Photo of Ramadhan 2010 from Around The World

Muslim men and women across the world are currently observing Ramadan, a month long celebration of self-purification and restraint. During Ramadan, the Muslim community fast, abstaining from food, drink, smoking and sex between sunrise and sunset. Muslims break their fast after sunset with an evening meal called Iftar, where a date is the first thing eaten followed by a traditional meal. During this time, Muslims are also encouraged to read the entire Quran, to give freely to those in need, and strengthen their ties to God through prayer. The goal of the fast is to teach humility, patience and sacrifice, and to ask forgiveness, practice self-restraint, and pray for guidance in the future. This year, Ramadan will continue until Thursday, September 9th.

With the Dome of the Rock Mosque seen in the background, a Palestinian Muslim worshiper prays 
during the third Friday prayers of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, in the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound
in Jerusalem's Old City 
on Friday, Aug. 27, 2010. (AP Photo/Muhammed Muheisen)

A Bahraini man points skyward at dusk Tuesday, Aug. 10, 2010, in Hamad Town, Bahrain, towards where a 
slim crescentmoon shouldbe visible to indicate the start of the Islamic holy month of Ramadan, a time 
of prayer, fasting and charitable giving. Clouds hampered skywatchers in the Persian Gulf island nation. 
(AP Photo/Hasan Jamali)

Kashmiri Muslims pray on a street on the third Friday of Ramadan, in Srinagar, India, Friday, Aug. 27, 2010. 
(AP Photo/Altaf Qadri)

An Indian Muslim vendor prepares food at a roadside stall in preparation for Muslims breaking their fast at sundown
in Mumbai, India on August 19, 2010.

A Palestinian Muslim man decorates an alley of Jerusalem's old city with festive lights in preparation for Ramadan 
on Tuesday, Aug. 10 2010. (AP Photo/Muhammed Muheisen)

The crescent moon is seen near mosques in old Cairo on the fifth day of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan
on August 15, 2010.

A young Palestinian Muslim girl walks in an alley of Jerusalem's old city holding a traditional Ramadan lantern while
celebrating with other children the announcing of the holy month of Ramadan on Tuesday, Aug. 10 2010. 
(AP Photo/Muhammed Muheisen)

A Pakistani volunteer pours milk into glasses for devotees to break their fast during Muslims' holy fasting month of 
Ramadan in Lahore, Pakistan on Friday, Aug. 20, 2010. (AP Photo/K.M.Chaudary)

Muslim girls offer prayers before having their Iftar (fast-breaking) meal during the holy month of Ramadan at a madrasa
on the outskirts of Jammu on August 21, 2010.

Egyptians buy fruits at a shop in downtown Cairo on August 20, 2010 during Islam's holy fasting month of Ramadan.
Egyptians have been complaining from shortages of basic services during Ramadan, which began the first week of 
August amid sweltering summer temperatures.

A member of Fairfax County Fire and Rescue, lower left, participates in an Iftar, the evening meal when Muslim break their
fast during Ramadan, August 17, 2010 at Dar Al-Hijrah Islamic Center in Falls Church, Virginia. The Islamic center invited
frontline responders for Ramadan dinner to show appreciation and foster increased understanding.

A Muslim man performs ablution before prayer during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan at the London Muslim Centre
on August 18, 2010 in London, England.

A man prays during Ramadan Jummah prayer at the Islamic Center in Washington, D.C. on August 13, 2010.

Indonesian chefs make miniature chocolate mosques for sale during the fasting month of Ramadan, at a chocolate shop in
Jakarta, Indonesia, Friday, Aug. 20, 2010.

A Palestinian vendor displays traditional pastries in his shop in the West Bank city of Nablus on the second day of the
holy month of Ramadan August 12, 2010.

Jim Otun of Fairfield, New Jersey uses his iPad to read a dua in the Quran at Zinnur Books in Paterson, New Jersey.

A Palestinian boy plays with a homemade sparkler after breaking his fast during Ramadan, in the West Bank city of
 Ramallah, Monday, Aug. 16, 2010. (AP Photo/Muhammed Muheisen)

Flood-affected people break their fast on the first day of the Muslim holy fasting month of Ramadan in a camp in
Nowshera, Pakistan on Thursday, Aug. 12, 2010. Pakistani flood survivors, already short on food and water, began the
fasting month of Ramadan on Thursday, a normally festive, social time marked this year by misery and fears of an
uncertain future. (AP Photo/Mohammad Sajjad)

Indian Muslims take a break as birds fly around Firoz Shah Kotla Masjid after prayers on the first Friday of Ramadan in
New Delhi on August 13, 2010.

A mahya reading "Hold the fast. find good health" hangs between the minarets of the Ottoman-era Eminonu New 
Mosque in Istanbul August 12, 2010. Mahya, where dangling lights suspended between minarets spell out devotional 
messages in huge letters, are intended to reward and inspire the faithful who have spent the daylight hours fasting. 
Today just a handful of Istanbul's mosques use Mahya, the phrases dictated by Turkey's directorate of religious affairs. 
(REUTERS/Murad Sezer)

Some 200 Muslims, inmates of the Quezon city jail in suburban Manila, are seen through a fence praying at the prison 
courtyard on August 13, 2010. The large Muslim minority in the Philippines - a country home to 75 million Catholics - is 
observing Ramadan, the holy fasting month of Islam.

An Indian Muslim vendor separates the seeds of a pomegranate at a roadside stall in preparation for Muslims breaking 
their fast at sundown in Mumbai, India on August 19, 2010.

A Palestinian woman's shadow is seen on a wall as she waits while attempting to cross the Kalandia checkpoint in order 
to go pray at the Al Aqsa Mosque on the third Friday of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, between Jerusalem and the 
West Bank city of Ramallah on Friday, Aug. 27, 2010. Israel loosened some restrictions on Palestinian movement between
the West Bank and Israel during the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan.

Muslim men pray before Iftar, the evening meal in the Muslim holy month of Ramadan at the London Muslim Centre on 
August 18, 2010 in London, England.

The shadow of a Palestinian Muslim praying at "fajr" or early morning prayer is cast on a pole, during the month of 
Ramadan at a mosque in the West Bank city of Ramallah on Tuesday, Aug. 17, 2010.

Palestinians struggle at an access point as food rations are given out by an Islamic charity on the second day of the 
month of Ramadan, in the West Bank city of Hebron on Thursday, Aug. 12, 2010

A child sits with a plate of food that was distributed as part of the holy month of Ramadan, at a refugee camp in Kabul, 
Afghanistan, on Saturday, Aug. 14, 2010.

Indonesian women pray during the first night of Ramadan in Jakarta on August 10, 2010.

Children run around inside the premises of Jama mosque after Friday afternoon prayers in New Delhi, India, 
Friday, Aug. 20, 2010.

A rainbow is seen as a Palestinian sprays water on Muslim worshipers leaving the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound to cool 
them off as the temperature rises, following the second Friday prayers of Ramadan, in Jerusalem's Old City, 
Friday, Aug. 20, 2010.

Her hands decorated with henna, an Afghan Muslim woman takes part in evening prayers during the Muslim holy month
of Ramadan on August 13, 2010 in Kabul, Afghanistan.

Shop owner Boualem Bensalem (left) prays in his flat with family and friends before for Iftar meal in Geneva, Switzerland
on August 23, 2010. Switzerland is home to some 311,000 Muslims (4.3% of the population).