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Musadiq first came to the Capital Region in January 2007 from Texas, where he had been pursuing higher studies. His wife and son joined him that June from Toronto. They were all born in Nigeria.

While Nigerian offices generally close early so that the faithful can spend time in worship, Bello said “the environment here is like any other day, so it doesn’t seem much like Ramadan.”

He noted that local Muslim families gather for dinners at mosques, which makes Ramadan a time to socialize as well as worship, in contrast to his native land where families have the evening meal, iftar, dine at home and then go to the mosques for prayers.

In Nigeria, fried plantains were a favorite dish for iftar. Last year, the Bellos often ate rice dishes like biryani, a rice-and-meat dish, at the Islamic Center of the Capital District in Colonie, where meals were catered by local Pakistani restaurants.

Fasting at Ramadan is one of the five pillars of Islam, required of healthy adults. The Bellos’ second son, Ibrahim, was born in July, so Rasheeda Bello, who nurses the baby, will not be fasting this time.

Even when he was too young to fast, Bello would share the pre-dawn meal, suhoor, with his family. They usually ate bread and meat dishes. “Waking up that early in the morning was fun,” he recalled. These days, he eats toast or cereal for suhoor.

Now the Bellos prepare Yusuf, who is 7 years old, for Ramadan by telling him about fasting. He also learns about the holy month at the An Nur Islamic School in Colonie. Some of the other students fast, and Yusuf himself already wants to try it for a few days, his father said.

Muslims believe that giving up food and drink not only makes them aware of those around the world who do not have enough food but also improves their self-restraint. Throughout the month, Muslims also increase their charitable giving and spend more time reciting the Quran, which they believe was revealed in Ramadan to prophet Muhammad in the seventh century.

Because the Islamic calendar is lunar, Ramadan arrives about 11 days earlier each year on the Gregorian calendar. Ten years ago, when Ramadan fell in January, the period of daylight fasting was shorter. But the faithful don’t hesitate to fast.

“God gives us strength,” Bello said. Azra Haqqie can be reached at 454-5651 or ahaqqie@timesunion.com.

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