Strollers and joggers craned their necks at Magic Island yesterday morning to watch as about 500 Muslims from across the island gathered for the Eid al-Fitr, the celebration that ends the month of Ramadan.

Ramadan, the celebration of Muhammad's transmission of the Quran, is marked by daytime fasts for those who are able to adhere to this, one of the five pillars of Islam faith.

Young children, the ill and the elderly are not required to fast, though fathers like Muhammad Salim start their young ones as early as age 7. He said he offered monetary motivation to get his 8-year-old son to refrain from food or water during the daylight hours, as well as luring him with offers of post-sunset meals — "whatever he wants" — to break the fast.

"You just become creative," said Salim, looking regal in his gold tunic and pants. There was a bonus if his son made it the entire 30 days, he added with a grin.

Another tradition is for Muslims to wear their newest and finest apparel for the eid, or festival. Women in hijab, or head scarves, corralled their neatly groomed children near their feet as men in aloha wear, tunics and their own assorted head caps made a colorful swatch across the green expanse of grass.

The eid prayer time began with stragglers making their way to the sunny spot at 8:30 a.m. Afterward, women and men enjoyed pastries glistening with frosting — in separate areas, of course. (In Islam, men and women pray separately, too.)

This year, the Muslim Association of Hawaii is trying something different: Instead of one eid to end the fast, it is setting aside another day for children and families. The keiki eid will be Saturday at Magic Island, with activities for children and lunch for members of the mosque.

Hakim Ouansafi, spokesman for the association, said, "The religious part (occurs) on the actual day, but it was difficult to plan" for games and activities for children when the date changes, since it is tied to the sighting of the moon.

REMEMBERING IRAQ

Ouansafi said members of the mosque are remembering those caught in the Iraq bloodshed and are frustrated by the lack of exit strategies. Some of the zakat, or donations, collected during the month will go to victims.

During Ramadan, the holiest month of the year, the faithful are expected to give alms for the poor, or zakat al-Fitr. The idea of zakat al-Fitr is to calculate what it would take for the poor to have a day of celebration at Eid al-Fitr, the culmination of Ramadan and one of Muslims' two major holidays.

Zakat is one of the five pillars of their faith. Unlike tithing, which is based on income, zakat is calculated as 2 1/2 percent of one's "excess wealth," said Aly El-Kadi, a professor at the University of Hawai'i. The extra zakat al-Fitr is collected during Ramadan.

The eid is good for something else, too: Public events like these help educate the public, Ouansafi noted.

"We want to make sure the bad elements don't speak on our behalf," Ouansafi said.