KENTWOOD, Mich. — The month of Ramadan has started, a holy time for Muslims all across the world and here in West Michigan. It's a time for self-reflection, faith and neighbors gathering to celebrate together, usually over a great meal.
Praying is already one of the five main pillars of Islam, but during the month of Ramadan, At-Tawheed Mosque in Kentwood sees the crowds grow significantly.
"It is just wonderful to see the amount of people who are coming in, not only to pray, but to communicate, to know each other and to help each other, to celebrate this month," said Mohammad Shamali, who has lived in Kentwood for decades and has seen the growth of Muslims in West Michigan over the years.
Shamali remembers when the community was much smaller. "We used to do out Friday in somebody's house," Shamali said. "Now we have people of all different backgrounds, and we merge together to learn from each other and make this community even better."
Ramadan is an important time for neighbors like Wahid Khan, who finds the holy month brings people together in meaningful ways.
"Ramadan is naturally a time when people like myself, or maybe not as religious or not as observant throughout the rest of the year, come together," Wahid said." I think that's also just a powerful reminder of how multicultural and diverse the community here is."
During this month, Muslims fast from sunrise to sunset every day.
On Friday, they broke their fast with an "Iftar" or dinner hosted by Super Green Market and the West Michigan Palestinian Cultural Society.
The event provided over 700 meals for the community, something that's important to those who work at Super Green Market.
"We appreciate our community. They're the ones that support us, so we are here to give back to them in show of the support throughout the whole year that they support us," said Aida Alic, Super Green Market manager.
The month of fasting and praise culminates with Eid al-Fitr, which is a time for celebration for the entire Muslim community.
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