Khawater: a halal alternative to Twitter (X) for Muslim microblogging

When people search for a halal Twitter alternative, they are rarely looking for a different button layout. They want somewhere to share a short thought — a benefit from a lesson, a du’a that moved them, a sincere question — without scrolling past content they would rather not see. On Battut, that place is called Khawater.

This article explains what Khawater are, how to read and write them, and how the experience differs from X (formerly Twitter). Everything described here works today on the web at app.battut.app and in the Battut apps for iPhone and Android.

What are Khawater?

Khawater (خواطر, singular Khatir) is an Arabic word for passing thoughts and reflections. On Battut, a Khatir is a short written post of up to 500 characters — similar to a tweet. Khawater have their own feed, separate from photo posts and Reels, so written ideas are not drowned out by videos.

Battut itself is a free social network built around Islamic values. Alongside Khawater you can share photo posts, videos (Reels) and stories, follow people and message friends. Uploads are screened automatically, music is not allowed, and community moderators called Shariah Guards review reported content — see how Shariah Guard moderation works.

How to read Khawater

You do not need an account to read. Guests can open the Khawater feed, the home feed, Reels, search and public profiles.

1. Open app.battut.app or the Battut app and tap “Khawater” in the menu.
2. The Khawater feed shows the newest first, so you see what people are reflecting on right now.
3. Open a Khatir to read the replies under it.
4. If a Khatir is written in a different language from yours, tap “See translation”. The text is labelled “Auto-translated”; tap “See original” to switch back.

How to write a Khatir

To post, reply or share you need a free Battut account with a verified email address.

1. Tap “Create” → “Khawater”, or “New Khatir” on the Khawater page. You can also tap “Khawater” on the composer card at the top of the home feed.
2. Write in “What’s on your mind?” — up to 500 characters.
3. If you like, add #hashtags, one photo or video, or “Link a post” of your own.
4. Optionally turn on “Restrict from other gender”, so the Khatir is not shown to the other gender.
5. Tap “Post”.

Changed your mind? Open the Khatir’s menu and choose “Delete thread” to remove it.

Replying, quoting and saving

• “Reply” adds your comment under a Khatir.
• “Share” lets you repost it to your followers or quote it. A quote is posted as a new Khatir that includes the original, so you can add your own reflection to it.
• “Save” bookmarks it so you can come back to it later.
• Hashtags make Khawater easy to find: search for a tag such as #ramadan to see every post that uses it.

Quoting works for photo posts and reels too. Tap the share icon (the paper plane) on any post, choose “Quote”, and your thoughts are posted as a Khatir that includes the original post.

How Khawater differ from X

Battut does not try to copy X feature for feature. The real difference is the environment around the words.

• Moderated for Shariah compliance. Anyone can report a Khatir or a reply. Shariah reports about posts and comments go to Shariah Guards; reports about accounts and private messages go to the Battut team.
• Shared manners. Every member is asked to uphold the Community Covenant: lower your gaze, guard your tongue — and your keyboard — conceal rather than expose, and report harm.
• You shape what you see. With “Hide Other Gender” (Settings → Content Standards), posts from the other gender are hidden across your feed, search and Khawater. These are best-effort filters, not a guarantee, so only share what you would be comfortable with anyone seeing.
• Music-free. Battut does not allow music, and a video attached to a Khatir is checked for music like any other upload.
• Built-in translation. “See translation” lets a reflection written in Arabic reach a reader in Malaysia, and the other way round. Battut is available in 11 languages.
• Free. Reading, writing and sharing Khawater costs nothing.

Tips for writing Khawater that benefit people

A good Khatir is a reflection, not a reaction. Before you post, it helps to remember one of the principles in the Community Covenant:

“Let him speak good or remain silent.”

• Share a benefit from something you read or heard, and mention where it came from.
• Ask a sincere question and let the community answer with knowledge and kindness.
• Write a short reminder you would be glad to read yourself.
• Disagree with ideas, not people. Leave out mockery and backbiting, even in a quote.
• If a Khatir crosses a line, report it rather than repeating it to your followers.

For more on this, read our article on Islamic etiquette for social media. If you also share photos and videos, see why Battut is a halal Instagram alternative.

Ready to share your first reflection? Open app.battut.app, tap “Khawater” and start writing. For every other feature — Reels, stories, messages and privacy settings — see the complete Battut guide.