Correction appended

MODESTO, Calif. - Ahmad Eltejaye, a 23-year-old student at California State University, Stanislaus, said celebrating Ramadan in his native country of Kuwait was easier in some ways than it is here in the United States.

"In Kuwait, you have the whole country participating. It’s a little more special than here," he said. "But here, we have a tighter" Islamic "community. You get closer to people. They’re both great experiences."

Eltejaye, who moved away from his family in 2000 to pursue a U.S. college education, and fellow CSUS student Amel Alsufi, 19, who lives with her family in Ceres, Calif., are part of the Islamic Center of Modesto. Ahmad Kayello, imam of the center, said there are 15 to 20 college students and young adults at the mosque.

All Muslims began their monthlong fasting and prayers of Ramadan September 1.

The observance begins with a light breakfast before the sun rises, fasting throughout the day, breaking the fast at sundown alone at home or with others at the Modesto mosque, following the meal with an evening prayer service, and reading the Quran - the holy book of Islam - throughout the day and night.

On the last 10 days, there’s an additional service at about 3 a.m. at the mosque. The Ramadan rituals and prayers are in addition to the normal five daily times of prayer that Muslims observe.

Meeting the requirments of Ramadan is hard enough for any Muslim; it presents special challenges for college students, who often must leave classes for prayer or take tests without much food or sleep.

"I get up before dawn and have something to eat and drink, pray, and then go back to sleep for a couple of hours," said Alsufi, who is majoring in medical anthropology. "I’ll get up again and go to school. I pray there between classes, or I’ll leave class if it’s time to pray.

"School isn’t my top priority during the month. I say, ‘That’s OK, I’ll make up for it after Ramadan is over,’ " she added.

Eltejaye said that surprisingly, the reduced hours of sleep and the daylight fast have a positive effect.

"I get about five hours" of sleep "a night during Ramadan, instead of my usual seven or eight," Eltejaye said. "But my grades are always better during this month because I’m more focused. Usually, I get home and pop the fridge and grab something to eat. But during Ramadan, I’m fasting, so I can’t do that. In terms of school, it’s not a handicap at all. If anything, it helps me out."

His greatest challenge isn’t food or the lack of sleep.

"The hardest part for me is just the heat and not being able to drink water. But it gives you patience and perseverance. One of the best feelings is at the end of the day when you get to have that cold water and a nice warm meal. It’s satisfying.

"It’s also a good experience to recognize that we’re not experiencing half of the problems or half the pain of others in the world. Some people don’t have anything to eat for weeks."

Alsufi, who began fasting when she was in the second grade, said the lack of sleep is her biggest challenge.

But both said the sacrifices during the holy month are worth the effort.

"When we break our fast at the mosque, you see your brothers and sisters there and get a chance to talk to them more than you do at other times," Eltejaye said. "You see all colors and races. It’s a good vibe."

"I get a lot of things personally," Alsufi said. "It reignites my faith. I feel unity with the community and with the Islamic community globally. Everyone is taking part in this blessed month, and so I feel that unity."

Most important, Eltejaye said, Ramadan and its sacrifices are "a test of patience and endurance. It’s holding back from eating and drinking for the whole day. It’s not getting angry or whatnot because that’s part of holding back, too. It’s all for God, and that’s why we do it."

This page has been revised to reflect the following correction:

SECOND THOUGHTS: Tuesday, September 23, 2008

A story on the Spiritual Life page Saturday incorrectly reported that the Muslim observance of Ramadan began Sunday or yesterday. Ramadan this year began on Sept. 1.

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