I am Ibrahim Othman Sha’fah, 29 years old, from Jazan, Saudi Arabia.
For a long time, I have dreamed of learning programming. I am always struck by ideas for apps—either innovative ones or sometimes seeing an existing app and thinking it could be more beautiful or easier to use. Whenever a new idea comes to mind, I immediately record it in my “Notes,” dreaming that one day, God willing, I will become an app developer and bring them to life.
But the problem? Every time I start learning to code, I get excited for a little while, then I stop.
The Reason?
Programming is fun and beautiful, but self-learning is exhausting, especially when you are on your own. You read lessons, watch videos, memorize codes you don’t understand, and feel like you are wasting your time without seeing any tangible results. I don’t know how to design user interfaces, or how to draw them and add a button, for example! I don’t know how to organize the steps because I don’t even know where to start!
I tried learning Swift more than once, but I always stop at the first chapter of any course. I need someone to guide me, take my hand, or at least explain to me why a certain code is used in a certain place.
But every time, I stop and say: “God willing, one day I will do it.” I don’t know if this is ambition or procrastination.
An Idea, and the Beginning
Until one day, I was discussing this with a friend who loves programming like me but isn’t a programmer, so I asked him:
“How do we make a real app? How do we learn?”
He said: “Why learn from scratch? Why don’t we use ChatGPT?”
I said: “You know what? That’s an idea!” But it only helps us; we still need to be aware of some things.
He said: “No, there’s no need for that, it can do everything!”
And we actually started working on a simple app, but due to certain circumstances, we stopped. However, I loved the experience; we saw the iPhone simulator working, and that in itself is an achievement—to see a phone screen appearing in front of us!
The Old Dream
I went back to my notes and looked for an easy idea to start with on my own, because I was excited to continue and create something I could share with my friend when he returns so we can finish it together. Not because I became a programmer, but because I loved the feeling of seeing the app take shape before my eyes.
I started asking ChatGPT:
- How do I start?
- Write me code for a specific interface.
- The code isn’t working, why?
- I want an elegant design, with smooth animations and different colors; how do I adjust the design?
- How do I add notifications? How do I change the font size? How do I add a counter for Dhikr? etc.
Every time I asked for something, it provided me with ready-made code and explained it if I asked. And the surprise? I finished the app without writing a single line of code myself! 😂 I don’t even know how to write an “if” statement, and sometimes the code breaks because of an unclosed bracket because I don’t know how to handle brackets. But we fix them together and keep going.
In the end, the app started working, exactly the way I wanted it to, praise be to God. The feeling is wonderful!
The Road is Still Long
When I decided to upload the app to the App Store, I faced a million obstacles: terms, settings, files, images, approvals, requirements, image and icon sizes, and so many things. But I would take a screenshot, send it to ChatGPT, and ask it: “What do I do here?” It would answer me step-by-step, until the app was officially available in the store, praise be to God.
Sometimes AI tires me out a lot, so I stop, then I come back and try until we understand each other and continue. Sometimes it gets “stuck,” so we get annoyed with each other, then make up and continue! 😅
Will I Repeat the Experience?
Definitely.
Today, I can say with confidence: I can build any idea that comes to my mind, thanks to God first, and then thanks to the technological advancement that God has blessed us with.
My message to everyone like me: If you feel that programming is difficult or that you don’t know where to start, don’t let that stop you. As long as you have an idea and there are tools to help you, God willing, you will be able to achieve what you love. Serve your religion, enjoy yourself, and earn.
You don’t need to be a professional; just believe in your dream, start, and the rest will be made easy by God.
Finally, thank you. I have been following you, by the grace of God, since the beginning. As soon as the app was completed, I thought only of you. Your efforts are wonderful, and your achievements are tangible, praise be to God. Since the early days of the iPhone, your contribution with Apple has brought good to all Arabs. Thank you 🌺
Commentary
We share this wonderful story with you just as Ibrahim shared it with us. A very wonderful story of a person who wanted to achieve a dream and did not give up. By the grace of God, the dream has become a reality, and the app is in the Apple App Store. It is a very wonderful feeling for a person to achieve their dream. I am sure that Ibrahim did not aspire to financial gain; on the contrary, everything he went through shows that he invested in achieving his dream, and in the end, Ibrahim succeeded in this challenge.
Ibrahim did not feel ashamed that he could not learn app development in the traditional way; on the contrary, he is proud that he was able to use modern technology and the capabilities of artificial intelligence to reach his goal. These are all tools, and the goals are what matter.
Ibrahim’s sharing of this story and update with us so honestly shows that he loves good, and we also love good for you, so we published this story, hoping it might be a motivation for everyone to strive to achieve their dream, no matter what that dream is, and not to consider their age or situation. Strive to achieve your dream, and you will reach it.
iPhone 版“Today” - App Store
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