In case anyone’s looking for proof that Shaitan has, in fact, been locked up for Ramadan, I just put a perfect pie into the oven. :D

Following in the brilliant footsteps of Choco and Sana I’ve decided to put together a list of things I will try to accomplish this Ramadan. And so, in no order of importance whatsoever, here is My List!

No computer games. (eeek!) Computer games are my enemy, and I know it. Any time I get on to the computer with the intention of doing something productive, I find myself clicking on the wrong icon and opening up Nethack instead of one of the many Islamic articles I’ve started but not finished. Then, an hour later, I’m done playing and I get up and leave the computer, totally forgetting why I got on it in the first place!

More Playstation games. I’m serious. Let me explain. I only play Playstation when I’m working out. I turn it on, hop on to the elliptical trainer and manage to forget that I’m exercising for about 50 minutes. Once I’m done, I turn it off. You wonder how much skill I’ve got to be able to jog and push the little buttons on the controller at the same time. Well, I don’t play fast-paced shoot-em-ups. I play RPG’s, like Final Fantasy (I have VIII and IX). It doesn’t matter how quickly I push the buttons. Though I admit, sometimes I make mistakes and there’s been more than one time where I’ve made Squall take a whack at Quistis instead of the bad guy, he he. Oops. So, back to the beginning, more Playstation means more exercise, and I should have more time to exercise since I’m not going to be playing Nethack for the next month, InshaAllah. (I mean after Iftar, by the way.)

Read more Qur’an! This is a really important one. I’ve gotten out of the habit of reading the Qur’an every night. I enjoy reading it when I pick it up, but the problem is, I can’t remember to pick it up. I’ve got to re-incorporate it into the nightly bed-time ritual (wash face, brush teeth, pray Isha, arrange pillows elaborately and crash). I just need to move my desk so that it’s in front of where I pray, and then put the Qur’an on top of that. Then mebbe when I see it I’ll remember, InshaAllah.

Begin everything with Bismillah: I used to be much better about doing that, but I’ve been forgetting to lately. (which is probably because I haven’t reminded myself until now!) It’s a good habit to begin everything in the name of Allah, in the hopes that Allah blesses your effort and purifies your intention. It’s an excellent way to re-instill Taqwa and awareness of Allah into your daily actions.

Concentrate more on my prayers: It’s so shameful that sometimes I can pray and then not remember having prayed later. This is because I wasn’t paying enough attention the first time to even know that I was performing an act of worship! It’s shocking to me, how stupid I can be about it. I joke about the Muslim Macarena, but it’s fairly serious. I can’t just be going through the motions without meaning anything I’m saying or feeling anything I’m doing. Gotta concentrate more.

I’ll probably add more things to the list as I go. At the moment, I’ve got to make Iftar. Oh wait, that’s another thing I have to do:

Plan better Iftars!: Pakoras have officially been banned from the house this year. And, we’ve all resolved to be smarter about eating, not to gorge ourselves at Iftar time, but to have dates and tea and maybe a few crackers. Then pray, relax, and have dinner a short while later. This means I can’t be lazy and just do pakoras. Hmmm…

I’m going to go and rummage around the refrigerator now…

posted by Abez @ 10/28/2003 02:11:00 PM