Add Prayer Times to Mosque TV: 7 Checks to Avoid Errors

1. Identify the One Approved Timetable

Committee members may have different copies of the same schedule. One file might contain last month’s corrections while another includes an unapproved change. Without a single source of truth, even careful volunteers can publish the wrong numbers with good intentions.

Before publishing, identify the authoritative version. Record its month or year, approval date, approving person, and storage location. Give it a recognizable name, such as Masjid_Timetable_Nov_2026_Approved.xlsx.

Archive older versions so volunteers do not accidentally reuse them. If a change is requested later, prepare a revised copy and obtain approval again.

2. Verify Dates When Iqamah Timings Change

An Iqamah time can be correct but assigned to the wrong day. That makes the timetable inaccurate even when numbers look familiar.

For example, your committee may approve Asr Iqamah at 5:00 PM through November 14 and 4:45 PM beginning November 15. These are illustrative timings, not prayer-time recommendations.

Check both sides of each transition. Confirm when the old timing ends and when the new one begins. Look for missing dates, duplicate entries, and overlapping instructions. A useful habit is to ask what the screen should show the day before and the day after every change.

Pay special attention to seasonal changes, Ramadan schedules, and revised Friday arrangements.

3. Audit the Excel or CSV File

A neat spreadsheet is not necessarily an accurate one. Copy-and-paste errors, blank cells, and incorrect date formats can survive several rounds of editing.

Review these fields before importing a timetable:

• Dates: complete, chronological, and without duplicates.
• Athan: correct daily times according to the approved source.
• Iqamah: correct congregational times and transition dates.
• Jumu’ah: approved Friday information, where maintained separately.
• Exceptional days: clearly identified and reviewed.

Compare several entries directly with the imam-approved source, including dates from different months. Investigate unexpected jumps rather than automatically correcting them; some changes may be intentional.

If you are unsure how to open or save a CSV correctly, Microsoft’s guide on importing and exporting text and CSV files explains the process step by step.

ConnectMazjid supports Excel and CSV timetable imports, so you can add prayer times to Mosque TV from your existing spreadsheet instead of retyping every date. Importing a file, however, does not replace reviewing its contents.

4. Use a Repeatable Approval Checklist

Verbal confirmation is easy to forget, especially when volunteers rotate. A short written checklist makes every review consistent.

Before publication, confirm that the approved period, five daily prayers, Athan and Iqamah labels, Iqamah change dates, and Jumu’ah details have been checked. Record the reviewer’s name and review date.

You can keep this checklist in a shared document or alongside the timetable spreadsheet. The purpose is not paperwork for its own sake. It creates a clear answer when someone asks, “Was this schedule checked?” It also means your team can add prayer times to Mosque TV with confidence, knowing a second person has looked at the numbers.

5. Separate Approval From Publication

The person updating the TV should not have to guess whether a timetable change is authorized.

Decide who approves timings and who publishes them. An imam or designated committee member might authorize a change, while an administrator updates the approved information in ConnectMazjid’s Admin Portal.

In a small masjid, one volunteer may perform several roles. Even then, approval should be explicit. For last-minute requests, confirm the new time and effective date before editing the timetable. Whoever will add prayer times to Mosque TV should always know whose confirmation counts.

6. Maintain a Simple Change Log

When the timing changes, record what changed. Without a log, volunteers may struggle to distinguish an authorized adjustment from an accidental edit.

A useful entry includes the prayer, previous time, new time, effective date, approver, and publication status.

For example: “Fajr Iqamah: 6:15 AM to 6:00 AM, effective November 10; committee approved; awaiting publication.” This is an example only.

Keep the log with your approved files. It provides context for new volunteers and makes later reviews faster. Over time, it also becomes a reliable history your committee can refer to each time it needs to add prayer times to Mosque TV for a new season.

7. Sign Off Before the Schedule Goes Live

Complete one final handover check. Confirm that the file selected for publication matches the approved version. Recheck the first and last dates, every scheduled transition, and any special Friday information.

Then record final approval and give the authorized administrator the correct file. After publication, compare a sample of displayed dates and timings with that same approved source. This last comparison is the moment you add prayer times to Mosque TV for real, so it deserves a calm, unhurried look.