1. Introduction
Zakaria Islamic Academy (“ZIA”, “we”, “our”, or “us”) operates the Zakaria Islamic Academy mobile app for iOS and Android (the “App”). This Privacy Policy explains what information the App collects, how we use it, and the choices you have. By using the App, you agree to the practices described here. If you have any questions, contact us at contact@ziacademy.org.
2. Information We Collect
The App is designed to be used without creating an account. We only collect information you choose to provide, plus limited technical information needed to deliver notifications.
a) Information you provide when you submit a request
When you submit a service request (Nikah, Funeral, or Shahada) or send a question through “Ask the Mufti,” we collect:
- Your name
- Your email address
- Your phone number (service requests only)
- The message, details, or question you write
b) Device information for notifications
If you enable notifications, we collect:
- A push notification token and a device identifier, so we can send announcements and avoid registering the same device twice
- Your device platform (iOS or Android) and the app version
c) Location (used on your device only)
The App can use your device’s location to show prayer times and the Qibla (direction of prayer) compass. This location is used only on your device and is never sent to or stored on our servers.
3. Information We Do NOT Collect
- No payment or card information. Donations are processed on external services (PayPal and MOHID). Any payment details you enter are handled by those services, not by the App.
- No public user accounts or passwords. Regular users do not sign in. Only authorized mosque staff sign in to a separate admin area to manage content.
- No advertising or cross-app tracking. We do not track you across other apps or websites.
4. How We Use Your Information
- To respond to and fulfill the service requests and “Ask the Mufti” questions you submit
- To send announcements and prayer/notification alerts you choose to receive
- To operate, maintain, and improve the App
We do not sell, rent, or trade your information, and we do not use it for advertising.
5. “Ask the Mufti” Confidentiality
Questions submitted through “Ask the Mufti” are treated as private and are only accessible to the Mufti / Imam.
6. Third-Party Services
We use a small number of trusted services that receive only the data needed to perform their function:
- Expo push notification service — to deliver notifications to your device
- Database hosting (PostgreSQL) / Replit — to securely store submitted requests and app content
- Al-Quran Cloud — to provide Quran text and recitation audio (no personal data is sent)
- PayPal and MOHID — for donations (handled entirely on their own platforms)
External links in the App (donations, social media, website, and live video) open services governed by their own privacy policies.
7. Data Retention
We keep the requests and questions you submit for as long as needed to respond to them and for reasonable record-keeping, after which they may be deleted. You can request deletion at any time (see “Your Rights”).
8. Data Security
- All data is transmitted over secure HTTPS (TLS) connections.
- Access to stored requests is restricted to authorized staff.
- Staff passwords are stored using secure one-way hashing (bcrypt) and are never stored in plain text.
9. Children’s Privacy
The App is intended for general community use. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If you believe a child has provided us with personal information, please contact us at contact@ziacademy.org and we will delete it.
10. Your Rights
You may request to access, correct, or delete the personal information you have submitted. To exercise any of these rights, contact us at contact@ziacademy.org. We will respond within a reasonable timeframe.
11. Changes to This Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. When we do, we will revise the “Last updated” date at the top of this page. Continued use of the App after changes are posted constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.
12. Contact Us
If you have questions or concerns about this Privacy Policy, contact us at:
Zakaria Islamic Academy Email: contact@ziacademy.org
3. How We Use Your Information
We use the information we collect exclusively to operate and improve the Platform:
- Authenticate users and manage access to the Platform
- Track student enrollment, attendance, and academic progress
- Process and record tuition payments
- Send automated notifications: absence alerts, payment reminders, assignment updates, and email verifications
- Enable communication between parents, teachers, and administrators
- Generate attendance and academic reports
- Maintain school records and administrative functions
We do not use your information for advertising, sell it to third parties, or use it for any purpose outside of operating this school management system.
4. Google Sign-In
The Platform offers the option to sign in using your Google account via Google OAuth 2.0. When you choose to sign in with Google, we receive the following information from Google:
- Your full name
- Your Google account email address
- A unique Google account identifier
We do not receive your Google password or access to any other Google services (such as Gmail, Drive, or Calendar). The information received from Google is used solely to create or link your account on the Platform. We do not share your Google account information with any third parties.
You can revoke the Platform’s access to your Google account at any time by visiting your Google Account permissions.
5. Data Sharing
We do not sell, trade, or rent your personal information to third parties.
We use the following trusted third-party services to operate the Platform. Each service only receives the minimum data necessary to perform its function:
- Stripe — for processing online tuition payments (governed by Stripe’s Privacy Policy)
- PayPal — for processing online tuition payments (governed by PayPal’s Privacy Policy)
- Google — for optional Google Sign-In authentication (governed by Google’s Privacy Policy)
- Neon (PostgreSQL) — for secure database hosting of school records
- Replit — for hosting and infrastructure of the Platform
We may disclose information if required to do so by law or in response to a valid legal request from a governmental authority.
6. Data Retention
We retain student and family records for as long as the student is enrolled at the school and for a reasonable period thereafter for administrative and legal record-keeping purposes. Account data is retained until a deletion request is submitted and processed.
Payment records are retained as required by applicable financial and tax regulations.
7. Data Security
We take reasonable technical and organizational measures to protect your information, including:
- Passwords are stored using bcrypt hashing and are never stored in plain text
- All data is transmitted over HTTPS (TLS encryption)
- Sessions are protected with secure, HTTP-only cookies and expire after 7 hours
- Database access is restricted to application servers only
- Payment processing is handled by PCI-compliant third parties — card details never touch our servers
8. Children’s Privacy
The Platform is designed for use by parents, teachers, and school administrators in relation to minor students. Minor students themselves do not directly register for or access the Platform. Parents or guardians manage their children’s records through their own accounts.
We do not knowingly collect personal information directly from children under 13. If you believe a child has provided us with personal information without parental consent, please contact us immediately at contact@ziacademy.org.
9. Your Rights
You have the right to:
- Access — request a copy of the personal information we hold about you
- Correction — ask us to correct inaccurate information
- Deletion — request deletion of your account and personal data
- Revoke Google access — disconnect your Google account from the Platform at any time
To exercise any of these rights, please contact us at contact@ziacademy.org. We will respond within a reasonable timeframe.
10. Changes to This Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. When we do, we will revise the “Last updated” date at the top of this page. Continued use of the Platform after changes are posted constitutes your acceptance of the updated policy.
11. Contact Us
If you have questions or concerns about this Privacy Policy or how we handle your data, please contact us:
Zakaria Islamic Academy (ZIA)
Email: contact@ziacademy.org
Website: www.ziacademy.org