GREENSBORO, N.C. — Monday marked the start of the holy month of Ramadan for most Muslims. Ramadan consists of a month of fasting, prayer, reflections and charity.

The imam, the head of the religious activities, at the Islamic Center of Greensboro, said this Ramadan is more difficult this year for many Muslims.

The men and women of the Islamic faith began one of the five foundations of their religion, Ramadan. It’s a month of fasting from food, drinking and marital relations during the day but breaking the fast at sunset.

“Ramadan is usually the month of reflection on people who are having a crisis, especially hunger. So when you fast, you can, you know, get to feel what hunger look like. So you show kind of empathy to the people who are suffering any kind of crisis, especially food,” said Yaser Ahmad, imam of the Islamic Center for Greensboro.

Ramadan is the essential act of worship for Muslims, annually during the Islamic lunar calendar. But, this year their prayers are focused around peace for those in the Middle East, the civil war in Sudan and the ongoing conflict in Gaza between Israel and Hamas.

“People to return home safely for the stability of the region, the people, for the children, for the orphans, for the widows. So the prayer is kind of bringing all of the emotions, what the people are suffering. And you pray to God to lift all of this suffer off the people,” Ahmad said.

And during these conflicts, Ahmad says food is needed there to keep people alive this Ramadan.

“Is the most important time that food is needed, is required because it's kind of, you know, serving lives for people because they're fasting and they're doing their act of worship and going to break their fast by the end of the day. So when you think of somebody who doesn't have it all, so for how long he will be fasting,” Ahmad said.