This is the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, a month of fasting and doing good deeds, as Muslims seek a better afterlife by doing good in this one.
Ramadan is known to many because believers refrain from eating or drinking from sunrise to sunset and then break the fast for a communal meal with other Muslims. Traditionally, the fast is broken communally in what is known as the Iftar, a meal which traditionally begins with eating a fig.
Sunday night, members of Masjid Al-Eiman on Connecticut Street in Buffalo ate the ritual fig and prayed at sunset for the Iftar meal. Imam Ismail Ayyash said this ties together members of his congregation, who are from across the Muslim world, with immigrants continuing to arrive.
Ayyash said members of his mosque are from so many places, the communal meal shifts constantly, as the food of many places is brought to the Iftar.
"We gather for the Iftar. The Iftar is that when we break our fast together. We try to do some activity for them," he said. "It's tied together and share the foods, the culture, food together. We are here, not from the same country. So we have different kinds of food, mix food all the time."
He preached in English as the common language.
Mohmad Ayoub said his 12-year-old-son learns how to fast during the school day.
"They start doing it at a younger age. So, by they're into school and stuff like that, they don't mind," Ayoub said. "I have my 12-year-old. He doesn't eat anyway. You get used to it. It doesn't bother him."
