Iqbal cuts against the grain of his own era's criminal justice obsession by suggesting that bars and sentences treat symptoms rather than causes—a distinction most reformers of his time preferred to ignore. What's striking is his insistence that "awakening of the spirit" isn't mere sentiment but a prerequisite for actual reform, implying that people who haven't examined their own values will simply return to harm once released. You see this played out today in recidivism rates: countries prioritizing rehabilitation and education over pure punishment consistently report lower reoffending, while those relying on incapacitation alone watch the same individuals cycle back through. His argument essentially says a society gets the crime it deserves through its neglect of minds and conscience.