For believers, the holy month is about much more than fasting. It's a time for reflection and compassion — to give to the less fortunate, gather with community to break the daily fasts, and pray.

When I was a kid, Mom used to say, "You know you've become an infidel when you forget the Fatihah." The Fatihah is the preamble to the Quran, a prayer Muslims repeat five times a day. Mom used to warn ...