Nine year old Ridwaan was born in Belfast, but his father is from Palestine and his mother from Syria and the family are Muslim. During the programme, he introduces his friend John-William to the five pillars of Islam and in particular, the fast during Ramadan.

The pillars: belief in Allah, daily prayer, fasting during the month of Ramadan, giving to charity and sharing with those less fortunate and the pilgrimage to Mecca at least once.

We learn that there are nearly a billion Muslims in the world and that it's the fastest growing religion. There are strict rules about food – no pork, so no Ulster fries, and no alcohol. The five pillars influence much of daily life for a Muslim, prayer five times a day, but specially on Friday at the mosque where Ridwaan goes with his father.

John-William has fasted for a day for a charity and knows how hungry he got. Ridwaan explains that the Muslim fast lasts for the whole month of Ramadan, when the fast begins at dawn and ends at sunrise – much easier in the winter than in the summer! It's a good way to identify with the poor and the hungry around the world too. A lot more prayer than usual is called for, and he really enjoys the month as his family is a lot closer. If you're too old or too sick to fast, you make a payment to a charity for each day that you can't take part.

Ridwaan's mum remembers what it was like during Ramadan when she was a child in Syria when most of their neighbours were taking part.

The festival of Eid follows when everyone gets together to have special feasting, children get sweets and presents and new clothes, and local children get a day off school. At the mosque, everyone meets for prayer just before the celebration.
 

 
By the end of the programme pupils should:

 
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