FOR the past few days, one billion Muslims around the world have been looking at the sky for a tiny sliver of light - the appearance of the new moon, which will signal the end of Ramadan.

Ramadan is the Muslim month of fasting, when eating, drinking, smoking and sex are strictly forbidden between dawn and dusk.

An estimated 10,000 Muslims live in the Watford area. Most originate from Pakistan, others come from Bangladesh, India, Mauritius, Eastern Europe and African countries. They pray under one roof.

To understand the significance of Ramadan, and why Muslims fast, it is helpful to consider it in the wider context of the Islamic faith.

There are five "pillars", or central tenets, of Islam. They are the belief in one God and Mohammed as his last prophet; praying five times a day; giving charity to the poor; fasting during Ramadan and endeavouring to make the pilgrimage to Mecca in Saudi Arabia.

Ramadan is the ninth month in the Islamic calendar, which follows the lunar cycle rather than the longer "standard" month. The present Ramadan started on December 31, with the sighting of the new moon, and ended this week when the new moon was again sighted.

The ninth month is special because this was when the Prophet Mohammed received the first of the divine revelations which make up the Qur'an.

The Qur'an, which Muslims believe to be the literal word of God, was revealed to the Prophet by God through the angel Gabriel.

Qari Hafiz Mohammad Bashir, one of the three Immams (priests) at the Watford mosque, explained the purpose of fasting is two-fold.

First, the self-discipline concentrates the mind on the worship of God. Second, it helps one to appreciate how those less fortunate suffer.

Those who are very old, young or infirm may be excused from fasting, as may pregnant women or people undertaking a long journey.

Rizwana Hussain, of the Muslim Community Project in Harwoods Road, said: "Ramadan is a time when we step back from the material considerations of everyday life, and think more of who we are and what we are doing here. Fasting helps to focus the mind on spiritual themes.

"Many Muslims who are not usually strict make an extra effort during Ramadan. It's not just about fasting. People set more time aside for prayers and practice virtues, such as charity and forgiveness.

"In everyday life, we take so much for granted. Ramadan teaches us to appreciate the smallest thing, such as a glass of water."

Almost half of the pupils at Westfield School in Tolpits Lane are Muslim. Acting headteacher Ms Jan Spavin said: "Ramadan does not cause any great disruption at school. They just quietly get on with it. We just have to be considerate and make sure we plan in advance to ensure that parents' evenings and exams don't fall during Ramadan."

Irum Majeed, 17, head girl at Westfield School, started fasting when she was ten. She said: "Ramadan is easier when it falls at this time of year, because it's cold and the days are short.

"Because the Islamic calendar is based on the lunar month, the timing of Ramadan goes back by about ten days every year. In a few years' time it will fall in the summer, when fasting will be more difficult.

"When you are at school during Ramadan, and some of your friends are eating, that can be difficult. But that's the whole point. Ramadan is a test; it's about resisting temptation."

Mr Shah, who runs the Halal butchers in Whippendell Road, said business was good during Ramadan.

He said: "People look for good food at night when they have been hungry all day. Working with food while I am fasting doesn't bother me, but not being allowed to smoke sometimes makes me lose my temper."

A sense of excitement builds up in the last few days of Ramadan because it is never certain when the new moon will appear. Word usually comes from the mosque, or the radio, and the news spreads throughout the community.

The excitement is not just because the fasting is over. The end of Ramadan is marked by one of the most important days in the Muslim calendar, the festival of Eid.

Eid is often compared to Christmas - a day when families come together and mum slaves over the stove creating a special meal. It's a happy time.

There are special prayers in the morning at the mosque, then people do the rounds of their friends and family, eating a little in each house they visit.

Those who have lived in Watford since the early days of the Muslim community in the 1960's say that the Jamia mosque, which was completed in 1984, has seen the biggest change in the way Ramadan and Eid are celebrated.

Fareed Aumeer, 50, who settled here from Mauritius, said: "When we first came to Watford there were no facilities for praying, no Halal food shops, no focal point for this new community.

"The mosque has provided that focal point, both culturally and religiously. We are lucky to have such a beautiful mosque. The people of Watford have been good to us."

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