For the next month, Dr. Altaf Rasool's alarm will ring at 4 or 5 a.m. so he can prepare a meal with possibly some yogurt and protein.

Then, he will pray and go back to sleep, only to wake up again at 7:15 a.m. to go to work at either at Backus or Lawrence + Memorial hospital. For lunch, he will not eat or drink but instead pray. When he gets home after 4:30 p.m., he will pray again.

As the sun sets, Rasool will eat dinner with his wife and say a prayer. Later in the evening, Rasool, president of the Islamic Center of New London, will join others for the Taraweeh prayer in which the Imam, a prayer leader, recites portions of the Qur'an by memory.

Rasool, a nephrologist from Pakistan, is one of many Muslims in the region — and the world — who started fasting from sunrise to sunset on Saturday, as they began Ramadan, the holy month of fasting, reflection and prayer. Starting on a different day each year, Ramadan is based on the lunar cycle and depends on the sighting of the crescent moon, Rasool said.

Rasool said the main reason for Ramadan is to please God, developing patience, self-control and sympathizing with people who are less fortunate and don't have food to eat. He said not only does one feel the compassion for those less fortunate by fasting but one also tries to help those in need.

Charity is a big part of Ramadan, Rasool said, as Muslims help their relatives, neighbors or the homeless with monetary assistance. He said members of the Islamic center will also volunteer in the community during Ramdan, and those who are unable to partake in fasting because of their health or travel rely heavily on charity work to make up for it.

Rasool has taken part in Ramadan his whole life and said the fasting has become a habit for him.

"I enjoy it in the sense that it's a time to eat less, lose weight and refresh myself," Rasool said. He added, though, that the first week can be a challenge when one's eating and sleep schedule changes.

Since the COVID-19 pandemic, the Islamic center has not gathered for iftar, the evening meal with which Muslims end their daily fast at sunset. Members gathered again Saturday for the first iftar.

Holly P. Khader, better known as Sister Holly, is a community affairs director at the Islamic center. Khader said her favorite part of Ramadan is the gathering of people and listening to the Taraweeh prayers.

Khader said she also enjoys sharing dinners with others, spreading the meaning of Ramadan with non-Muslims and doing kind things.

Khader is no stranger to charity and community work, organizing donations to send to refugees overseas. She also does advocacy work with refugees in the region from Syria, Sudan and Afghanistan — taking them to doctor appointments and helping translate.

"We are like one family during Ramadan. People are enjoying themselves and looking forward to Eid, especially the children," Khader said, referring to Eid al-Fitr, the big three-day celebration at the end of Ramadan. Khader said there are games, candy and barbeque and added the center is hoping to hold an Eid celebration this year.

"Ramadan makes you a better person," said Waed Athamneh, an associate professor of Arabic studies at Connecticut College, calling it a "beautiful and spiritual experience."

Athamneh, born in Jordan, said she started training for Ramadan when she was 7 years old, trying to fast two to three hours a day. She said in her native country, Ramadan is revered by both Christians and Muslims. Many Christians will not eat around Muslims during the month and some Christians even join in fasting for a few hours.

Athamneh said Ramdan is an opportunity to "train and control yourself," eating moderately knowing you are going to eat when there are others who can't. She said she has visited Syrian refugee camps where they thanked God for Ramadan as they didn't have much food and managed by eating little.

Athamneh considers Ramadan her favorite month, seeing it as a challenge. Not a regular member of a mosque, she prays from home and does small acts of kindness in her daily life.

"It [Ramadan] becomes a part of your character," she said. "It's been in my life for so long everyday is Ramadan."

j.vazquez@theday.com