India, March 7 -- The iftar at the Mahim dargah on Wednesday opened with a line from an Urdu poem: "Shukre Khuda karo Mah e Rahman aa gaya, Taqseem karne Nematen Ramzan aa gaya" (Thank God, the month of the Merciful has arrived, to distribute blessings. Ramadan has arrived).

It was a gathering of over a thousand people drawn from different faiths who partook in the iftar, the evening meal traditionally eaten by Muslims at sunset during the holy month of Ramadan. Together, they broke their fast at 6:47 pm, with the distribution of khajoor, or dates. This was followed by servings of fruit and pakodas as part of the iftar. By serving the economically underprivileged, the dargah demonstrated that small acts of kindness can make a significant...