KUALA LUMPUR, April 10 — For most Muslims, waking up for "sahur" — the pre-dawn meal before the ritual fasting in Ramadan — can be challenging. Having a meal in the quiet wee hours between 5 and 6am can feel lonely especially in the modern urban life, leading to some either having it before sleep or skipping it altogether.

But for hundreds of residents in Taman Setia Balakong situated between Seri Kembangan and Kajang, loneliness and quiet are not part of their experience every sahur.

Every dawn during the month of Ramadan, dozens of youth volunteers would bang on percussions and recite salutations to Prophet Muhammad to assist and exhort Muslims to wake up and not miss the sahur period before fasting begins at daybreak.

"We are doing this every day during Ramadan to make sure our neighbours eat a meal early in the morning before fasting for the day," Muhammad Asrar Sulaiman, 19, one of the volunteers this year, told Malay Mail.

The tradition, called "ketuk-ketuk sahur" — which in Malay refers to the banging of the percussion — would commence every dawn between one and two hours before sahur period ends at the subuh prayer time.

Practised in a few Muslim-majority communities across the country, it holds a new meaning in Taman Setia Balakong which is located in the urban Klang Valley where most residents live in flats.

"The community here loves this tradition. When we miss a day because of an emergency, they will ask us why it was so quiet before dawn," Asrar related, amused.

"They were expecting to wake up to our noise. They all said they were waiting for us,” he added.

When Malay Mail visited during a Sunday dawn in late March, dozens of youths — some as young as primary school students — paraded through the blocks of flats, dressed in casual t-shirts and some in shorts. Many more trailed the procession, most of them with their smartphones out to record this rare tradition.

Leading the parade was a makeshift drum made of a plastic barrel pushed on a wooden cart decorated with LED lights. Accompanying the booming beats of the drums were the striking beats of kompang. Holding a microphone, one of the youths recited salutations venerating Allah and Prophet Muhammad.

"Most of the residents here are of Javanese descent. This is a tradition that we kept alive for more than four decades. I personally am involved in this because of my brothers, and they were involved because of my father. So it is like my family tradition too to wake people up for sahur," Asrar told Malay Mail.

Relating his involvement, Asrar said he is proud to join his father, uncles, brothers, and friends in the ritual before they retire.

"It also felt like I am connected to my great-grandparents by doing this, ” he said.

He also said that the procession is much merrier during the weekends, usually joined by young children.

"On weekdays, it's only like seven of us doing it but on weekends, more people, about 20 people, would join us with the excitement of meeting up the neighbours and waking people up.

"It’s almost like a festival,” he said proudly.

Muslims fast between the subuh prayer time at daybreak until dusk at maghrib.

This year, Ramadan lasts until Aidilfitri which is slated to be at either April 21 or 22.