Appearing on "Terevisioon," Aivar Loopalu said he had converted, or reverted, as it is often termed, to Islam, 16 years ago.

"I found a new acquaintance from Kuwait, and we started communicating, then he explained to me what being a Muslim actually entails," he recalled. "Up to then, I had thought that Muslims were some type of terrorists."

Loopalu said that he had been an atheist up to that point.

"This acquaintance explained that Islam and science can go hand in hand, I started studying the Quran and was amazed to find that both the Quran and the prophet's teachings have stated things which have [subsequently] been scientifically verified. This amazed me and made me ponder it," he went on.

Ramadan began some days ago and is expected to last to April 9, meaning the 6,000 to 7,000 Muslims residing in Estonia are supposed to fast (including from water) from dawn to dusk during that time.

"The purpose of the fasting month is to get closer to God through this fast, which involves abstaining from the regular pleasures," Loopalu continued.

"You won't see much evidence of Ramadan in the streets in Estonia, but in Islamic countries, they put up a lot of decorations during this time, a bit like at Christmas in Estonia, and exchange gifts, visit each other a lot; families get together, celebrate, and eat together in the evenings," he added.

"The main rules are that, from sunrise until sunset, we neither eat nor drink, engage in sexual activity, while smoking is also forbidden. This is a fundamental matter for every Muslim. It is one of the five pillars of Islam."

While observant Muslims often get together for a large, communal meal upon breaking their fast at the end of the day, before dawn, Loopalu said that before dawn, "we might drink three or four cups of water, which is usually enough. After sunset, you can eat but you shouldn't overindulge, otherwise, you won't be able to sleep at night.

Even a small snack during the day to stave off hunger pangs is not permissible, he went on. "There's no such thing as a half-fast," adding that those with underlying health issues that may make fasting hazardous can get an exemption.

"There's always a bit of difficulty for me in fasting. If you've been eating and drinking at regular times for 11 months, then adjusting takes a little time, though it's nothing terrible," Loopalu said.

Given Estonia's northerly location and the fact that Ramadan moves throughout the year, taking place March-April is less daunting than during the long days of the summer months.

"Fasting around the summer solstice is much harder because the days are so long. Then we fasted for about 20 hours, whereas presently we fast for 13-and-a-half hours."

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