Why are thousands of Americans and about a billion people around the world abstaining from eating, drinking, smoking, and sex from dawn to sunset this month?

They are Muslims who are fasting during the holy month of Ramadan, the month of fasting. Fasting is on of the Five Pillars of the religion of Islam and one of the highest forms of Islamic worship. Abstinence from earthly pleasures and curbing evil intentions and desires is regarded as an act of obedience and submission to God as well as an atonement for sins, errors and mistakes. Muslims will start their fasting on December 20th. The Islamic calendar is based on the lunar cycle. The month of Ramadan is the ninth month and begins with the sighting of the new moon. And fasting period ends upon the sighting of the next new moon which occurs after 29 or 30 days. Ramadan brings out a special feeling of emotional excitement and religious zeal among Muslims of all ages. Though fasting is mandatory only for adults, children as young as eight willing observe fasting with their elders. Children look forward to the excitement of sighting the moon and eating special meals with their families. Adults appreciate the opportunity to double their rewards from God and seek forgiveness for past sins. All feel a particular closeness towards their Creator and amongst their family and friends.

Muslims have to change their whole physical and emotional selves during these 30 longs days of fasting. A typical day of fasting begins with getting up early, around 4:30 a.m., and eating before the fast begins at dawn,about 5:10 a.m. As dawn breaks, the first of five daily prayers (Fajr) is offered.

As the day proceeds, fasting Muslims are constantly bombarded with messages from their stomachs that it is time for breakfast, snack, lunch, and so on. And each time, Muslims remind themselves that they are fasting for the sole purpose of pleasing God and seeking His mercy.

Throughout the day Muslims are encouraged to go out of their way to help the needy, both financially and emotionally. They believe that a reward earned during this month is multiplied 70 times and more. For this reason, Ramadan is also known as the month of charity and generousity.

To a Muslim, fasting not only means abstaining from food, but also refraining from all vice and evils committed by us consciously or unconsciously. For it is believed that if one volunteers to refrain from lawful foods and sex, he/she will be in a better position to avoid unlawful things and acts during the rest of the year.

Fast is broken at sunset. Prophet Mohammed (pbuh) recommended breaking the fast with dates. Muslims are urged to invite others to break the fast with them.

Just after breaking the fast, and before dinner, Muslims offer the fourth of the five daily prayers, which is called the Maghrib prayer. They offer the second and third prayers during early and late afternoon, respectively. After dinner, Muslims go to their houses of worship, called "mosques", to offer the Isha prayer, which is the last of the five daily prayers. The day ends with a special voluntary prayer, the Taraweeh, offered by the congregation reciting the Holy Qur'an, the hly book of Islam. As Muslims go to bed, they set their alarm for 4:30 a.m.

After 30 days of fasting, the end of the month of Ramadan is observed with a day of celebration, called Eid-ul-Fitr. On this day, Muslims from around the city vicinity areas gather on one place to offer a prayer of thanks. It is traditional to wear new clothes, visit friends and relatives, exchange gifts, eat delicious dishes prepared for this occasion, and wait patiently for the next year.

Besides offering enormous spiritual blessings, fastings also renders numerous medical and psychological benefits to believers. Fasting h elps human beings to get rid of various toxins, which accumulate in the bodyand helps eliminate harmful fatty substances from the blood, thus purifying the blood stream and rejuvenating the entire system. For those engaged in medically undesirable habits such as over-eating or smoking, the self-control and discipline excercised during Ramadan fasting provides an excellent beginning to "kick" these bad habits. Fasting helps one to experience how a hungry person feels and what it is like to have an empty stomach. It teaches one to share the sufferings of the less fortunate. Muslims believe that fasting leads one to appreciate the bounties of God, which are usually taken for granted - until they are missed!