Hidayah OS — Privacy-Hardened Islamic LinuxYour OS is Privacy
The Ihsan 1.1 Release — Beautiful, Stable, and Purposed. One Xfce desktop, made beautiful on purpose: the 5.7M-domain Sovereign Shield, Noor Connect, 81 wallpapers, and a 73/73 self-test pass.
Ihsan — everything, perfected.
The biggest upgrade to Hidayah OS yet: a content shield that actually protects without breaking your daily life, a real offline Muslim companion app, the full desktop suite, and a 73-check self-test passed 73/73 — all in one ISO.
Sovereign Shield
5,732,267 domains blocked at DNS level — malware, phishing, scams, ads/trackers, and above all adult content. Audited against the daily-life whitelist: Google, YouTube, WhatsApp, Instagram, Netflix, Amazon and every other daily-use site keeps working.
SafeSearch Enforced
Google (strict), Bing (strict) and YouTube (moderate) are forced to their family-safe endpoints at the DNS resolver — system-wide, impossible to bypass per-app, on by default with a shield toggle.
DNS Hijack Prevention
nftables redirect rules force every port-53 query — from any app, any hardcoded 8.8.8.8, any VM — into the filtered resolver. The shield cannot be walked around.
Hardened Firefox
Islamic bookmarks (Quran, Sunnah, tafsir, learning) pinned by policy, firejail browser sandbox, AppArmor profile, tracking protection, HTTPS-only mode, DoH disabled so nothing bypasses the shield.
Full Desktop Suite
Everything a normal person needs, preinstalled: LibreOffice, GIMP, VLC, Thunderbird, Firefox ESR, PDF reader, archive manager, p7zip, ffmpeg, Noto fonts. Boot the USB — it is all already there.
Noor Connect PWA
A standalone offline app on the home page: precise local prayer times (6 calculation methods), Quran reader (Al-Fatihah + the last 10 surahs, Arabic + English), digital tasbih with progress ring, and a community board.
Discord Community
The Hidayah community server sits as an icon on the desktop home page — one click to join, ask, and build with us.
81 Wallpapers, NSFW-Verified
The complete open-license Islamic wallpaper collection (Alhambra, Isfahan, Hagia Sophia, calligraphy, geometry) — every single image machine-scanned with OpenNSFW2: 81/81 clean, report shipped inside the OS.
Tested to the Core
hidayah-doctor ships 73 live checks — real DNS block probes (porn sites NXDOMAIN, Google resolves), SafeSearch wire verification, PWA serving, app binaries, feeds, installer integrity. 73/73 PASS on the release build; run it yourself in one command.
Download Release.
liveone number, two sources: — on this site · — all-time on the Internet Archive — mirror stats update every 3 h
Installer Included
Hidayah OS 1.1 includes the Calamares installer for permanent disk installation. Boot the Live ISO, then click "Install Hidayah OS" on the desktop to begin installation.
XFCE Edition
e65ed53e0611d30842db9deeeafd55a2e7ab3c1dec561443440a7a1c2bb20a36Primary · fastest download · straight from our build pipeline
Fallback mirror · no account · use if GitLab is slow or blocked
Filename: HidayahOS-1.1-Ihsan-amd64.iso
Prefer BitTorrent? Grab the Ihsan release.
One .torrent delivers the current 1.1 “Ihsan” release: the ISO, SHA256 checksum file and the README. A second torrent covers the legacy 1.0 “Nur” archive (both ISOs, GPG signature, source tarball).
The Internet Archive itself. Its own servers web-seed every file in the torrent, around the clock.
Web seeds on the Archive's datanodes (ia6xxxx + ia8xxxx.us.archive.org) — full-speed copies of the complete release.
Announced to Archive.org's own trackers: bt1 + bt2.archive.org:6969.
Seeds stay online for as long as the release exists on archive.org. Leave your client open after the download to seed for others.
Which download should I use?
The default way to get Hidayah OS. Downloads come straight from the package registry of our build pipeline (release v1.1-ihsan), served fast by GitLab's infrastructure.
Use it when- You want the fastest download (most connections)
- You want source, build pipeline and release assets in one place
- Everything just works — this is the normal path
A permanent nonprofit mirror of every Hidayah OS release — the current 1.1 "Ihsan" ISO and the legacy 1.0 "Nur" ISOs. Slower than GitLab, but very hard to block or throttle.
Use it when- GitLab is slow, throttled or blocked on your network
- You don't want to use any account at all
- You want a permanent archival link that never expires
A self-healing, auto-resuming download seeded 24/7 by the Internet Archive's own servers — and it keeps our bandwidth costs down so we stay independent.
Use it when- Your connection drops or is unstable
- You're on an unstable connection and want auto-resume
- You want to help distribute the release by seeding
Hosting & Mirrors — where the ISOs live
Fastest way to get the ISOs, served straight from the registry where they are built and signed.
archive.org/details/hidayah-os-1.0.0-nur — legacy 1.0
The safety net when GitLab doesn't work: the current 1.1 ISO plus every legacy 1.0 ISO, no account, archival copies that never expire.
One torrent covers the current 1.1 release; a second torrent archives the legacy 1.0 ISOs. The Archive's own servers act as permanent seeds.
Verify Your Download
Always verify the integrity of your ISO file before booting. Open your terminal and run the following command to check the SHA256 hash.
sha256sum HidayahOS-1.1-Ihsan-amd64.isoGet-FileHash HidayahOS-1.1-Ihsan-amd64.iso -Algorithm SHA256e65ed53e0611d30842db9deeeafd55a2e7ab3c1dec561443440a7a1c2bb20a367f03f2c5c4d9798c114e05514b465cda217dd5446a0827a32c92c78488af4d584c6e9b6d5ee68a6b81513406078e5192df45ac60d7e71d0f481ddf3d458bf40dLegacy Nur 1.0 editions still carry the old “Hidayah OS 1.0.0 (Nur)” identity, boot menu and splash, with the Hidayah night wallpaper forced by default. The current 1.1 “Ihsan” ISO above is the recommended download.
Download.Install.Align.
# Download Hidayah OS v1.1 (Ihsan) $ wget "https://gitlab.com/api/v4/projects/86580032/packages/generic/hidayah-os/1.1-ihsan/HidayahOS-1.1-Ihsan-amd64.iso" # Mirror (if GitLab is slow): https://archive.org/download/hidayah-os-1.1-ihsan/ # Verify SHA256 $ echo "e65ed53e0611d30842db9deeeafd55a2e7ab3c1dec561443440a7a1c2bb20a36 HidayahOS-1.1-Ihsan-amd64.iso" | sha256sum -c
See Hidayah OS boot for real.
v1.1-ihsan captures: in-guest screenshots (xfce4-screenshooter) taken during release QA boots of the shipped ISO. The Noor Connect panel is the app that ships inside the ISO, rendered from its own files. Nothing was mocked up.
Curious about the legacy 1.0 “Nur” editions? View the archive screenshots on their own page.
One Edition. On Purpose.
Ihsan 1.1 ships with Xfce only— and that is a deliberate choice, not a missing option. Instead of splitting this release across two desktops, every hour went into one goal: making Xfce genuinely beautiful. The Emerald & Gold theming, the prayer desktop, the 81-wallpaper collection and a 73/73 self-test pass all exist because we focused. Xfce is also fast on old and modest hardware — exactly the machines this distribution is made for. If you loved 1.0’s KDE Plasma edition, it lives on as a supported legacy release on the Editions page — and Plasma will return only when it can meet the same polish bar.
Ihsan Edition
The one and only current download — one desktop, made beautiful, tested 73/73.
Xfce 4.20 (Debian 13)
Daily drivers and older hardware; users who want one lightweight, polished desktop
What Ships On The ISO
Built from the official Debian 13 live image (Xfce) with the Sovereign Shield and the full Hidayah faith toolset on top — boot the USB and everything is already there.
Shield
- Sovereign Shield DNS filter
- 5.7M-domain blocklist (daily refresh)
- Offline seed list
- Focus mode
Islamic
- Prayer times daemon
- Hijri calendar daemon
- Current Ayah viewer
- Khal calendar
Desktop
- Dashboard data feeds (~/.cache/hidayah)
- LightDM greeter
- Emerald & Gold theming
- Hidayah night wallpapers
Installer
- Calamares with Hidayah branding
- Live autologin as hidayah
- BIOS + UEFI boot
- Hardening sysctls
Islamic Integration.
Custom-built tools designed to keep you connected to your faith, seamlessly integrated into your daily workflow.
Four Custom Hidayah Apps
Hidayah Prayer Times
Real astronomical prayer times (praytimes.org algorithm; MWL, Karachi, ISNA, Egypt and Makkah methods). Ships preconfigured for Karachi (editable via /etc/hidayah/prayer-config.json), with desktop notifications before and at each prayer, a gentle athan chime, and data feeds for desktop widgets and status bars.
Hidayah Current Ayah Viewer
A curated set of 20 ayahs (Arabic + English translation) rotates on your desktop via notifications. The ayah of the moment is served from ~/.cache/hidayah/quran-ayah.txt for widgets and status bars — fully offline out of the box.
Hidayah Khal Wrapper
Terminal-based Hijri/Gregorian calendar system. Displays dual calendars with custom Hidayah branding (Gold/Green). Accessible directly from the application menu for non-technical users.
Dashboard Data Feeds
Prayer times, the Hijri date and the current Quran ayah are written to ~/.cache/hidayah every session (refreshed when older than 12h) — ready to drop into Conky, i3bar, or any panel you like.
System-wide Features
Emerald & Gold Theming
Emerald & Gold desktop theming and generated geometric wallpapers ship in the image.
Prayer-Time Focus Mode
During prayer times the Shield can block the optional social-media blocklist, then restore access — reversible and protected by polkit.
X11-Pinned Session
The session runs on X11 with the LightDM greeter, so X11-only desktop tooling works flawlessly.
Live Autologin
The live session autologins as user 'hidayah' via live-config boot parameters — try the OS with zero setup.
Everything
included.
No need to hunt for software. Hidayah OS is built from the official Debian 13 live image (Xfce) with a curated set of custom Hidayah tools on top.
Firefox ESR
BrowserLibreOffice
OfficeThunar
Filesxfce4-terminal
TerminalGIMP
GraphicsVLC
MediaThunderbird
MailPDF Reader
DocumentsArchive Manager
Documentsffmpeg
MediaSovereign Shield
IslamicCurrent Ayah Viewer
IslamicNoor Connect
IslamicPrayer Times
IslamicKhal Calendar
Islamicpolished desktop edition
proprietary software
open source
6-Layer Islamic Shield.
Hidayah OS implements a multi-layered security stack to ensure your browsing remains clean and private.
Layer 1 — Sovereign Shield DNS
Local DNS filter on 127.0.0.1:53 blocks 5,732,267 malware, adult and spam domains with NXDOMAIN answers, refreshed daily. Upstreams: Quad9, DNSSEC-validating.
Layer 2 — Daily Blocklist Refresh
hidayah-update-blocklist.timer refreshes the blocklist every day. An offline seed list ships on the ISO, so the Shield works from first boot.
Layer 3 — DNS Hijack Prevention
resolv.conf is pinned to 127.0.0.1:53 — NetworkManager dns=none and systemd-resolved masked — so all system DNS flows through the filter.
Layer 4 — Hardened Kernel Settings
Hardening sysctls (99-hidayah-hardening.conf) and kernel module blacklists (hidayah-blacklist.conf) shipped in the image.
Layer 5 — Polkit-Protected Toggle
Shield on/off/focus actions require administrator authentication via pkexec. Status checks read world-readable runtime files — no privileges needed.
Layer 6 — Prayer-Time Focus Mode
One toggle (or scheduled during prayers) blocks the optional social-media blocklist, with an automatic off after 15 minutes.
Works On Your Hardware.
Extensive driver support included out of the box for laptops, desktops, and older machines.
Technical Specs.
| Parameter | Specification |
|---|---|
| Version | 1.1 (Ihsan) |
| Base | Debian 13 "Trixie" |
| Kernel | 6.12 (Debian 13) |
| Desktop | Xfce |
| Boot | BIOS + UEFI |
| Base image | Official Debian live ISOs |
| ISO Size | 3.7 GB (Ihsan) |
| License | GPL-3.0 |
| Cost | Free Forever |
Minimum & Recommended.
Live mode runs entirely from the USB/DVD — nothing touches your disk unless you launch the Calamares installer. The Xfce edition runs comfortably at the low end of these ranges.
Minimum
- CPU64-bit (amd64) dual-core, 1.6 GHz
- RAM2 GB (with Sovereign Shield)
- Storage8 GB USB/DVD for live · 15 GB disk to install
- FirmwareBoots BIOS or 64-bit UEFI
Recommended
- CPU64-bit quad-core, 2 GHz or faster
- RAM4 GB — 8 GB for heavy multitasking
- Storage25 GB+ SSD for install · USB 3.x 8 GB+ media
- ExtrasIntel / AMD / NVIDIA firmware included on the ISO
Honest Answers.
The questions every careful downloader asks — answered the way we would want them answered.
Yes — completely free and open source under GPL-3.0. No accounts, no subscriptions, no telemetry, no paywalled editions. The whole build pipeline is public on GitLab, so you can audit or rebuild everything yourself.
A deliberate choice, not a shortcut. Rather than splitting the 1.1 release across two desktops, every hour went into making one desktop genuinely beautiful: the Emerald & Gold theming, the prayer desktop, the 81-wallpaper collection, and a 73/73 self-test pass. Xfce is also fast on old and modest hardware — exactly the machines our users have. KDE Plasma 6 lives on in the legacy 1.0 'Nur' edition on the Editions page.
Maybe — when it can meet the same polish bar. We would rather ship one desktop that is beautiful, stable and tested than two that are half-polished. The legacy 1.0 'Nur' KDE Plasma ISO remains available and supported on the Editions page in the meantime.
Very likely. Any 64-bit (amd64) machine with at least 2 GB of RAM runs it — 4 GB is recommended for smooth multitasking. You need an 8 GB USB stick for the live mode and about 15 GB of disk to install. Most Wi-Fi, Ethernet and graphics firmware is already on the ISO.
No — that is the point of 1.1. The shield blocks 5,732,267 harmful domains (malware, phishing, scams, ads, adult content) and was audited against a daily-life whitelist: Google, YouTube, WhatsApp, Instagram, Netflix, Amazon and other everyday sites keep working. Google, Bing and YouTube are forced to SafeSearch, and an administrator can toggle the shield with polkit authentication.
Every ISO has a published SHA-256 checksum — copy the command from the Download section and compare. The current Ihsan ISO is HidayahOS-1.1-Ihsan-amd64.iso with sha256 starting e65ed53e. The ISO also ships hidayah-doctor, a built-in self-test that ran 73/73 PASS on the release build.
Yes. The Calamares installer can resize your Windows partition and set up a dual-boot menu. As with any operating system install, back up your important files first.
Something else on your mind? Ask on the Discord — or open an issue on GitLab.
Build with us.
For the Ummah.
Hidayah OS is built by the community, for the community. Whether you're a developer, designer, or just passionate about privacy and Islamic values, there's a way for you to contribute.
Fully Open Source
Audit every line of code. GPL-3.0 licensed. Nothing proprietary.
Easy to Contribute
Documentation, GitLab issues, and an active community ready to help.
Modular Design
Components are independent. Modify, fork, or extend with ease.
Active Development
New features released regularly. Your contributions welcome.
Join our Discord community for guidance and collaboration.