Halal lamb meat cooking for Iftar in the month of Ramadan in the Chechen family of students living in Malaysia, September 5th, 2010.

Cold Comfort. A homeless man tries to get some rest amid the garbage under the bridge in Jakarta, Indonesia. He will no doubt be joined by many more destitute people seeking a place to lay their heads as beggars descend on the capital during Ramadan, hoping to capitalize on people’s goodwill during the holy season.

Ramadan sparks American Muslims to increase their acts of charity by giving away free school bags to several communities in New York, USA on Sunday, August 29th 2010.

When I think of Ramadan, I think of dates. Although they are small in size, one bite of them has the ability to fulfill the hunger of a fasting person. They are rich in flavor and for something so small their sweetness is surprising. The tradition of breaking one’s fast is with a date and some water. When I hear the Adhaan (the call to prayer) of Maghrib (the sunset prayer), my body longs to eat a date. As I nibble ever so slightly savoring each bite of the date, I thank Allah from the bottom of my heart for giving this to me. Food just tastes so much better when you know you’ve earned it.

A man prays in Al Sultan Hassan mosque in Cairo, Egypt on August 20th, 2010

Muslims at the Kaaba, in Mecca, Saudi Arabia.

A Sheikh teaches kids Qura’n… and an old man listens and thinks in peace, in Shoubra, Cairo, Egypt.