Boy, 10, 'excited' and nervous of first Ramadan
Family photoAs millions of Muslims around the world prepare for the holy month of Ramadan, 10-year-old Ayaan says he is both excited and nervous about taking part for the first time.
"I'm excited for the experience of actually doing it, but it's scary because we only eat two meals a day during Ramadan," he says.
His mother, Fozia, says he had some practice last year when he did not eat snacks or lunch while at his primary school in Highnam, near Gloucester. This year, she expects him to be more tired and to therefore struggle with his energy levels.
"Possibly the [lack of] food and water will affect you," Fozia says to Ayaan. "Because of that you will feel quite tired, so when you do come home from school it's absolutely fine to have a nap. School is quite a busy day."
Fozia says that when she had a full-time job she would sleep in her lunch hour in order to re-energise.
Last year, Ayaan's non-Muslim school friends asked him lots of questions during Ramadan about why he was not eating with them.
"Eventually, two of my friends asked how hard Ramadan was, what is it like not eating and drinking for 30 days. I told them we do eat two meals a day, otherwise we wouldn't survive. So they do ask me about it sometimes, and I do tell them."
Ayaan says he does not get annoyed being asked about what he is doing.
"I do like answering questions, but sometimes when I am really tired I say 'can you ask me later', because I don't want to be rude saying 'no I don't want to answer your questions'."
Fasting during daylight hours, which is meant to encourage spiritual reflection, is just one aspect of Ramadan.
Muslims will also pray five times a day and recite many parts of the Quran, as a way of deepening their relationship with God.
"During Ramadan, you increase your prayers, you read the Quran and I think you just naturally feel closer to God," says Fozia. "You don't actually feel like doing anything else, so it creates a stronger bond."
For Ayaan, as he approaches his first Ramadan, it is the fasting that he thinks of first. "God's getting us to know how poor people feel. I'm not getting forced into doing it, I want to do it, I want to see what it's like."
He does have lots of questions himself, such as how he will pray during the day while he is at school. His mother reassures him he will "make up for the missing one" when he gets home.
Ayaan feels praying five times a day will get easier for him as the weeks of Ramadan go by.
"The first time it might be a little bit hard, because you have to go from doing it occasionally to five times a day, every day, for the next 30 days. I think maybe on the third or fourth week I will get used to it."
In the UK, Ramadan begins on Friday evening and will end on 30 March, followed by Eid al-Fitr, the "festival of breaking the fast".
Follow BBC Gloucestershire on Facebook, X and Instagram. Send your story ideas to us on email or via WhatsApp on 0800 313 4630.