It was shortly after 2 p.m. last Friday afternoon at Masjid Ul Wadud.

The shoeless men inside the mosque, mindful of cleanliness during their midday prayer, chanted and hailed "Allah," thanking God for giving them the endurance that is necessary during the abstinence of this September month of Ramadan – Islam’s holiest month.

The religious observance will end Tuesday when Muslims will break the perpetual fast, having given up food during daylight hours, as well as drinking and marital relations for the past 30 days.

"When you fast, that’s when you realize that people don’t have food, and you open your hearts to them. You have to," said Talib Saleemi, a Pakistani-born Muslim who is a co-owner of the Montclair Car Service.

Charity is a fundamental element of the monthlong observance, during which more than one billion Muslims throughout the world concentrate on spiritual purification and self-sacrifice.

"This is a month of charity," Saleemi said. "If you can donate, the more you can the better."

The local mosque – which draws a diverse congregation of Muslims including Pakistani-born, African-American and Arab-born members – receives more than double the typical amount of donations during Ramadan, said the mosque’s director, or in Arabic, "Imam," Kevin Dawud Amin.

"Everybody’s trying to get blessings," Amin said.

The imam begins his daytime hours before the crack of dawn, but only drinks green tea to satisfy his hunger for the rest of the day. He relies on a dinner of chicken or lamb for endurance. Amin rarely feels hungry, he says.

"If you’re really serious about it, it becomes natural, and your body feels better," Amin said.

Amin said that one of the main purposes of Ramadan is "taqwa," which in Arabic translates to a protection from the consequences of violating God’s commands.

"That is a proper fear that we have of our Lord," Amin said. "You’ve [developed] a fear and are afraid that He won’t be happy with you if and when He sees you on Judgment Day."

Aside from the Hajj, a Muslim’s faithful, usually once-in-a-lifetime pilgrimage to Mecca, Ramadan is one of the most sacred times for Muslims, Amin said.

For some Muslims, it is the only time of the year the mosque is visited, he said.

"That’s why it’s so crowded," said the imam, as he watched dozens of men leave the mosque after Friday afternoon prayers.

The mosque typically draws about 25 regular members, as well as women who worship in a small room behind the main prayer room.

Montclair’s Muslim community is not as large as in other nearby areas, such as Paterson and Passaic, yet it flourishes with visitors during this time of year.

"This is a time that encourages you to be humble," Amin said.

"You get extra blessings for things you should be doing anyway."

Contact Tanya Drobness at drobness@montclairtimes.com.