When the moon's crescent becomes visible, members of the Muslim Student Association will begin to fast in observance of Ramadan, the ninth month of the Islamic lunar calendar.

"I, myself, personally feel very close to God in this month," said Vasiur Rahman, vice president of the association.

Ramadan begins either tonight or Wednesday and ends a month later on either April 26th or 27th.

"The uncertainty of the date is due to the uncertainty of when the crescent of the moon will appear," said Rahman.

In this month, the first revelations for the Koran were revealed by God to the Islamic prophet Mohammed, said Adel Ben-Abdennour, president of the association.

Islam contains five pillars that all Moslems must follow, Ben-Abdennour added.

The beliefs delineated in the pillars include: There is one God and Mohammed is his prophet, prayer should take place five times a day, people should fast during Ramadan, make a pilgrimage to the holy city Mecca and give alms to the poor.

Fasting during Ramadan, the third pillar of Islam, is observed from dawn to sunset, with a pre-dawn meal and fast breaking after sunset, said Rahman.

The fifth pillar also is observed this month, said Ben-Abdennour.

Moslems calculate their finances for the past year and subtract 2 percent to give to the poor, Rahman said.

Moslems are not restricted from food or drink when they break the fast, said Rahman. However, they still may not eat pork or drink alcohol which are against Moslem beliefs.

Fasting is observed not only to give the body a chance to rid itself of chemicals, but to enhance the spiritual aspects of the body, said Rahman.

If the carnal pleasure of food is taken away, then a person will not be distracted by temptations and can be good to God, he said. Fasting also makes one appreciate the value of food.

"If one knows how it feels to be hungry, then we can always be helpful to the needy," Rahman said.

But Ben-Abdennour said fasting has a deeper meaning than simply refraining from eating and drinking during the day.

"Moslems are to be very peaceful and they don't hate each other, they just love each other," said Ben-Abdennour. He added Moslems who do not believe in this deeper meaning should not fast.

Throughout the month there will be collective fast breaking on Mondays in 102 Kern and on Fridays at the Islamic Center, 709 Ridge Ave. Moslems usually break the fast together, Rahman said.

"This month is very social. No one likes to be alone," he said.

Ben-Abdennour said he urges the public to attend the Monday night breaks to learn about Ramadan and the Moslem culture.

In addition to this, Moslems must abstain from sexual relations during the day, said Ben-Abdennour.

Ramadan is also a time of intense worship and prayer, Rahman said.

This month is the time for the study of the Koran, the Islamic holy book, he added. There are 30 parts to the Koran and one part is read each day to complete the book by the end of the month.

During this month, the Muslim Student Association will sponsor some special events along with the Islamic Society of Central Pennsylvania:

-- At 9 p.m. every Friday of Ramadan, there will be lectures for Moslems at the Islamic Center concerning their history, Ramadan and the moral and social responsibilities of Moslems. This Friday will be the first lecture by Hani Saqr.

-- A Ramadan reception will be held at 7:45 Monday night, April 16 in 102 Kern. The reception, open to the public, will include a dinner and a lecture where the audience may ask questions about Moslem culture. University faculty and administrators will be personally invited to attend.

"We want to help Americans know more about Islam and the Moslem culture," said Rahman.

To coincide with Ramadan, Project Growth presented a panel discussion on Moslem culture last night in the Paul Robeson Cultural Center. The association provided Moslem student speakers for the presentation, said Rahman.

"We hope this will improve cultural awareness," said Ben-Abdennour.

Ramadan ends next month with an Eid celebration -- a Moslem festival acknowledging the end of this religious month.

"We celebrate because we've been given the chance to observe fasting for the month," said Rahman.