It's not easy for Sultan Humayun to go without food or water from sunrise to sunset, but knowing why he's doing it definitely helps.
"Whenever you feel hungry for some reason, you think about God, you think you are doing this because of him," the 10-year-old said Wednesday evening, the first day of Ramadan, before leading his family on the first prayer after breaking their fast.
Every year, the Humayuns, along with more than 1 billion Muslims worldwide, observe Ramadan, the ninth month of the Islamic calendar and the holiest time of the year.
Part of the observance is to abstain from food, drink and other sensual pleasures from the break of dawn to sunsetfor 30 days. The fast is another method of self-purification and one of the five pillars of Islam, according to the Council on American-Islamic Relations.
"It's a sacrifice so you know what it's like for other people who are not as blessed, people who are going hungry all over the world," said Naseer Humayun, Sultan's dad, in their Whitfield County, Ga., home. "So you are basically giving up something to please God."
Although Sultan learned to lead the salat, or daily prayer, when he was 8, he admits he is not quite ready to commit to Ramadan's full month of fasting. Children are not required to fast until they reach puberty, unless they feel ready at a younger age.
"Around my sister's age, I think I'll be ready," he said.
His sister, Najia, is 13, but she still is working on being able to fast the whole month.
Unlike many other teens in America during summer vacation, the night before the first day of Ramadan, Sultan and Najia were looking forward to waking up just before dawn.
"They were very excited that I would wake them up at 5 a.m.," said their mother, Khola Humayun.
The family had to wake up early enough to prepare their food - fresh fruit, milk, tea and pita bread filled with ground beef - and be done by 5:33 a.m., the official time the fasting began.
"It feels really good when you fast because you know you are doing something for the sake of God and you'll get rewards for that," said Najia.
"There's a saying in the holy Quran that you pray for your own well-being and the sake of yourself, but you fast for the sake of Allah and the holy prophet," she added.
For Khola Humayun, the most important thing is for her children to understand where they come from.
"I teach them that, during this month, we do an extra effort to be good, not just the prayers, but how to be a good person," she said. "I'm very proud when I see that they are excited to learn. I'm blessed."
At the end of the month, local Muslims gather at the masjid - the preferred term for their place of worship - to celebrate Eid al-Fitr, the end of Ramadan.