Despite Ramadan Fast Muslim NFLer Trains for the Season

By Chris Welch, CNN

Eden Prairie, Minnesota (CNN) - Watching Minnesota Vikings starting safety Husain Abdullah on the sun-drenched field during practice on a recent afternoon, you’d never guess he hasn’t had any food or drink since sunrise.

Abdullah is an observant Muslim, which during Ramadan – the Islamic holy month that ends Monday night – means no eating or drinking from sunup to sundown, not even water.

“My religion is very important to me,” Abdullah said after practice. “I mean, it’s the basis of my life.”

He credits his parents with instilling the Muslim values he holds dear today.

“The month of Ramadan is something that we wait for every year,” Abdullah said. “When it comes, we actually celebrate it.

“People think because we’re fasting that we should dread it, but we actually celebrate the month because it’s the month in which the Quran was revealed,” he said. “Everybody gets excited.”

FULL ARTICLE AND VIDEO CLIP FROM CNN