clock, a TV or monitor driven by software, or a display that's part of your wider audio system. This guide compares them.
What are the three main options for a prayer-time display?
There are three ways to put prayer times on a wall: a dedicated athan clock, a television or monitor driven by a small computer, or a display fed by the same system that already runs the adhan. They differ mainly in cost, in how much they can show, and in who has to update them. The table compares them.
| Option | Best for | Downside |
|---|---|---|
| Dedicated prayer clock | Simple, always-on wall display | Fixed layout; separate from your audio; manual updates on some models |
| TV/monitor + software | Flexible, modern look, announcements | Needs a screen and a small media device |
| Integrated with audio system | One system for display and adhan/announcements | Requires an all-in-one platform |
Option 1 — Dedicated prayer-time clock
A purpose-built LED or LCD unit showing the five prayer times and iqamah. Reliable and familiar, but it's a single-purpose box: it usually doesn't tie into your announcements or emergency alerts, and some models need manual seasonal updates.
Option 2 — TV or monitor driven by software
A regular TV or monitor connected to a small media device shows a customisable prayer-time screen. This looks modern, updates automatically, and can also rotate announcements, event notices and reminders. It's the most flexible and often the cheapest per screen, because you can reuse a TV you already have.
Option 3 — Display integrated with your announcement system
The most capable option: the same system that plays the adhan and announcements also drives the display. Times on screen always match what's actually playing, and the display can show iqamah countdowns and emergency messages. Multilarm works this way — a single platform runs prayer times, audio announcements and a visual display.
What should a prayer-time display board show?
A useful board shows the five daily prayer times and the iqamah times, a clear countdown to the next iqamah, the current date in both Gregorian and Hijri calendars, jumuah times, and space for a short announcement. It must also stay readable from the far end of the hall.
- The five daily prayer times and iqamah times
- A clear countdown to the next iqamah
- Today's date (Gregorian + Hijri)
- Jumuʿah time
- Rotating announcements and event notices
- Emergency/evacuation messages when triggered
How do you set up a TV-based prayer display?
A television display needs four things: a screen where the congregation can see it, a small computer such as a Raspberry Pi behind it, software that renders the timetable in a browser, and the screen set to power on and off with the masjid's hours. The steps are below.
- Mount a TV or monitor where the congregation can see it (entrance hall works well).
- Connect a small media device (e.g. a Raspberry Pi) running your prayer-display software.
- Configure your location, calculation method and iqamah gaps.
- Add any recurring announcements to rotate on screen.
- If your platform supports it, link the display to your audio system so times and alerts stay in sync — see our mosque PA & announcement guide.
Why integration matters
If your display board and your adhan run on separate systems, they can drift out of sync — the screen says one time while the audio plays another, and updating both is double the work. An integrated platform keeps a single source of truth and lets you push an emergency message to the screen and the speakers at once, which matters for safety alerts.
See a live prayer display
Explore a live prayer-time display and audio system — free demo
FAQ
Can I use a normal TV as a prayer-time board?
Yes. A standard TV plus a small media device running prayer-display software is one of the most cost-effective options and looks modern.
Will the times update automatically through the year?
With software-driven displays, yes — they recalculate for your location daily. Some dedicated hardware clocks require occasional manual updates.
Can the board show announcements too?
Software and integrated systems can rotate announcements, event notices and Hijri date alongside prayer times. Dedicated clocks usually cannot.
Can it display an emergency message?
An integrated system can push an evacuation message to the display and the speakers simultaneously.
Does the display need to be connected to the internet?
It needs a way to keep time and (for cloud control) an internet connection, but prayer-time calculation itself is done locally.
Multilarm is a Raspberry-Pi-based announcement, prayer-time and emergency-alert system for mosques and facilities. Try the free live demo »