Ramadan has begun and millions of Muslims around the world will now fast from dawn to dusk for around four weeks, while giving up a range of 'bad habits' like gossiping and swearing in favour of focusing their time on prayer, reflection and supporting vulnerable people in their communities.
Explaining the importance of Ramadan, chairman of Swansea Mosque, Farid Ali previously explained to WalesOnline: "Ramadan is a very special month for the Muslim community. It is one of the five pillars in Islam where Muslims abstain from eating and drinking from dawn until dusk for 30 days. Muslims wake up in the early morning and eat some food just before sunrise, do their morning prayer then break their fast at sunset with prayers.
"As a community, we come together and break the fast with what is called Iftar. You can do that in the house or in the mosque which will provide food to the Muslim community to break fast. When it is time to break the fast, our muezzin, which is the call to prayer, he will make the alarm over a tannoy and our radio system into people's homes, and as soon as the alarm sounds, that is the signal that the fasting is over and that is the time for them to break the fast."
