Cairo  - The Muslim holy month of Ramadan is as much about food as it is about fasting.

But while some are preoccupied about what they will consume in the hours in which they are allowed to eat, others are more concerned with living up to the charitable spirit of the holy month by providing food for those of little means.

"Cooking for the less fortunate people in my neighbourhood so they can break their fast with a nourishing meal is what Ramadan is all about," says Magda Hussein, a housekeeper in her 50s.

Hussein, or "Umm Mohamed" as she is known in her over-populated shantytown in the Ain Shams district of Cairo, hardly leaves the kitchen during Ramadan.

"There are many poor people in my neighbourhood. Dozens of people come to my house during Iftar time with their own empty food container and should take it back full," she told the German Press Agency dpa.

A meal usually consists of rice, vegetables and red or white meat.

Hussein, who is not well-off but considers herself in a better financial position than her neighbours, used to package the meals but stopped because it became too costly.

She now prefers "to serve more food for more people rather than spend the money on the packaging."

Hundreds of so-called tables of mercy, or Mawa'ed al-Rahman, where free meals are served during Iftar are spread around Cairo every year.

"There are lot of people in the neighbourhood who cannot afford to break their fast with a decent meal but would be embarrassed to be seen sitting on one of the tables of mercy. They prefer to come to my house and take a meal home to eat it with their family," says Hussein.

Since Ramadan is the month that the Koran was revealed to the Prophet Mohammed, Muslims tend to read the religious text more often.

With little time available, Hussein has had to get creative to combine both piety and charity. She now spends her hours in front of the oven cooking and repeating verses from the Koran after the voice of a famous Koran reciter coming out of her MP3 player.

"Imagine food cooked on the words of Allah, how blessed it could be?" she exclaims.

For some, it might seem that cooking for at least 200 people before dusk every day would need divine intervention. For Hussein, who started serving hot Ramadan meals a few years ago, help has come from her family.

"Thank God, my son Mohammed bought me a big oven at the beginning of the holy month. It saved me lot of time and trouble."

Mohammed, a 25-year-old law school graduate, also delivers a number of the cooked meals to people around the sprawling city who cannot leave work during the Iftar.

"The earlier my mum finishes the meals, the better for me to be able to drive for hours to deliver the food and come back at a suitable time," he says.

Hussein also depends on other members of her family to help with preparations. "I do not allow anyone to help me with the food except my relatives to guarantee safety and cleanliness."

She often gets donations of meat, the most expensive food item, from those who admire her efforts during Ramadan.

Hussein serves the food herself for Iftar and usually sits down to her own meal hours later. That is also when preparations for next day begins.

"It is non-stop work but it makes me feel happy." (dpa)