Download Explain the contribution to the development and

Explain the contribution to the development and expression of Islam of Sayyid Qutb
By Joshua Quealy
Sayyid Qutb was born in 1906 in Egypt and became a teacher involved in Egypt’s ministry of
Education in 1933. He had a strong conviction that Islam was superior to all other systems
and was one of the most influential contemporary interpreters of Islam, revered to as a martyr
of Islamic revivalism after his execution in 1966. He contributed significantly to the
expression and development of Islam through his major works such as Milestones and In the
Shade of the Quran, being the editor of the Muslim Brotherhood Newspaper, through his jail
time, his social commentary and “fundamentalist” beliefs concerning Islam and the Koran
and his martyrdom.
The catalyst for his extremist beliefs eventuated after his return from America where he was
deeply dismayed that such prosperity could exist in a society that remained “abysmally
primitive in the world of the senses, feeling, and behaviour”. Upon returning to Egypt in
1950, he joined the Muslim brotherhood, a multinational Sunni Islamist movement as the
editor of their weekly periodicals. It was a medium for Qutb to discuss his political
philosophy that all earthly sovereignty belongs to God alone and to oppose Western
domination over Egypt. This has contributed to Islam with many contemporary Muslim’s
resenting the power of the West and view it not only as a physical enemy, but also as a
philosophical and ideological one. He also discussed topics such as Jahiliyyah (ignorance of
God, but Qutb extended the term to mean anyone who doesn’t follow Islam and the Quran) in
which he warned that “mankind today is on the brink of a precipice... because humanity is
devoid of those vital values for its healthy development and real progress”. This is
significant as his editorials impacted on Muslim leaders including Osama bin Laden and
Ayman al-Zawahiri by providing them with a foundation for their intense dislike of the West
which consequently resulted in terrorism.
Whilst in prison, he completed one of his major works “In the Shade of the Quran” which
was a commentary on the Quran in thirty volumes. It provided the principles for living as
Muslims and enforced the fact that they should engage in a lifelong study of the Quran as “it
is a rich experience (Quran) that gives meaning to life and makes it worth living”. This
impacted on Islam by underpinning the significance of the Quran in the everyday life of
adherents and accounts for its continued use in a wide range of Islamic ceremonies.
His exemplar writing was Milestones, a controversial book he released in 1965 that proposed
a radical transformation of Islam, ultimately leading to his arrest and execution. In it he
views the world as black and white; either Islamic societies or jahili societies. He views Islam
as the religion of the whole universe and it provides the solution to all societal problems,
thus, resulting in Milestones becoming a classic manifesto associated with the terrorist wing
of Islamic fundamentalism. He explored the concept of jihad as “struggling in the cause of
God” and believed it needs to be waged universally. He commented that jihad is a “universal
declaration of the freedom of man from slavery” as he believed that the people of the West
are oppressed and their only resolution is in being exposed to the Islamic society. This
impacted on the development of Islam with many adherents viewing their religion as superior
in comparison to the predominant religions in the West. This has also resulted in many
adherents continuing acts of jihad to abolish government authorities who don’t believe in
Shariah Law (Law of the Qur’an) to restore his vision of a “living community of Islam”.
Finally, through his martyrdom he significantly impacted on the development of Islam.
When asked by the president for mercy before his execution he replied, “...I should be set free
without having to plead for mercy from any mortal”. This emphasised how he whole
heartedly supported his extremist philosophies and wanted to become an Islamic martyr so
other adherents could follow in his footsteps by opposing the domination of the West and
carrying out his beliefs of jihad and aqida and jahiliyya. He believed that the death of a
Muslim for the cause of Islam is a triumph and thus, encouraged Muslims to become willing
Martyrs if his or her death is pursuant to the victory of Islam.
In conclusion, Sayyid Qutb strongly impacted on the development and expression of Islam
through his radical views in which he believed Islam to be a comprehensive system of life.
Being a fundamentalist, he expressed his philosophical stance and beliefs through is major
works which included “In the Shade of the Quran” and “Milestones” in which he
underpinned the importance of the Quran in Muslims life and the necessity to oppose the
West. These teaching influences Muslims to turn away from racism, materialism, greed and
capitalism, all values he witness in America. This resulted in many Muslims upholding his
radical beliefs of jihad even to this present day.