Criminal Desires

Criminal Desires

1987 2 February 9 Criminal Desires (186) In the nineteenth century, an Italian doctor, Cesare Lombroso, measured the heads of selected groups of people, then asserted on the basis of his findings that the brains of criminals were smaller in dimension than those of non-criminals.

His contention, in fact, was that if certain individuals turned into criminals, it was because they were criminals by birth.

Today it has been accepted that nurture, not nature, is responsible for criminal behaviour.

Professors James Q. Wilson and Richard Herrnstein in their book, Crime and Human Nature, recently published in America by Simon and Schuster, make the important point that “criminals tend to be now-oriented personalities which make planning or even thinking about the future difficult.”

If we ponder over this psychology of crime we will realize that the Islamic concept is exactly in accordance with reality, while modern civilization’s view of it is exactly the opposite.

Islam orients the mind towards the after-life, whereas the modern trend is to turn it towards the here and now. This is how Islamic thought helps to root out criminal desires, whereas the materialism of modern culture nurtures criminal propensities.

Lust for fame the worst single danger for man

1987 2 February 9 Lust for fame the worst single danger for man (75) When Shidad ibn Aus was near death, he said to those around him: “What I fear most for this community is ostentation and secret desires.” Sufyan Thauri explained the meaning of “secret desires”. “It is to like being praised for one’s good deeds,” he said. The Prophet himself was asked about secret desires, and he attributed them to one who seeks knowledge because he likes the idea of people coming to sit at his feet.

The day of death will be the day when man comes to life

1987 2 February 9 The day of death will be the day when man comes to life (12) “People are asleep; when they die they will awaken,” the Prophet said.