By Karen Vance
Enquirer contributor

CLIFTON - Hundreds of Muslims began to arrive at Al-Salam Mosque, or Peace Mosque, in Clifton Friday afternoon for prayers.

The imam, or religious leader, spoke about the importance of the upcoming holy month, Ramadan, which is expected to begin at sunrise Monday (depends on sighting of the moon). The month of fasting is the holiest in the Islamic calendar.

Fadila Anidou, 32, of Clifton waited outside the women's entrance for her husband, Ibrihim, who brought their 2-year-old son with him to prayer. Her family, which includes three other sons, has been a part of Clifton Masjid, also known as the Islamic Association of Cincinnati, since coming to the city 10 years ago.

She is excited this year to observe Ramadan in the community's new building in Clifton, which opened in June.

The mosque, at 3668 Clifton Ave., cost about $2 million. It is simpler in design than the $6 million Islamic Center of Greater Cincinnati in West Chester. Inspired by Syrian architecture, the Clifton mosque has a minaret and domes.

It sits on 3.2 acres and has about 850 square feet of worship space for women in a balcony and 4,750 square feet for the men on the first floor. The building also has a basement, which will be used for classrooms and other activities.

Islam, the second-largest religion in the world behind Christianity, is one of the fastest-growing religions in the United States. There are an estimated 7 million Muslims in this country and 1.2 billion worldwide.

With more than 2,000 families in the Clifton Masjid, the community has come a long way from the late 1960s, when three Muslims began the association, said Dr. Majid Qureshi of Symmes Township.

When the now 70-year-old surgeon first arrived in Cincinnati from Pakistan, he prayed in a Catholic Church.

"When I came, I wanted someplace to pray, so I built my own place," he said.

Connie Green, 40, known within the mosque by her Muslim name, Bahiyyah Muhammad, believes the new building adds to the sense of community.

For her, like all Muslims, Ramadan is a time for prayer and contemplation.

"It's a time for concentrating on bettering ourselves," she said.

During Ramadan, Muslims will attend nightly prayers, called taraweeh, and an imam will recite verses from the Quran from memory.

The mosque will also host breakfast meals, open to the public and anyone in need of food, as part of another pillar of Islam, charity or giving.

For Qureshi, observing Ramadan in a new mosque is just half of the blessing.

"I'm diabetic. I've had a stroke. My health has not always been good," he said. "But I am very happy that in this lifetime, I have another Ramadan, because if I observe it, God will forgive me all my sins. Ramadan is about forgiveness."

E-mail kvance@fuse.net