On a recent weekday afternoon at the West End Islamic Center at 5000 Shady Grove Road in Glen Allen, a young congregant voices the call to prayer, bringing about a dozen boys and men to assemble in a row at the front of the great carpeted prayer hall.
They go through the paces of the afternoon prayer together on an afternoon during the holy month of Ramadan, which for Muslims worldwide runs this year from Feb. 28 to March 19.
The holiday is marked by fasting to strengthen their spiritual connection with God. Ramadan also commemorates the revelation of the Quran to the Prophet Muhammad…