Sayyid Qutb

Sayyid Qutb
Name	Sayyid Qutb
Birth date	9 October 1906
Birth place	Musha, Asyut Governorate, Khedivate of Egypt
Death date	29 August 1966
Death place	Cairo, Egypt
Occupation	Author, educator, Islamic theorist
Known for	Islamism, Tafsir, ''Milestones''
Education	Dar al-Ulum (Cairo)

Sayyid Qutb was a prominent Egyptian author, educator, and leading intellectual of the Muslim Brotherhood. His extensive writings, developed during a period of intense political turmoil in Egypt and personal experience with Western culture, formulated a comprehensive and radical Islamist ideology. Qutb's later works, particularly those composed during his imprisonment by the Nasser regime, became foundational texts for modern Islamism and Jihadism, advocating for the overthrow of secular governments. He was executed by the Egyptian government in 1966, cementing his status as a martyr figure for subsequent Islamist movements.

Early life and education

Sayyid Qutb was born in the village of Musha in Asyut Governorate. He memorized the Quran at a young age before moving to Cairo for further education. He enrolled at the prestigious teacher-training college Dar al-Ulum, graduating in 1933. After graduation, he worked as a teacher and inspector for the Egyptian Ministry of Education. His early intellectual influences were largely secular, and he initially moved in literary circles that included figures like Abbas Mahmoud al-Aqqad.

Literary career and Western influence

In the 1930s and 1940s, Qutb established himself as a significant literary critic, poet, and novelist, engaging with contemporary Arabic literature. His work during this period showed appreciation for Western literary forms. Between 1948 and 1950, he was sent to the United States on a scholarship to study its educational system, living in Greeley, Washington, D.C., and Palo Alto. This experience proved transformative, as he developed a profound critique of American society, which he perceived as materialistic, racially unjust, and morally decadent, a view expressed in works like The America I Have Seen.

Political ideology and activism

Upon his return to Egypt, Qutb became increasingly involved with the Muslim Brotherhood, formally joining the organization around 1953. Disillusioned with secular nationalism and influenced by the writings of Abul A'la Maududi, his ideology crystallized into a call for the establishment of an Islamic state governed by Sharia. He articulated concepts like jahiliyyah (pre-Islamic ignorance), which he applied to contemporary Muslim societies he deemed un-Islamic, and hakimiyya (sovereignty belonging only to God). He served as the editor of the Brotherhood's newspaper, Al-Ikhwan Al-Muslimun.

Imprisonment and later writings

Following an alleged assassination attempt on Gamal Abdel Nasser in 1954, the Muslim Brotherhood was suppressed, and Qutb was imprisoned. He endured torture and spent most of the next decade in Egyptian prisons, including the notorious Tura Prison. It was during this period that he produced his most influential works. His voluminous Quranic commentary, Fi Zilal al-Qur'an (In the Shade of the Quran), was largely written in prison. His seminal and most controversial work, Ma'alim fi al-Tariq (Milestones), written around 1964, presented a revolutionary manifesto for establishing an Islamic vanguard.

Execution and legacy

Released briefly in 1964 due to ill health and the intercession of Iraqi President Abd al-Salam Arif, Qutb was rearrested in 1965. The Nasser regime accused him of plotting a coup, charges widely believed to be fabricated. After a swift military trial, he was executed by hanging in 1966. His death made him a potent symbol of resistance. Qutb's ideas, especially from Milestones, profoundly influenced later Islamist movements and thinkers across the Sunni world, including Ayman al-Zawahiri and Osama bin Laden, shaping ideologies of groups like al-Qaeda.

Major works

Qutb's extensive bibliography includes literary criticism, social commentary, and Islamic texts. His most significant works are his eight-volume Quranic exegesis, Fi Zilal al-Qur'an, and the political treatise Ma'alim fi al-Tariq. Other notable writings include Social Justice in Islam, This Religion of Islam, and The America I Have Seen. His literary works, such as the novel A Child from the Village, provide insight into his early career and social concerns.

Category:1906 births Category:1966 deaths Category:Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood members Category:Executed Egyptian people Category:Islamist theorists