CINCINNATI — It’s Ramadan, the holiest month for Muslims, but that also means fasting during the daylight hours. It's still important for members at the Islamic Center of Greater Cincinnati to still stay active during this holy month. 

As the sun sets behind the Islamic Center of Greater Cincinnati, there’s more than prayer happening inside these doors.

That’s thanks to Nadeem Quraishi. He’s helped coordinate basketball games in this gym for years, and that doesn’t change during Ramadan.

“You stay active. You feel good," Quraishi said. "The more you stay in routine, the better the month goes for you."

Ramadan is the holiest month for Muslims, where adults fast from sunrise to sunset. 

“This is essentially intermittent fasting, but we’ve been doing it for 1,400 years," Quraishi said.

In fact, the Mayo Clinic said intermittent fasting may be more beneficial than other diets for reducing inflammation. While those that observe Ramadan don’t do it for the health reasons, they have good practice at making it work in their active lifestyles, which is why these men are very strategic about when they play.

“We always play in the evening because we’re getting closer to sunset," Quraishi said. "So when you play at this time, you’re leading up to breaking your fast, so that makes things nice and easy when you’re done.”

Quraishi said the key to staying active safely during Ramadan is being sure to hydrate in the morning and eat a filling breakfast. Even drinking isn’t allowed during the daylight hours, hence why there are no water bottles on the sideline of this game. But for Quraishi, it’s so much more than that.

“When you fast, you realize the blessings that you have," he said. "This is a way that you are coming closer to God.”