Ramadan is the perfect time for self reflection - Satan is locked up and we know our thoughts,speech and behaviour are all from ourselves. This should teach us to take responsibility of our actions - we can no longer blame the evil-ness of Satan but have to accept it is the evil (too strong?) within us.

We have to keep ourselves in check in the way we carry ourselves. Fasting is supposed to teach us self control, we stay away from that which is allowed for 18hrs. EIGHTEEN HOURS. That's a long time! Clearly we have enough self control (and belief) that we can keep away from food, drink, sexual relations for almost a whole day. We are not animals. We're also supposed to avoid sins too and if we have the self control to not fill our stomachs, we should have the same control to be able to at least try very hard to avoid sins, no?
Especially around 6-9pm when the energy levels are plummeting we have to use the self restraint we've had all day to not lose it when someone does something even slightly annoying and to not moan and groan about everything. Fasting should make us more conscious of our actions and then allow us to react to them in a suitable, beneficial manner. I think I can see what im doing much more clearly and I can respond in the correct manner, more than usual, Alhamdulillah.

Allah says in the Quran we bring harm upon upon our souls.

When we go against the teachings of Islam, we do not help ourselves. Our thoughts, speech and behaviour harms ourselves, it is not anyone else's fault. Shaykh Hamza Yusuf explained why we sin, he said we are rational beings and we do try to rationalize what we do. So ***we think we are doing the right thing.*** Even that guy in the US who had eaten children; to him that was the right thing to do as he was a Satanist.

But we have to accept that we do not know what's right for us. We do not know better than the one who is All-Knowing. This is how we will help our soul, otherwise we will continue to go astray, thinking something 'fun' and 'normal' is good for us despite being against Islam.

We have to face the demons within us. Outside of Ramadan I've thought, said and done things which I regretted but I thought this sorta thing:"it was cuz of shaytan, I wouldn't do that. I have to break away from his hold...but it wasn't me!"
And then Ramadan comes and shows to my horror, that it was me. I don't know about you, but recognising the state I am actually in...something different to what I perceived myself to be in is scary! But the fear/remorse/shame and all the negative emotions need to be faced, not ignored. I need to make a note of the reality I was ignorant of and aim to improve myself in these areas.

Some of Surah Al-Araf talks about Prophet Musa's (as) people, and this is a part of the introduction that is written for the Surah, in my Quran:

Quote:

Prophet Moses' (pbuh) own people were not too eager to accept his teachings...They had little desire for changing their condition and no heart for struggle and sacrifice necessary for winning their freedom....They reverted to idolatry and began to worship the golden calf when Prophet Moses (pbuh) left them...During their wandering in the desert they would not face their trials and troubles with patience and fortitude but demand that Moses and his God provide them food and other things they desired without lifting a finger to help themselves.

Let's not be like the people of Musa (as)!
Let's try to make a difference, make an effort to free ourselves from this messed up society and improve our hearts and souls!