He was, in fact, fasting at the time and engaged in prayer in a cave, where he liked to meditate, when the revelation came to him.

This presence, this spirit of revelation, is generally understood by Muslims to be the Angel Gabriel.

People engage in reading the Qur'an during this month, and the Qur'an has been divided into 30 sections for convenience, so you do one section each of the [30] days.

There is a tradition started by the Prophet Muhammad -- peace be upon him -- that when the sun would set, he would begin by breaking the fast, by eating a few dates or taking a small drink of water or juice. And most Muslims will now break the fast that way.

Fasting is a time for spiritual awareness. The religion of Islam is organized around the idea of submission to the will of God.