Sabily is a an operating system for your computer, like Microsoft Windows or Mac OS. It's based on Ubuntu Linux, an extremely popular free OS. Designed for Muslim users, Sabily includes "Zekr and Mus-haf Othman (Quran study tools), Minbar and Firefox-praytimes (prayer times applications), Monajat (application that pops up prayer notifications at predetermined times), Hijra (islamic calendar) and WebStrict (parental control tool). Arabic language is also well supported."

Though Windows has become the dominant standard, there are advatages to using a Linux based operating system. The first is price, Linux is free, as is all the included software. Using Linux means not supporting Microsoft, an American based company. Even though most Windows users are using pirated copies, they are still supporting Microsoft by adding to the impression it's the only OS available. Microsoft would rather users pirate their software, becoming dependent on it for computer tasks, than have them turn to freely available alternatives

The second advantage to using Linux based operating systems is security. You'll no longer need to concern yourself with viruses and malware. There's no need for anti-virus on a Linux system, as there are no Linux viruses. Windows is a system designed for ease of use, with security as an afterthought. Linux is a system designed with security in mind.

As with anything new and unfamiliar, there is a learning curve for new users. However, free community based support through forums and chat are available to help new users adjust

You can download Sabily for fee here. The image is burned to a blank CD or DVD. It's possible to run as a "live" OS from the disc, without making any changes to your computer. This enables new users to experiment with using Sabily before making a commitment to switch.

From the developers of Sabily: "The codename for the next Sabily release (9.10, planned for october 2009) will be "gaza". Our brothers and sisters living in the Gaza strip are always in our supplications."

By Shara Rabich