For years, I never really understood why Muslims fasted from sunrise to sunset during the month of Ramadan on the Islamic calendar.

This was despite learning about Islam in a high-school world religions class and knowing many Muslims.

But it became clear to me when a Iranian-born professor laid it out in stark terms.

He looked me in the eye and said that if you go without food during the day for an entire month every year, you learn what it's like to be hungry.

He suggested that this magnifies a person's empathy for others who might be without food, notably the poor.

Perhaps this helps explain why Muslims are often the most generous donors to charity. 

A poll in the United Kingdom revealed that Muslims gave on average $567 in 2012, compared to $412 from Jews, $308 from Protestants, $272 from Catholics, and only $177 from atheists. 

It's embedded in the Islamic religion to think communally. That's because the giving of alms, known as zakat, is a requirement of the faith.

Last year, Pew Research reported that a high percentage of Muslims give zakat in many countries.

Indonesia ranked highest at 98 percent, followed by Malaysia and Thailand at 93 percent, Morocco at 92 percent, Afghanistan at 91 percent, Pakistan and Liberia at 89 percent, Kenya at 87 percent, and the Palestinian Territories at 84 percent.

Today is the end of Ramadan when many Muslims celebrate the holiday of Eid al-Fitr. 

It's marked by a huge meal, known as the Feast of Fast-Breaking, and in some countries, it lasts for three days.

It's a time when Muslims are encouraged to open their wallets and donate money to the poor. They also give presents to children.

For now, Eid al-Fitr is not a national holiday in Canada. But its message of compassion and equality is one that all Canadians would be wise to embrace.