I don't know a lot about this holiday or the Muslim religion, but a few of my co-workers and friends began fasting last week and I always like to ask them questions about Ramadan and Islam in general. And with all of the controversy and such swirling in the news about a mosque in the vacinity of ground zero I want to take the time to wish a very Happy Ramadan to our gbb board members in observance...I hope all your dreams come true on this holiest of months!

Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar. It is the Islamic month of fasting, in which participating Muslims refrain from eating and drinking from dawn until sunset.[1] Fasting is intended to teach Muslims about patience, humility, and spirituality. It is a time for Muslims to fast for the sake of Allah and to offer more prayer than usual. During Ramadan, Muslims ask forgiveness for past sins, pray for guidance and help in refraining from everyday evils, and try to purify themselves through self-restraint and good deeds. As compared to the solar calendar, the dates of Ramadan vary, moving backwards about eleven days each year depending on the moon. Muslims believe Ramadan to be an auspicious month for the revelations of God to humankind, being the month in which the first verses of the Qur'an were revealed to the Prophet Muhammad.