Today was the first day of the holy month of Ramadan. It is the 9th month in the Islamic calendar and it is a month of fasting for Muslims.

The aim of this spiritual month is not the mere act of abstaining from food and drink from early dawn to sunset.

Neither is to prepare a big feast to over indulge yourself at the end of the fast.

It is a month of fasting, not feasting. You should have lost some weight and NOT gained any.

Neither is it merely for prayers, meditation or feeling the hunger pains your fellow humans have to endure.

Neither is it merely abstaining from bad deeds and donating to good causes and charities.

The real aim is to re-charge your batteries, become better human beings, more humble, caring and sharing beings.

And not just for the month of ramadhan.

During this month the Abu-Bakr mosque on Southall Broadway will be asking those gathered for the additional night prayers to donate generously towards the £1 million needed to extend and upgrade the existing building, which used to be a social security office building into a fully functional mosque.

There is normally a generous collection for some good cause in every mosque on every day of the month.