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The Causes of Crime

...The causes behind the commission of crimes as well as the character of criminals must be studied to see whether they are such by nature and birth. Those who are polluted by various moral vices and commit crime, are they born with such tendencies or does their criminality originate in some spiritual disease? If it does, then how can they be treated?

Some experts in the field believe that a group of criminals are basically born such; criminality is inherent in their nature. This kind of individuals have even certain apparent abnormal characteristics which differentiate them from other people. They are, so to say, criminals by nature. Lombroso, the well-known Italian criminologist, was a strong defender of this theory of his own. His theory found many followers and was received with great interest by his contemporary writers....

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Chapter 1: Man Moves Towards Perfection

Every human being that is born in this world, regardless of its individual or social circumstances, aspires to its own perfection in accordance with its innate nature and its inborn intellect. It puts up with all kinds of sufferings and hardships for its hope of a brighter future. Its starting point is deficiency and its movement is directed towards perfection. It grows and develops with every step forward on the path of perfection. Man's intellect and spirit give such a profundity, power and speed to his movement towards perfection that there is no time limit to it except eternity itself.

This innate love for perfection is strong in the human being, but it is also present in the animals. They overcome every hindrance that they encounter in its way, avoid everything that they consider as harmful, and advance towards their instinctive goals. It may be said that all the phenomena that exist in nature, from infinitesimal atomic particles to the magnificent world of the galaxies, all are part of this caravan....

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Preface

We observe very clearly that everything in this world is in a state of flux and change. The process of renewal in life is a principle underlying the law of creation. In the same way as we believe in the immutable and enduring character of the law of change, we are also forced to believe in certain immutable concepts and to consider them eternal and everlasting. Among these immutable principles are the laws of morality and human excellence which we are forced to observe of the judgements of sound reason and to lead our lives in accordance with them...

The Sources of Common Principles of Morality and Ethics in Islam

The Sources of Common Principles of Morality and Ethics in Islam

 Introductory Remarks

 All nations have common principles in morality and ethics. The source of these moral and ethical attitudes can be traced back to three main sources:

1. Intuitive Reasoning (al-fitra) or the basic innate constitution of all human beings. In every person there is an innate intuition that can guide him/her to right or wrong in, at least, the basic morals. Killing an innocent person is repudiated and considered as an abominable, detestable crime, by all normal human beings whose innate constitution has not been distorted by wrong beliefs, practices, and attitudes. The Qur’an extolled the unblemished innate nature in many verses, including, for example, the following: Our Sibghah (religion) is the Sibghah (Religion) of Allah (Islam) and which Sibghah (religion) can be better than Allah’s? And we are His worshippers. (Q. 2:138) So direct your face toward the religion, inclining to truth....

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....Thus, the scope of akhlaq, according to al-Ghazali, is very wide [2]. Meanwhile, according to Ibn Taymiyyah, Islamic ethics or ilm al-akhlaq is a science that seeks to know which actions should be done and which should be avoided. It is a practical science meant to be applied [3]. Accordingly, Islamic ethics or ‘ilm al-akhlaq is a science which deals with the ways to maintain virtues at their optimum level, i.e, to avoid wrongdoing and to do what is right and desirable [4]....

Understanding Islamic Ethics and Its Significance on the Character Building

Understanding Islamic Ethics and Its Significance on the Character Building

Abstract—The most critical challenge facing Muslim today is the lack of the spiritual ethical dimension of life, and one of the most powerful means to overcome this problem is the adherence to the code of ethics. This paper attempts at clarifying the concept of Islamic ethics as a basic pillar for a healthy society. It explains about the need of ethics for the development of individual and society, and its significance on the character building. The author tries to present ethics as the counter part of other sciences, such as, law, politics, science, economics, and others for such sciences become soulless or insignificant if detached from ethics....