Ali forces himself out of bed at 5:00 a.m. Friday, August 21. School hasn’t started yet, so his reason for waking up so early is unknown to most people.

He walks to the kitchen half asleep, pours himself a bowl of cereal, grabs a gallon of water and sits down at the kitchen table.

While he eats, Ali begins thinking about the day ahead. He needs to make sure he eats enough. He needs to make sure he’s well hydrated. Aside from preparing physically, he needs to make sure he’s prepared mentally.

Now that Ali finished his breakfast and drank as much water as he could take, it’s time for him to brush his teeth and perform the first of the five daily prayers, Fajr.

It’s nearing sunrise by this time, and Ali knows what that means. The month of Ramadan has officially begun.

As a Muslim, Ali Muhammed, 11, is required to fast during the ninth Islamic month of Ramadan. He will not be able to eat or drink anything each day from sunup until sundown. It’s a time meant for sacrifice. A time to resist all temptation, and grow spiritually stronger.

“Fasting during Ramadan gets rid of my sins. It’s a major sacrifice but not only for food. It gives me a chance to cleanse my soul and get closer to God,” Muhammed said.

Just fasting for a day is difficult enough for Ali. But once different factors are added, such as school, work or sports the day gets even harder. Ali could have made the decision to quit football during Ramadan, but he chose not to since he had quit his freshman and sophomore year due to injuries.

“I missed the football field,” Muhammed said.

Playing football meant Ali having to walk to the field house every day after school, suit up and practice out in the blistering heat. This redundant task is no different for any other football player. The only thing is Ali has to go out there without a drop of water touching his mouth. The most he could do was pour a full bottle of water over his head.

“I lose around 15 pounds when fasting. It drains me out,” Muhammed said. “I’m completely out of energy by the end of practice.”

Most of Ali’s coaches and teammates are well aware of his religious duties. When it’s time for a five minute break during practice, football players rush to the waterboys and trainers to hydrate themselves, while Ali falls behind and throws the football with an injured player.

“The coaches respect the fact that I’m fasting and still in football,” Muhammed said. “They still can’t believe it. They keep forgetting I can’t drink water.”

His teammates, Terrance King, 12, and Dub Ingram, 11, stand with him on the offensive line, watching him and stay in disbelief, wondering how he can make it through practice.

“I think it’s hard to do it without any water or food,” King said.

“It shows that he truly believes in his religion,” Ingram said.

Throughout the day, Ali is constantly seeing people with food or a drink in their hand. He can feel the growls in his stomach and temptation growing stronger. But then he remembers why he’s fasting in the first place. He remembers the guilt he would feel and how fasting during Ramadan is only making him stronger.

“There’s the fear of Allah (God) that keeps me from quitting and it’s one of the Five Pillars of Islam,” Muhammed said.

At the end of the day, at sunset, Ali joins his family for a great feast. At the end of Ramadan (9-19-09), on the Islamic holiday, Eid ul-Fitr, Ali is dressed in his finest clothing and ready to join fellow Muslims for early prayer and celebration.

The month of Ramadan was long and difficult for Ali. But he made it through and football Coach Green believes it shows the kind of person he is.

“It’s a true measure of his character. It shows his level of integrity is above reproach,” Football Coach Green said. “It’s a measure of his faith and will to be a strong person emotionally, physically and spiritually.”