Sayyid Qutb's Milestones

Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Sayyid Qutb's Milestones,

But Couldn't Be Bothered to Find Out
Eler Swenson
!ast "#dated$ %&'(&'))*
1. Introduction
2. Qutb and the Muslim Community
3. Qutb and Shari'ah Law, the Islamic Vanguard and Slaery
!. Qutb on Se", #omen and the $amily
%. Qutb on &olitics' &rogressie Islam, (ationalism, )emocracy, Socialism
*. Qutb on &olitics' +acial ,-uality and $reedom
.. Qutb and non/Muslims' 0he #est
1. Qutb and non/Muslims' Christians, 2ews and $reedom o3 +eligion
4. Qutb and &eace3ul Co/,"istance with non/Muslims
15. Qutb and the $uture
11. 6ddendum
+,-.O
Who is Sayyid Qutb, and what's so s#e/ial about his boo0 Milestones, a0a
Signposts1
Qutb 7145*/14**8 was an ,gy9tian goernment bureaucrat, author, literary critic and
3inally an Islamic 9olitical leader, but is most 3amous as an Islamist theoretician. :e
grew u9 in ;ritish/occu9ied ,gy9t and was im9risoned and e"ecuted in (asser<s
inde9endent ,gy9t. 0hough he came 3rom a 9ious rural bac=ground, he studied
#estern literature e"tensiely and wrote literary criticism as well as 9oetry, short
stories and articles. Qutb s9ent two years in 6merica 7which he loathed8 and came
bac= a determined 3undamentalist. :e became one o3 the leading members o3 the
,gy9tian Muslim ;rotherhood, the 3irst and largest mass Islamist grou9. 63ter the ;rotherhood
3ell out with the ruling 6rab nationalists in ,gy9t and an attem9t was made on the li3e o3
9resident >amal 6bdul (asser, the nationalists< leader, Qutb was im9risoned. 15 years later,
accused o3 another 9lot against the goernment, he was hanged. ?1@
Qutb wrote many boo=s, but his most 3amous and widely read by 3ar is Milestones, generally
considered one o3, i3 not the most in3luential Islamist tract eer written. Milestones 7Ma'alim 'ala
Al-Tariq8, was an immediate best seller and is said to hae been 9ublished in close to 2,555
editions ?2@
6t the time o3 writing it was also aailable in 3ull te"t on at least two websites'
htt9'AAwww.youngmuslims.caAonlineBlibraryAboo=sAmilestonesAinde"B2.as9
htt9'AAen.wi=i9edia.orgAwi=iAMaC2.alimB3i/l/0ari-
Some accolades 3or Milestones and Qutb<s in3luence'
... regarded as the 3ather o3 modern 3undamentalism and described by his 76rab8 biogra9her as
Dthe most 3amous 9ersonality o3 the Muslim world in the second hal3 o3 the 25th century,D....
Qutb was the most in3luential adocate in modern times o3 Eihad, or Islamic holy war, and the
chie3 deelo9er o3 doctrines that legitimise iolent Muslim resistance to regimes that claim to be
Muslim, but whose im9lementation o3 Islamic 9rece9ts is Eudged to be im9er3ect....
DIs 0his the Man #ho Ins9ired ;in LadenFD +obert Irwin, Guardian , (oember 1, 2551
0he essential charter o3 the Eihad moement // its Mein Kampf // is Sayyid Qutb<s Milestones...
D0ruly, madly, dee9ly deout,D 2onathan +aban, Guardian , March 2, 2552
6nd lest anyone thin= such testimonials come only 3rom non/Islamists, here<s an Islamist ;ritish
conert to Islam, :amid 6lgar, writing be3ore 4A11'
Sayyid Qutb ... some 21 years a3ter his death is still the most influential ideologue of the Islamic
movement in the contemporary Arab orld ... Ma'alim fi 'l-Tariq ?Milestones@ must de3initely
count among the historic documents o3 the contem9orary Islamic moement. ?3@
What's this boo0 li0e1
Gne o3 the most common ,nglish language editions o3 Milestones 7and the one 3rom which
-uotes and 9age numbers on this $6Q come 3rom8 was 9ublished by 0he Mother Mos-ue
$oundation in 1411. It loo=s li=e an oersiHed 9am9hlet. It<s 3ull o3 ty9os and has no inde", no
notes, no introduction to tell you who the author is, or een when the boo= was 3irst 9ublished.
6s 3or the content, non/Islamists 7and in 3act most eeryone8 will 3ind Milestones badly in need
o3 an editor, alternately re9eating some 9oints oer and oer while s=i99ing oer others that beg
to be e"9lained 3urther. Mar"ist author 0ari- 6li assessed it Dre9etitie, banal, unins9iring.D (o
doubt this is in 9art because Milestones was written in 9rison and smuggled out, and also because
it was written 3or the DanguardD o3 the reial o3 Islam rather than aerage Muslims 7neer
mind non/Muslims8. ;e that as it may, although only 1*5 9ages, non/Islamist readers may 3ind it
the lonnnggggest 1*5 9ages they<e eer read.
Why was this FAQ /reated1
In3luential and com9act as it is, Milestones is in some ways the ideal 9lace to begin learning
about radical Islam. 6nd i3 in 3act it is Dthe Mein KampfD o3 the al Qaeda, it may not only be
interesting but rather im9ortant to understand. 2ust as +adical Islamists were able to 9lan and
carry out terror attac=s because o3 their 3amiliarity with the #est, so too the #est may be able to
turn the tables and de3end itsel3 better by understanding how their would/be murderers and
destroyers thin=. Gn the other hand, i3 the 9ortrayal aboe o3 Qutb 7or more generally the
Islamist reial8 is slander, as some allege 7see below8, that also would be im9ortant to clear u9.
0he 9roblem is, Qutb<s writing is so bad many non/Muslims and non/Islamists won<t hae the
9atience to ma=e their way through the whole thing, or through the whole thing care3ully. 0his
$6Q, then is an attem9t to ma=e Milestones easier to understand by brea=ing it down 9oint/by/
9oint and clari3ying it. Such 9oints include the -uestions'
#as Qutb an anti/#estern 3anatic as some o3 the -uotes in the 3irst 6nswer indicateF Gr has
the #est Dchosen to dubD Qutb and the Islamic religious reial in general Das 3undamentalist, as
3anatic, as anti/#estern, as anachronistic, as what not, when nothing could be 3arther 3rom the
truthDF ?!@ 6re 3ollowers o3 Qutb in reality merely 9ious and 9roud Muslims who demand res9ect
and sensitiity 3or their religion and 9eo9le, but are willing to gie the same to others in returnF
#hen does Qutb thin= iolence is necessaryF Is he Dcare3ul to em9hasiHe that ?Eihad@ does
not necessarily mean the use o3 iolence...DF 7D6 $resh loo= at Sayyid Qutb<s Milestones D by
Mu-tedar Ihan8 )id he re3rain 3rom Dinit?ing@ 9eo9le to any clandestine moementD or
Dinstigat?ing@ them to iolence and destructie actiitiesDF ?%@
#hen Qutb tal=s about Dcom9lete 3reedom,D D3reedom o3 man 3rom seritude to other men,D
and Da 9ractical religionD 79hrases he uses re9eatedly8, what does he really meanF
Can the enemies o3 Qutb<s enemies 7e.g. the 3oes o3 im9erialism and global ca9italism8 ma=e
common cause with 3ollowers o3 QutbF
Q"-B and -2E 3"S!+3 CO33",+-Y
What does Qutb thin0 o4 the /onte#orary 3usli /ounity1
0hat it doesn<t e"ist. D0he Muslim community has long ago anished 3rom e"istence.D It<s Dbeen
e"tinct 3or a 3ew centuries.D :ow can this beF #ell, without the Dlaws o3 >od,D i.e. Shari'ah law,
Islam does not e"ist, so today<s Muslims, or 9eo9le who call themseles Muslim, lie in not in an
Islamic world, but in !ahiliyyah, 9re/Islamic ignorance.
... the Muslim community has long ago vanished from existence ...
we can say that the Muslim community has been extinct for a few
centuries, for this Muslim community does not denote the name of
a land in which Islam resides, nor is it a people whose
forefathers lived under the Islamic system at some earlier time.
It is the name of a group of people whose manners, ideas and
concepts, rules and regulations, values and criteria, are all
derived from the Islamic source. The Muslim community with these
characteristics vanished at the moment the laws of God became
suspended on earth. [p.9
!ur whole environment, people"s beliefs and ideas, habits and
art, rules and laws ## is Jahiliyyah, even to the extent that
what we consider to be Islamic culture, Islamic sources, Islamic
philosophy and Islamic thought are also constructs of Jahiliyyah$
?9.25@
What e5a/tly is wrong with 6Jahiliyyah6 so/iety1
,erything.
!ahiliyyah is eerywhere'
The whole world is steeped in Jahiliyyah... ?9.15/11@
Jahiliyyah is evil and corrupt, whether it be of the ancient or
modern variety. ?9.132@
%e must ... free ourselves from the clutches of jahili society,
jahili concepts, jahili traditions and jahili leadership.. ?9.21@
(o com9romise with it is tolerable'
%e will not change our own values and concepts either more or
less to ma&e a bargain with this jahili society. 'ever$ ?9.21@
6 lie/and/let/lie co/e"istence with it is unthin=able'
Islam cannot accept or agree to a situation which is half#Islam
and half#Jahiliyyah ... The mixing and co#existence of the truth
and falsehood is impossible. ?9.135@
But i4 3uslis #ray, 4ast, give als, go on 2a77, #ro/lai that there is no 8od
but 8od and 3uhaad is his #ro#het, how /an they be ignorant #agans
9i:e: Jahili;1
6nyone who does not obey traditional Shari'ah, or D>od<s rule on earth,D is by 7Qutb<s8 de3inition
not a Muslim. 0he 9roblem with these D"ahiliD Muslims is
not that they believe in other deities besides God or because
they worship anyone other than God, but [that their way of life
is not based on submission to God alone. (lthough they believe in
the )nity of God, still they have relegated the legislative
attribute of God to others and submit to this authority. ?9.12@
6nd Dacce9ting the soereignty o3 others besides >od,D 7the others in -uestion being human
beings8, is shir#, 79olytheism8. ?9.!%@ Jou may not thin= you are worshi9ing 9riests or 9residents
when you obey the regulations or laws legislated by their goernance, but you are.
The *rophet # peace be on him # clearly stated that, according to
the Shari'ah, "to obey" is "to worship". ... (nyone who serves
someone other than God in this sense is outside God"s religion,
although he may claim to profess this religion. ?9.*5@
DGbedience to the Shari'ah, o3 >od, isD not Eust as im9ortant as the 3ie 9illarsK it is Deen more
necessary than the establishment o3 the Islamic belie3D 79.148 in ma=ing a Muslim a Muslim.
0hus 7as noted aboe8,
... the Muslim community ... vanished ... the moment the laws of
God became suspended on earth... ?9.4@
Where does Qutb thin0 the Umma 93usli /ounity; went wrong1
In deiating 3rom the model 3or Muslims // the original DCom9anions o3 the &ro9het.D
If Islam is again to play the role of the leader of man&ind, then
it is necessary that the Muslim community be restored to its
original form. ?9.4@
Lnli=e Muslims o3 today, the com9anions isolated themseles 3rom the !ahiliyyah learning and
culture o3 non/Muslims and loo=ed to the Qur<an 3or orders to obey, not as in3ormation or
solutions to 9roblems. S9eci3ically, the Com9anions ...
6oided any contamination 3rom non/Islamic culture or learning // >ree=, +oman, &ersian,
Christian or 2ewish logic, art, 9oetry, etc., // i.e. anything other than the Qur<an. D0he s9ring 3rom
which the Com9anions o3 the &ro9het 798 dran= was the Quran, only the Quran... 79.1*8
+ead the Qur<an as orders to be 3ollowed 7Dwhat the 6lmighty Creator had 9rescribed 3or
himD8, as a source o3 Dinstruction 3or obedience and actionD 79.218, and not D3or the sa=e o3
discussion, learning and in3ormationD or Dto sole some scienti3ic or legal 9roblem.D 79.1./118
DCut ?themseles@ o33 3rom !ahiliyyah,D i.e. the rest o3 the world, and Dse9arating
?them@seles com9letely 3rom ?their@ 9ast li3e,D a li3e o3 Dignorance o3 the )iine Law.D 0hey
renounced Dthe !ahili enironment, its customs and traditions, its ideas and conce9ts.D 79.14/258
Qutb later contradicts this 3irst 9rescri9tion, declaring it GI to study some #estern =nowledge ...
chemistry, physics, biology, astronomy, medicine, industry,
agriculture, administration +limited to its technical aspects,,
technology, military arts... ?9.154@
although not others'
principles of economics and political affairs and interpretation
of historical processes ... origin of the universe, the origin of
the life of man ... philosophy, comparative religion ...
sociology +excluding statistics and observations, ... -arwinist
biology +[which goes beyond the scope of its observations,
without any rhyme or reason and only for the sa&e of expressing
an opinion ...,. ?9.151/115@
Q"-B A,< SHARI'AH !AW, -2E +S!A3+C
=A,8"A.<, S!A=E.Y
What is so s#e/ial about the Shari'ah, or 68od's rule on earth,6 that it is
indis#ensable to +sla1
;ecause the Shari'ah is >od<s law, it brings Dtotal harmony between human li3e and the law o3
the unierse.D It Dis the only guarantee against any =ind o3 discord in li3eD // whether mental or
9hysical. It brings both D9eace o3 mindD and D9eace and coo9eration among indiidualsD. 79.458
Shari'ah is also a part of that universal law which governs the
entire universe, including the physical and biological aspects of
man. .ach word of God, whether it is an in/unction or a
prohibition, a promise or an admonition, a rule or guidance, is a
part of the universal law and is as accurate and true as any of
the laws &nown as the 0laws of nature0... ?9.11@
and thus can no more be denied than the laws o3 graity or nuclear 9hysics.
Shari'ah is so wonder3ul it achiees the DresultsD o3 heaen 7though not absolutely 9er3ectly8
right here on earth.
... when harmony between human life and the universe ensues, its
results are not postponed for the next life but are operative
even in this world. 1owever, they will reach their perfection in
the 1ereafter. ?9.41@
0he Shari'ah is not Eust a legal code but eerything legislated by >od, 3rom Dbelie3D to
Dadministration and EusticeD to D9rinci9les o3 art and science.D 79.15.8
So i4 la/0 o4 Shari'ah is the /ause o4 the deise o4 true +sla and the 3usli
/ounity, how does Qutb #ro#ose to reestablish Shari'ah1
#ell, o3 course, through 9reaching to 9ersuade 9eo9le o3 the Shari'ah's necessity, but
the abolition of man#made laws cannot be achieved only through
preaching. Those who have usurped the authority of God and are
oppressing God"s creatures are not going to give up their power
merely through preaching. ?9.%4@
So in addition Dthe moementD is needed.
If through 0preaching0 beliefs and ideas are confronted, through
0the movement0 material obstacles are tac&led. 2oremost among
these [material obstacles is that political power which rests on
a complex yet interrelated ideological, racial, class, social and
economic support ... 2or the achievement of the freedom of man on
earth ## of all man&ind throughout the earth ## it is necessary
that these two methods should wor& side by side. This is a very
important point and cannot be overemphasi3ed. ?9.%4@
Material obstacles is also described as Dthe 9olitical system o3 the state, the socio/economic
system based on races and classes, and behind all these, the military 9ower o3 the goernment.D
79.*38 Later on he e"9ands the list o3 the Dmany 9ractical obstacles in establishing >od<s rule on
earthD to include not Eust Dthe 9ower o3 the state, the social system and traditionsD but Din general,
the whole human enironment.D 79..28
So how will these 6aterial obsta/les6 in the way o4 Shari'ah be reoved1
0hrough 3orce.
This movement uses ... physical power and Jihaad for abolishing
the organi3ations and authorities of the jahili system which
prevents people from reforming their ideas and beliefs but forces
them to obey their erroneous ways [i.e. what they want to do and
ma&e them serve human lords instead of the (lmighty 4ord. ?9.%%@
0There is no compulsion in religion50 but when the above
mentioned obstacles and practical difficulties
i.e. the 9olitical system o3 the state, the socio/economic system and behind all these, the military
9ower o3 the goernment 7not to mention Dthe whole human enironmentD8
are put in [Islam"s way, it has no recourse but to remove them
by force so that when it is addressed to peoples" hearts and
minds they are free to accept or re/ect it with an open mind.
?9.*3, .2@
Who will do this 4or/e4ul reoving o4 the 6organi>ations and authorities o4 the
Jahili syste ::: the whole huan environent61
0he Islamic anguard 3or whom Milestones is written.
1ow is it possible to start the tas& of reviving Islam6 It is
necessary that there should be a vanguard which sets out ... and
&eeps wal&ing on the path, marching through the vast ocean of
Jahiliyyah which has encompassed the entire world. ?9.12@
The Islamic society is born out of a [vanguard movement ... the
origin of this movement [is the faith of a single individual ...
(s soon as this single individual believes in this faith, the
Islamic community comes into existence +potentially,. %hen the
number of 7elievers reaches three, then this faith tells them,
0'ow you are a community, a distinct Islamic community, distinct
from that Jahili society ...
These three individuals increase to ten, the ten to a hundred,
the hundred to a thousand, and the thousand increase to twelve
thousand?9.151/3@
;ecause
Jahiliyyah is all around him, and its residual influences in his
mind and in the minds of those around him, ... every individual
of this society must move$
0o se9arate themseles 3rom insidious !ahiliyyah against which
... the struggle goes on and the Jihaad continues until the -ay
of 8esurrection. ?9.151/3@
Will the vanguard 4or/e others to a//e#t the Shari'ah1
Qutb is ambiguous on this 9oint. Gn the one hand Qutb calls 3or waiting and delaying the
legislation o3 the Shari'ah until 9eo9le are DreadyD and hae acce9ted Islam.
The course prescribed by God for this religion is ... first,
belief ought to be imprinted on hearts and rule over consciences
## that belief which demands that people should not bow before
anyone except God or derive laws from any other source. Then,
when such a group of people is ready and also gains practical
control of society, various laws will be legislated according to
the practical needs of that society. ?9.3%@
Gn the other hand Qutb also indicates that some things can<t wait 3or belie3 to be im9rinted.
Islam gies 9eo9le
complete freedom to accept or not to accept its beliefs ...
1owever this freedom does not mean that they can ma&e their
desires their gods, or that they can choose to remain in the
servitude of other human beings, ma&ing some men lords over
others. ?9.*1@
7DMa=ing some men lords oer others,D he e"9lains, is the 9ractice o3 2ews and Christians o3
Dobeying laws which were made by ... 9riests and rabbisD and is Dnot 9ermitted by >od.D 79.1288
2ow, s#e/i4i/ally, does divine law or Shari'ah di44er 4ro /urrent an&ade law1
Aren't the #unishents o4 the Shari'ah rather severe & thieves hands /ut
o44, drin0ers lashed, and adulterers stoned1
Curiously 3or someone describing Shari'ah as the solution to all 9roblems o3 humanity, social or
indiidual, Qutb neer gies any e"am9les o3 how 9articular 9ieces o3 DdiineD legislation are
su9erior to e-uialent =inds o3 Dman/madeD law. Laws against 3ornication and drin=ing li-uor,
the wrongness o3 charging interest on loans and D3ree mi"ing o3 the se"esD are mentioned only in
9assing. &resumably he thought his other wor=s e"9lained it well enough or that his audience
already =new enough about it.
Qutb does ma=e it clear Shari'ah does not gie a lot o3 leeway in what 9eo9le can do...
Its system extends into all aspects of life5 it discusses all
minor or ma/or affairs of man&ind5 it orders man"s life ...
people should devote their entire lives in submission to God,
should not decide any affair on their own, but must refer to
God"s in/unctions concerning it and follow them. ?9.32, !.@
6s 3or the seerity o3 Shari'ah, Qutb claims that 7almost all8 9eo9le will Eust naturally want to
obey >od<s laws, so there will be ery little DoccasionD to 9unish wrongdoers. Qutb<s goal is to
restore the DMuslim community ... to its original 3orm.D 79.48 ;ac= then ...
... /ustice was God"s /ustice ... Morals were elevated, hearts
and souls were purified, and with the exception of a very few
cases, there was no occasion even to enforce the limits and
punishments which God has prescribed5 for now conscience was the
law#enforcer, and the pleasure of God, the hope of -ivine reward,
and the fear of God"s anger too& the place of police and
punishments. ?9.4, 35@
But isn't it true that Qutb e#hasi>ed the 6#ra/ti/al6 nature o4 +sla and the
i#ortan/e o4 the Shari'ah serving the needs o4 the 3usli /ounity1
6ccording to one o3 Qutb<s de3enders...
... 0he most remar=able as9ect o3 Qutb<s boo= is his insistence on an a99roach in <stages< and the
re9eated assertion that the need 3or im9lementing Islamic law would not arise until eery
member o3 the community had com9letely submitted to the soereignty o3 6llah and by that
agreed to lie under 6llah<s laws. Laws would then be 3ramed merely to sere the needs o3 this
<liing community o3 Islam<. 6 3ar cry 3rom the 9erce9tion that a hand3ul o3 Islamists are out to
im9ose an essentialiHed Shari'ah on all Muslims and non/Muslims liing in Muslim lands...8 D6
$resh loo= at Sayyid Qutb<s Milestones D by Mu-tedar Ihan
Qutb describe the Shari'ah in what seems li=e two contradictory ways'
?; 6s a D9ractical religionD with Dgeneral lawsD or Da method 3or legislation,D 9atiently waiting to
3ind a Diable societyD o3 true Muslims, whose social needs, the Shari'ah then 9liantly
Dsatis3?ies@D by sha9ing itsel3 Daccording to the 9ractical needsD and Dactual conditionsD o3 the
society. 79.3!/3%8
'; DLni3orm lawD o3 utter 9er3ection beyond human com9rehension. D6s accurate and true as any
o3 the laws =nown as the Mlaws o3 nature,MD and 3rom which a human being Dcannot deiate by a
hair<s breath,D let alone mold or sha9e. 79.148
:ere<s the 3irst' Islam
first loo&s at the prevailing conditions, and if it finds a
viable society which, according to its form, conditions or
temperament, is a Muslim society, which has submitted itself to
the law of God and is weary of laws emanating from other sources,
then indeed this religion provides a method for the legislation
of laws according to the needs of such a society.?9.3!@
63ter eeryone has become a good Muslim
then, when such a group of people is ready and also gains
practical control of society, various laws will be legislated
according to the practical needs of that society. ?9.3%@
:ere<s the second'
Man cannot understand all the laws of the universe, nor can he
comprehend the unity of this system5 he cannot even understand
the laws which govern his own person, from which he cannot
deviate by a hair"s breath. Thus he is incapable of ma&ing laws
for a system of life which can be in complete harmony with the
universe or which can even harmoni3e his physical need with his
external behavior. This capability belongs solely to the 9reator
of the universe and of men, %ho not only controls the universe
but also human affairs, and %ho implements a uniform law
according to 1is will ?9.14@
... that uni3orm law being the Shari'ah.
:ow can 9eo9le legislate DaccordingD to their DneedsD and at the same time be Dinca9able o3
ma=ing laws 3or a ?harmonious@ system o3 li3eDF
0he con3usion may stem 3rom what D9racticalD means. Most #esterners will assume it means
9ragmatic as o99osed to doctrinaire // using what wor=s and throwing out what doesn<t. ;ut
when Qutb says' D0his is a 9ractical religionK it has come to order the 9ractical a33airs o3 li3e,D
79.338 he<s contrasting it not with in3le"ible doctrine, but with Dabstractions and theoriesD 79.3!8
that aren<t en3orced in real li3e. Since >od<s laws are harmonious, 9er3ect, -uasi/heaenly,
-uestioning whether or not they will sere Dthe 9ractical needsD o3 society isn<t being 9ractical it<s
being blas9hemous. :ow could they notF >od would neer allow itN
So while saying that Darious laws will be legislated according to the 9ractical needs o3 that
societyD sounds to #esterners as though people will be legislating the laws, writing 7and
rewriting8 them to get it right, it may be Qutb<s use o3 the 3uture tense is misleading. Islamic
Legislation has already been done // by >od. 6s he says elsewhere, DLegislation is a )iine
attributeK any 9erson who concedes this right to such a claimant ?li=e a national 9arliament, state
legislature, city council@, whether he considers ?the claimant@ )iine or not, has acce9ted ?the
claimant@ as )iine.D 79..%8
+4 Qutb didn't a0e /lear the s#e/i4i/s o4 divine law or Shari'ah, what have his
4ollowers said or done about instituting Shari'ah1
In the last 3ew decades 3ollowing Qutb<s death, the DanguardD Islamic societies that he tal=ed
about hae s9routed u9 in his home country ,gy9t and 9roided a number o3 e"am9les o3 their
own Shari'ah Mrule.M 6t Cairo Lniersity, 3or e"am9le an Islamist !ama'at Islamiyya grou9
created a Shari'ah Muslim community and shut down theater, 9oetry readings, cinema, and
music 9rograms on the grounds that they brought men and women together and distracted 9eo9le
3rom religious actiities...
... cou9les were 9hysically attac=ed 3or iolations o3 u9right Islamic moralsK 3ilms could not be
shownK concerts and eening dance could not be held ... 6ll artistic and cinematic e"hibitions
were considered M9roocations against the "ama'atM
... which were shut down by Islamists wielding iron bars. ?*@
So when Islamists in Cairo had to chose between Qutb<s contradictory admonishments //
DremoeD the DobstaclesD o3 "ahili society Dby 3orce,D or wait until DsocietyD was DreadyD 3or true
Islam // they chose the 3ormer.
Slavery e5isted in the early 3usli so/iety Qutb so adired, though it was ore
huanely regulated than in other so/ieties: Qutb didn't #lan to bring that
ba/0, did he1
Ironically, at the same time Qutb attac=s !ahiliyyah as 9er9etuating Dthe slaery o3 one man oer
another,D he enthuses about the use o3 63rican slaes in the early Islamic world as a sort o3
beneolent raising u9 o3 the 9oor 63ricans.
%hen Islam entered the central part of (frica, it clothed na&ed
human beings, sociali3ed them, brought them out of the deep
recesses of isolation, and taught them the /oy of wor& for
exploring +sic, material resources. ?9.15%@
:e doesn<t use the word slaes, but the 63ricans who e"9lored 3or Dmaterial resourcesD were HanE
slaes wor=ing in mines.
#hat<s worse is the 3orm o3 slaery Qutb 9ic=s out 3or 9raise was not in any way beneolent or
enlightened li=e domestic or military slaery in Islamic lands. $or e"am9le, re9orts o3 conditions
in the Saharan salt mines are that no slae suried wor=ing in the mines 3or more than 3ie
years.
OanE slaes used to drain the salt 3lats o3 southern Ira-, and the blac=s em9loyed in the salt mines
o3 the Sahara and the gold mines o3 (ubia. 0hese were herded in large settlements and wor=ed in
gangs. Large landowners, or crown lands, o3ten em9loyed thousands o3 such slaes. #hile
domestic and commercial slaes were relatiely well/o33, these lied and died in wretchedness.
G3 the Saharan salt mines it is said that no slae lied there 3or more than 3ie years ... ?.@
(or were 9lantation slaes in the 0igris and ,u9hrates rier alley treated tenderly. OanE there
were discontented enough to reolt in 1*1/*4 6) 72%% :iEra8 0he reolt lasted oer 15 years.
355,555 died when the rebels sac=ed and burnt ;asra. ?1@
It<s 3air to say most Muslims thin= slaery was acce9table at that time, but no longer. $or Qutb,
though, the education o3 63ricans in Dthe Eoy o3 wor=D by early Muslim slae masters is an
e"am9le o3 why the Muslim community should be Drestored to its original 3ormDN 79.48
+' starting to have doubts@ Qutb tal0s about the 6total harony6 and 6#ea/e
and /oo#eration aong individuals6 and how there were alost no
lawbrea0ers to #unish when the 3usli /ounity was in its 6original
4or,6 but do we really 0now what it was li0e ba/0 then ?A)) years ago1
One thing we do 0now is that three o4 the 4our original /ali#hs & the
6right4ully guided /ali#hs6 && died by assassination@ And even i4 the
original Shari'ah was wonder4ul, a lot has /hanged in the illenniu or so
sin/e 8od's law was a##lied on earth: Berha#s there isn't 7ust one syste
o4 Shari'ah bestowed by 8od on huanity: Wouldn't it be better to use a
broader a##roa/h and /onsider adding other #rin/i#les && li0e the good o4
huanity && as the basis o4 law1 Surely 8od wouldn't disa##rove o4 that@
Qutb has already gien your -uestion some thoughtN
The :uestion may be as&ed, 0Is not the good of man&ind the
criterion for solving actual problems60 7ut again we will raise
the :uestion which Islam raises itself, and which it answers;
that is, 0-o you &now better, or God60 and, 0God &nows and you do
not &now.0
The good of man&ind is inherent in the -ivine 4aws sent down by
God to the *rophet ... If at any time men thin& that their good
is in going against what God has legislated, then first of all,
they are deluded in their thin&ing ... <econd, they are
unbelievers. It is not possible for a person to declare that in
his opinion good lies in going against that which God has
legislated, and simultaneously be a follower of this religion ...
?9.1*@
0he 9unishment leied by the traditional Shari'ah against murtad 7an a9ostate8 li=e you is death.
;etter watch your mouthN
Q"-B O, SEC, WO3E,, A,< -2E FA3+!Y
What does Qutb thin0 o4 e5traarital se5 and gay rights1
:e considers tolerance towards homose"uality as gross e"am9le o3 the lac= o3 morality in !ahili
society.
In all modern jahili societies, the meaning of 0morality0 is
limited to such an extent that all those aspects which
distinguish man from animal are considered beyond its sphere. In
these societies, illegitimate sexual relationships, even
homosexuality, are not considered immoral. ?9.41@
Qutb mentions the se" and s9y scandals in >reat ;ritain o3 the 14*5s 7inoling Christine
Ieeler, et. al.8, e"claiming that Dthese a33airs are not considered immoral because o3 se"ual
deiations, but because o3 the danger to state secretsND 79.418
What does Qutb thin0 o4 Woen's !iberation1
Qutb ehemently o99oses the idea o3 a woman being D3reed 3rom her basic res9onsibility o3
bringing u9 childrenD to ta=e a Eob as Da hostess or a stewardess in a hotel or shi9 or air
com9anyD 7common Eobs 3or women bac= then8. 0his iolates the Ddiision o3 wor=D between the
se"es Dbased on 3amily res9onsibility and natural gi3ts.D 79.418
If ... free sexual relationships and illegitimate children become
the basis of a society, and if the relationship between man and
woman is based on lust, passion and impulse, and the division of
wor& is not based on family responsibility and natural gifts5 if
woman"s role is merely to be attractive, sexy and flirtatious,
and if woman is freed from her basic responsibility of bringing
up children5 and if, on her own or under social demand, she
prefers to become a hostess or a stewardess in a hotel or ship or
air company, thus spending her ability for material productivity
rather than in the training of human beings, because material
production is considered to be more important, more valuable and
more honorable than the development of human character, then such
a civili3ation is 0bac&ward0 from the human point of view, or
0Jahili0 in the Islamic terminology. ?9.41@
<oes Qutb Es#ouses 6Faily =alues61
6t 3irst it might a99ear so. :e certainly thin=s childrearing duties and traditional se" roles leae
no room 3or se"ual e-uality or women<s indiidual 3ul3illment in careers or se".
If the family is the basis of the society, and the basis of the
family is the division of labor between husband and wife, and the
upbringing of children is the most important function of the
family, then such a society is indeed civili3ed .... ?9.41@
;ut 9re/eminent oer the 3amily 7li=e eerything else in society8 is Islam. $amily 9reseration
cannot inter3ere with the >od/gien right o3 diorce, as it does in the #est where ...
unfair and cumbersome laws of marriage and divorce ... are
contrary to the demands of practical life. ?9.134@
Islam een re9laces the 3amily unit, blood relations.
Islam freed all humanity ... from the chains of blood
relationships ## the biological chains ## so that they might rise
above the angels. ?9.12!@
... a Muslim has no relatives except those who share the belief
in God ...
( Muslim has no relationship with his mother, father, brother,
wife and other family members except through their relationship
with the 9reator, and then they are also /oined through blood.
?9.111/114@
Qutb relates as e"em9lary the story o3 6bdullah bin 6bdullah bin Lbayy, who o33ered to behead
his 7anti/Islamic8 3ather, saying
0if it is the pleasure of God and 1is *rophet that I cut off his
head, then I shall do so.0 79.1148
Qutb<s contradiction' I3 Dthe 3amily is the basis o3 the societyD then Dsociety is indeed ciiliHed.D
;ut Dblood relationshi9sD are DchainsD 3rom which DIslam 3reed all humanity.D
Q"-B O, BO!+-+CS$
B.O8.ESS+=E +S!A3, ,A-+O,A!+S3,
<E3OC.ACY, SOC+A!+S3
What does Qutb thin0 o4 #rogressive +sla1
(ot much. 0hose who subscribe to what they call D9rogressie IslamD are not real Muslims.
Islamic society is not one in which people call themselves
0Muslims0 but in which law has no status5 even though prayer,
fasting and 1a// are regularly observed5 and the Islamic society
is not one in which people invent their own version of Islam,
other than what God and 1is Messenger ## peace be on him ## have
prescribed and explained, and call it, for example 0progressive
Islam.0 ?9.43@
What does Qutb thin0 o4 nationalis, e:g: Arab nationalis1
:e thin=s it an error and a 3ailure.
(ll nationalistic and chauvinistic ideologies which have appeared
in modern times, all the movements and theories derived from them
have also lost their vitality. In short, all man#made individual
or collective theories have proved to be failures. ?9.1@
Qutb o33ers as 9roo3 o3 the 3alsity o3 nationalism the 3act that it would hae been much easier 3or
the &ro9het Muhammad to unite 6rabs under a message o3 6rab nationalism ...
instead of bearing tortures for thirteen years due to the
opposition of the people in authority in the peninsula ... 7ut
the (ll#=nowing and (ll#%ise God did not lead 1is *rophet ##
peace be on him ## on this course ....
The way is not to free the earth from 8oman and *ersian tyranny
in order to replace it with (rab tyranny. (ll tyranny is wic&ed$
The earth belongs to God and should be purified for God and it
cannot be purified for 1im unless the banner, 0'o deity except
God,0 is unfurled across the earth... ?9.2*@
What does Qutb thin0 o4 <eo/ra/y1
Very little.
-emocracy in the %est has become infertile to such an extent that
it is borrowing from the systems of the .astern bloc, especially
in the economic system, under the name of socialism. ?9..@
6n o9inion that has not withstood the test o3 timeN ?4@
:e also 9resents as eidence that Christian and 2ewish societies are lost to !ahiliyyah 9agan
ignorance the 3act that they Dhae established assemblies o3 men which hae absolute 9ower to
legislate laws.D 79.128 6s Qutb, his Muslim ;rethren and their =indred 9ublications all su33ered
3rom su99ression at the hands o3 (asser<s dictatorshi9, you might logically e"9ect Qutb to 9ut in
a good word 3or 3reedom o3 s9eech, 9ress, assembly, association, or sel3/determination i3 not 3ree
elections. ;ut he ma=es not mention o3 any o3 the 9rinci9les commonly held to be necessary 3or
some =ind o3 democracy. Qutb does say that
any system, in which the final decisions are referred to human
beings, and in which the source of all authority are human,
is doomed to 3ailure because it
deifies human beings by designating others than God as lords over
men. This declaration means that the usurped authority of God be
returned to 1im and the usurpers be thrown out ## those who by
themselves devise laws for other to follow, thus elevating
themselves to the status of lords and reducing others to the
status of slaves. ?9.%1@
0he 9ossibility that regular, o9en and honest elections might =ee9 human lawma=ers serants,
rather than lords, o3 the oters is neer mentioned, let alone e"9lored.
2ow about Ca#italis1
:ates it.
the exploitation of individuals and nations due to greed for
wealth and imperialism under the capitalist systems are but a
corollary of rebellion against God"s authority ... [p.>>
4oo& at this capitalism with its monopolies, its usury and
whatever else is un/ust in it5 at this individual freedom, devoid
of human sympathy and responsibility for relatives except under
the force of law... ?9.134@
::: So/ialis then1
GrganiHing the 9oor to rise u9 against the rich and redistribute wealth e-uitably is also an error,
as is the Mar"ist way o3 loo=ing at the world. D)eclaring war against the class o3 noblesD who
Dmono9oliHed all wealth and commerceD and Ddistributing it among the 9oorD would hae been
an e33ectie way 3or Muhammad to gain authority.
7ut the (ll#&nowing, the (ll#%ise God ... &new that this was not
the way. 1e &new that true social /ustice can come to a society
only after all affairs have been submitted to the laws of God...
?9.2*/.@
1uman values and human morals are not something mysterious and
undefinable, nor are they 0progressive0 and changeable, having no
roots and stability, as is claimed by the exponent of the
materialistic interpretation of history of 0scientific
socialism.0 They are the values and the morals which develop
those characteristics in a human being which distinguish him from
the animals and which emphasi3e those aspects of his personality
which raise him above the animals... ?9.4*@
OK, Qutb is disdain4ul o4 Western&style so/ialis or #luralist liberal deo/ra/y,
but how about soe 0ind o4 non&Western +slai/ <eo/ra/y or +slai/
So/ialis1
MIslamic SocialismM and MIslamic )emocracyM are to Qutb e"am9les o3 unnecessary 7and wrong8
attem9ts by Muslims to meet non/Muslims hal3way. Islamic socialism in 9articular is an
intolerable deiation 3ollowed only by the Denemies o3 man=ind.D Muslims should not D9ro9ose
similaritiesD between the Islamic and non/Islamic Dsystem or mannersD 7such as socialism8
to please them [non#Muslims as some do today when they present
Islam to the people under the names of 0Islamic -emocracy0 or
0Islamic <ocialism,0 or sometimes by saying that the current
economic or political or legal systems in the world need not be
changed except a little to be acceptable Islamically. ?9.13!@
:e is adamant that there is no com9romise to be made on the issue o3 nationalism and socialism.
Islam ... is the only -ivine way of life ... those who deviate
from this system and want some other system, whether it be based
on nationalism ... class struggle, or similar corrupt theories
are truly enemies of man&ind$ ?9.%1@
Q"-B O, BO!+-+CS$ .AC+A! EQ"A!+-Y and
F.EE<O3
What <oes Qutb thin0 about ra/is1
Initially he seems to su99ort racial e-uality. ;eing dar= s=inned, Qutb e"9erienced segregation
isiting 9re/ciil rights 6merica. In Milestones he tal=s re9eatedly o3 the need to end race and
class diisions in society as was done in the wondrous era o3 early Islam.
[The original Islamic society became an open and all#inclusive
community in which people of various races, nations, languages
and colors were members, there remaining no trace of these low
animalistic traits ... Their intermingling gave rise to a high
level of civili3ation in a very short span of time, da33ling the
whole world, and compounding the essences of all the human
capabilities, ideas and wisdom of that period... ?9.!4@
Thus they [the early Muslims all came together on an e:ual
footing in the relationship of love, with their minds set upon a
single goal5 thus they used their best abilities, developed the
:ualities of their race to the fullest. ?9.%5@
;ut i3 Contem9orary anti/racists may assume e-uality is 9art o3 inclusieness, Qutb does not. :e
was angered by 6merican whites who thought him racially in3erior, that doesn<t mean he doesn<t
thin= others are racially in3erior to him. )es9ite his tal= about an De-ual 3ooting in the
relationshi9 o3 loe,D Qutb strongly beliees Islam did 63ricans a 3aor 9utting them to wor= as
slaes in dangerous mines 7see slaery heading aboe8, a99arently thin=ing this Ddeelo9ed the
-ualities o3 their race to the 3ullest.D 6s 3or 63rican 7or 63rican/6merican8 culture, Qutb wrote
elsewhere that the 6mericans< loe o3 EaHH music was one 7o3 many8 reasons he detested 6merica
...
?a33 is his preferred music, and it is created by 'egroes to
satisfy their love of noise and to whet their sexual desires ...
?15@
What does Qutb thin0 o4 4reedo1
:e<s all 3or it. &hrases about Dthe 3reedom o3 man 3rom seritude to other men,D Dcom9lete
3reedom,D D3reeing human beings throughout the earth,D and the need to do away with Done man<s
lordshi9 oer another,D run li=e a mantra through Milestones. 0he words D3ree,D D3reeingD and
D3reedomD a99ear %* times by my count in one cha9ter 7cha9ter 3our8 alone. ;ut li=e Dinclusie,D
the word D3reedomD seems to hae a di33erent meaning to Qutb than it does to us. #hat does he
mean by 3reedomF
(ot 3reedom o3 s9eech, assembly, association, or 9ress // they are neer mentioned.
(ot 3reedom 3or Muslims to choose how to lie their lies. 0he Islamic
system extends into all aspects of life5 it discusses all minor
or ma/or affairs of man&ind5 it orders man"s life ... people
should devote their entire lives in submission to God, should not
decide any affair on their own, but must refer to God"s
in/unctions concerning it and follow them ... ?9.32, !.@
6nd not 3reedom 3or non/Muslims to run their own societies or obey their own religious
leaders. 6lthough he<s a bit coy, neer using words li=e Dcon-uest,D Qutb ma=es it clear Islam
must rule
%hatever system is to be established in the world ought to be on
the authority of God, deriving its laws from 1im alone ?9.*1@
G33ensie !ihaad is re-uired o3 Muslims 3or
the establishment of the sovereignty of God and 1is 4ordship
throughout the world ... and the implementation of the rule of
the -ivine Shari'ah in human affairs ?9.*1@
0he two D3reedomsD Qutb tal=s o3 are ...
?; the re9lacement o3 the rule o3 men with the rule o3 >od 7i.e. re9lacing non/Islamic
goernment or Dseritude to other menD with Islamic goernment or >od<s law, the Shari'ah8K
and
%hen, in a society, the sovereignty belongs to God alone,
expressed in its obedience to the -ivine 4aw, only then is every
person in that society free from servitude to others, only then
does he taste true freedom ... ?9.4!@
'; the 3reedom 3or non/Muslims to acce9t or reEect Islam the religion 7though not Islamic
authority8.
%hen Islam releases people from this political pressure of ...
servitude to other men ... it gives them complete freedom to
accept or not to accept its beliefs. ?9.*1@
Qutb<s loe o3 7tal=ing about8 3reedom is such that een when he is telling us about what will be
3orbidden he couches it in terms o3 3reedom.
This religion is really a universal declaration of the freedom of
man from servitude to other men and from servitude to his own
desires, which is also a form of human servitude. ?9.%., italics added@
%hen Islam releases people from this political pressure of ...
servitude to other men ... it gives them complete freedom to
accept or not to accept its beliefs. However this freedom does
not mean that they can make their desires their gods, or that
they can choose to remain in the servitude of other human beings,
ma&ing some men lords over others. ?9.*1, italics added@
This movement uses the methods of preaching and persuasion ...
and it uses physical power and Jihaad for abolishing the
organi3ations and authorities of the Jahili system which prevent
people from reforming their ideas and beliefs but force them to
obey their erroneous ways and ma&es them serve human lords
instead of the (lmighty 4ord. ?9.%%, italics added@?15@
So what #oliti/al syste then does Qutb 4avor1
D>od<s rule on earthD // the Shari'ah.
The way to establish God"s rule on earth is not that some
consecrated people ## the priests ## be given the authority to
rule ... To establish God"s rule means that 1is laws be enforced
and that the final decision in all affairs be according to these
laws. ?9.%1@
But 8od is not going to des/end to earth to adinister 2is law@ A/tual huan
beings will have to do it: 2ow are these 7udgesDadinistrators going to be
/hosen1 2ow will they handle dis#utes over inter#retation o4 8od's law1
And who will en4or/e their de/isions1
Inter9retation, o3 course, is a matter o3 great interest in Islamist re9ublics li=e Iran 7and 3ormerly
Sudan8 where there has been considerable and sometimes iolent disagreement oer Eust what is
>od<s law. #hat does Qutb hae to sayF :e only asserts that it won<t be a 9roblem.
God"s religion is not a ma3e nor is its way of life a fluid thing
... It is bounded by those principles which have come from the
Messenger of God ... The principles of Ijtihad and deduction are
well &nown, and there is no vagueness or looseness in them. ?9.1%@
,n3orcement o3 the law won<t be a 9roblem either. &eo9le will Eust naturally obey Shari'ah as
they did in the early days o3 Islam
... the believers learn the Islamic regulations and laws with
eagerness and pleasure. (s soon as a command is given, the heads
are bowed, and nothing more is re:uired for its implementation
except to hear it. In this manner, drin&ing was forbidden, usury
was prohibited, and gambling was proscribed, and all the habits
of the -ays of Ignorance were abolished ## abolished by a few
verses of the @ur"an or by a few words from the lips of the
*rophet ## peace be on him ... ?9.32@
It may not be ery 9ractical but it allows Qutb to claim 7as mentioned aboe8 that Shari'ah will
3ree man 3rom the Dseritude to manD.
Some hae e"9lained the Qutbian system as reolutionary ta=eoer o3 the "ahili state by the
anguard 3ollowed by DIslamiHation 3rom aboeD, 9resumably by encouraging but not 3orcing
citiHens to be become Muslims. ?12@
,ow wait a inute, what about the non&3uslis: -hey don't believe in +sla, so
they don't believe in Shari'ah, so they won't 7ust naturally obey it: 2ow /an
they be 4ree 4ro servitude to other en but 4orbidden to 4ollow #riests
and rabbis and 4or/ed to live under a new #oliti/al syste whether they
want to or not1
>ood -uestion. Qutb s9eci3ically claims the con-uest o3 non/Muslim states as Da moement to
wi9e out tyranny and to introduce true 3reedom to man=ind ... D 79.*28 ;ut while at least some
Muslims su99ort a return to traditional Shari'ah, obiously the same can<t be said 3or non/
Muslims. Someone will hae to ma=e them lie under Shari'ah, and sto9 them 3rom 3ollowing
their religious leaders. &resumably those someones will be 9eo9le, or Dmen,D and those obeying
them will be in a 3orm o3 Dseritude.D
It<s this claim // that to con-uer non/Muslims would be to liberate them // that<s 9robably Qutb<s
most serious absurdity. 0he 3irst Muslim con-uerors could ma=e some claim to be liberators i3
not Da moement to wi9e out tyranny.D 0heir inasions and con-uests were o3 lands were one
elite ethnicAreligious grou9 7;yHantine >ree=s or Sassanid &ersians8 ruled oer others, and those
others sometimes welcomed and su99orted their new Muslim rulers. ;ut today, its Din3ertilityD
notwithstanding, democracy has s9read widely and there are 3ew em9ires in non/Muslim lands.
6n inasion and ta=eoer o3 most countries adEacent to the Muslim world would mean
oerthrowing goernments made u9 not only o3 those non/Muslims< own countrymenAwomen,
but goernments 3reely elected according to the local 9eo9les own constitution, on the grounds
that the non/Muslim needed to be D3reed 3rom seritude to othersD. 0he idea that these non/
Muslims would su99ort the Muslim con-uerors and obey their laws e"tending Dinto all as9ects o3
li3eD 79.328, rather than 3ight bac=, is hard to ta=e seriously.
Aside 4ro that, what about the real&li4e organi>ation Qutb belonged to when he
was alive: 2ow was that run1
$or someone har9ing on the intolerability o3 Dsering human lordsD and the sel3/eident nature o3
Islamic legal inter9retation, you might thin= any Muslim organiHation Qutb belonged to would
be run by consensus. ;ut that organiHation, the Muslim ;rotherhood 7Al I#han al Muslimun8
was originally run organiHed more along military lines according to a glowing descri9tion o3 the
original written by a 3ellow 3undamentalist. 0here was an undis9uted leader, Shai=h :assan al
;anna, seated at D>eneral :ead-uarters,D where any decisions made by branches o3 the
brotherhood could be oerruled. Members were classi3ied by grades 7determined by
e"aminations8, and grou9ed into Dnuclei, cells, 3amilies and 9halan"es.D
6ll members had to ta=e a ;a<it or Gath o3 allegiance that they would 9rotect the ;rethren een
with their lies and hae im9licit trust and con3idence in their su9eriors, en3orcing their decisions
een i3 they 9ersonally di33ered with them. 6t eery meeting each member had to renew his
allegiance and re9eatK MI hear and I obey.M 0he most trusted actie members were thoroughly
=nown to Shai=h :assan al ;anna. ,ach o3 them was re-uired to =ee9 a daily record o3 his
actiities ... ?13@
So 2ow did these 3usli Brethren handle theologi/al disagreeents1
)isagreements weren<t allowed. Leader :assan al ;anna Dwas determined that al I#han would
neer become a battleground o3 theological dis9utes.D ?1!@
Q"-B A,< ,O,&3"S!+3S$ -2E WES-
What does Qutb thin0 o4 Westerners who study +sla and the 3iddle East, a0a
the Orientalists1
0hey are mentioned re9eatedly, almost always in connection with their DshrewdnessD 79.*!8,
DtreacheryD 79.*2, *48 or their being DwilyD 79.*28 or DiciousD 79..%8 in s9reading disin3ormation
on Islam. Qutb belieed Grientalists had misled Muslims into thin=ing that !ihaad should only
be 3ought de3ensiely, and had s9read the lie that Islam sometimes conerted 9eo9le by 3orce.
There is no room to say that the basic aim of the Islamic
movement was 0defensive0 in the narrow sense which some people
ascribe to it today, defeated by the attac&s of the treacherous
!rientalists$ ?9.*4@
The orientalists have painted a picture of Islam as a violent
movement which imposed its belief upon people by the sword. These
vicious orientalists &now very well this is not true ... ?9..%/.*@
What does Qutb thin0 o4 the West1
Qutb<s loathing o3 the #est goes well beyond hatred o3 im9erialism or materialism. 0o Qutb,
,uro9e and (orth 6merica are Dbac=ward,D a Drubbish hea9 ... 3ilth ... hollow and worthlessD
79.134, 13*8. ?1%@ 0hey hae nothing to o33er the Muslim world. 0hough aware that #estern
CiiliHation 9ossesses nothing Dwhich will satis3y its own conscience and Eusti3y its e"istenceD
79..8, the #est is 9ursuing a Dwell/thought/out schemeD to Ddemolish the structure o3 Muslim
society,D 79.11*8 which, unli=e the #est, can DEusti3y its e"istence.D
#estern society is immoral...
4oo& at this capitalism with its monopolies, its usury and
whatever else is un/ust in it5 at this individual freedom, devoid
of human sympathy and responsibility for relatives except under
the force of law5 at this materialistic attitude which deadens
the spirit5 at this behavior, li&e animals, which you call 0free
mixing of the sexes50 [>A at this vulgarity which you call
0emancipation of women50 at these unfair and cumbersome laws of
marriage and divorce, which are contrary to the demands of
practical life5 and at Islam, with its logic, beauty, humanity
and happiness ... these facts, when seen in the light of Islam
made the (merican people blush. Bet there are people ## exponent
of Islam ## who are defeated before this filth ... they search
for resemblances to Islam among this rubbish heap of the %est ...
?9.134@
#estern society is o99ressie...
. . . . consider the 7ritish .mpire. It is li&e the 8oman society
to which it is an heir. It is based on national greed, in which
the 7ritish nation has the leadership and exploits those colonies
annexed by the .mpire. The same is true of other .uropean
empires. The <panish and *ortuguese .mpires in their times, and
the 2rench .mpire, all are e:ual in respect to oppression and
exploitation. ?9.%5@
#estern society is bac=wards ...
The Islamic society is, by its very nature, the only civili3ed
society, and the jahili societies, in all their various forms,
are bac&ward societies. It is necessary to elucidate this great
truth. ?9.4!@
...materialistic....
Materialism ... in the form of material production ... is given
the highest valueC in Cthe )nited <tates and .uropean
countries ... such a society is a bac&ward one ... ?9.4*@
and its conce9ts a hindrance to clear thin=ing and intuition. Qutb com9lains that when
the %estern concept of civili3ation was my standard ... it had
prevented me from seeing with clear and penetrating vision [its
influences had clouded my intuition and concepts. ?9.4!@
It is 7in 9art8 res9onsible 3or Muslim society<s Dstate o3 inertiaD and lac= o3 Dem9irical sciencesD
because o3 its inasions o3 the Muslim world.D
<ome of the causes which led to this state of inertia [in the
Muslim world were ... the invasions of the Muslim world by the
9hristians and Dionists. .urope removed the foundation of Islamic
belief from the methodology of the empirical sciences... ?9.111/112@
It is trying to destroy Islam.
The %estern ways of thought ... [have an enmity toward all
religion, and in particular with greater hostility toward Islam.
This enmity toward Islam is especially pronounced and many times
is the result of a well#thought#out scheme the ob/ect of which is
first to sha&e the foundations of Islamic beliefs and then
gradually to demolish the structure of Muslim society. ?9.11*@
... but =nows it itsel3 has nothing to o33er the world
... the %estern world reali3es that %estern civili3ation is
unable to present any healthy values for the guidance of man&ind.
It &nows that it does not possess anything which will satisfy its
own conscience and /ustify its existence. ?9..@
It may be this combination o3 malicious worthlessness and aareness o3 its worthlessness is
what ma=es Qutb thin= 3reedom won<t be an issue when the #est is con-uered by Islam.
Inowing that their ciiliHation<s De"istenceD can<t be DEusti3ied,D #esterners will Eust go along
with Islamic su9remacy.
But surely soething is right with Western so/iety@ What about its s/ien/e and
te/hnology that raised ?))s o4 illions 4ro #overty and gave it the #ower
to /onEuer huge areas o4 the 3usli world1
0he Ddynamic s9iritD o3 the #est was only borrowed 3rom Islam.
Modern .urope"s industrial culture did not originate in .urope
but in the Islamic universities of (ndalusia and of the .ast. The
principle of the experimental method was an offshoot of the
Islamic concept and its explanation of the physical world, its
phenomena, its forces and its secrets. ?9.111@
Muslims reached their current state o3 bac=wardness Dby abandoning Islam, and not because they
are Muslims.D 79.13*8
:ow will Muslims ta=e the lead in science and technologyF ;y 3ollowing religious duty, which
tells Muslims DIslam a99ointed them as re9resentaties o3 >od and made them res9onsible 3or
learning all the sciences.D 79.1128 6nd by 3ollowing the Shari$ah, which will insure that
blessings fall on all man&ind, [and leads in an easy manner to
the &nowledge of the secrets of nature, its hidden forces and the
treasures concealed in the expanses of the universe. ?9.45@
;esides, we needn<t 9ay so much attention to science'
The period of resurgence of science has also come to an end. This
period, which began with the 8enaissance in the sixteenth century
after 9hrist and reached its 3enith in the eighteenth and
nineteenth centuries, does not possess a reviving spirit. ?9.1@
7+emember, this was written in 14*.N8
Qutb has nothing to say about how and why the !ahili #est deelo9ed its science and technology
so 3ar beyond what it DstoleD 3rom Muslim 6ndalusia and Dthe ,astD hundreds o3 years agoK about
whether the 3amous groundbrea=ing scienti3ic discoeries o3 the golden age o3 Islam 7many
made by 3reethin=ing Muslims or non/Muslims8 had anything to do with a sense o3 religious
Dres9onsibilityD such as he 9lans to ins9ire o3 3uture Muslim scientistsK or whether something
other than duty, 7such as a s9irit o3 3ree in-uiry and -uestioning o3 traditional belie3s8 might be
necessary 3or the deelo9ment o3 scienti3ic =nowledge.
The modern systems ... which have da33led many [Muslims and have
defeated their spirits, are nothing but a jahili system at heart,
and this system is erroneous, hollow and worthless in comparison
with Islam. The argument that the people living under it are in a
better condition than the people of a so#called Islamic country
or 0Islamic world0 has no weight. The people in these [Muslim
countries have reached this wretched state by abandoning Islam,
and not because they are Muslims. The argument which Islam
presents to people is this; Most certainly Islam is better beyond
imagination. It has come to change Jahiliyyah, not to continue
it5 to elevate man&ind from its depravity, and not to bless its
manifestations which have ta&en the garb of 0civili3ation.0 ?9.13*@
Muslims have drifted away from their religion and their way of
life, and have forgotten that Islam appointed them as
representatives of God and made them responsible for learning all
the sciences ... ?9.112@
+s Qutb's hatred 4or Western /ivili>ation and devotion to +slai/ revival really
7ust an e5#ression o4 his loathing o4 Western o##ression and i#erialis
stated in ters ore dear to his heart && i:e: in religious vo/abulary1
(o, it<s the other way around. #estern im9erialism in the Middle ,ast is 7to Qutb8 really Eust a
mani3estation o3 religion. It<s an e"9ression o3 the same anti/Islamic !ahiliayyah hatred that
launched the Crusades. In 3act, those who claim #estern im9erialism #6S(<0 motiated by
religion are not Eust in error, but dangerous deceiers and enemies o3 IslamN
.nemies of the 7elievers may wish to change this struggle into an
economic or political ... struggle so that the 7elievers become
confused concerning the true nature of the struggle and the flame
of belief in their hearts becomes extinguished ... %e see an
example of this today in the attempts of 9hristendom to try to
deceive us by distorting history and saying that the 9rusades
were a form of imperialism. The truth of the matter is that the
latter#day imperialism is but a mas& for the crusading spirit,
since it is not possible for it to appear in its true form, as it
was possible in the Middle (ges. ?9.1%4/1*5@
Q"-B and ,O,&3"S!+3S$
C2.+S-+A,S, FEWS and F.EE<O3 OF .E!+8+O,
What does Qutb thin0 o4 Gionis1
Qutb mentions Oionism as 9artially to blame 3or the bac=wardness o3 the Muslim #orld. . .
<ome of the causes which led to this state of inertia [in the
Muslim world were ... the invasions of the Muslim world by the
9hristians and Dionists. .urope removed the foundation of Islamic
belief from the methodology of the empirical sciences ... ?9.111/
112@
... but mainly his interest is in the 2ews.
::: So what does Qutb thin0 o4 the Fews1
It<s hard to oerstate Qutb<s hatred 3or 2ews. :e teaches that 2ews are cons9iring to D9enetrateD
goernments all oer the world to D9er9etuate their eil designs,D including a 9lan to ta=e control
o3 all the Dwealth o3 man=ind.D :e warns against the conce9t that DcultureD outside o3 Dscience
and technologyD is Dthe human heritage.D 0his is dangerous because
explaining the purpose of man and his historical role in
philosophical terms ... is one of the tric&s played by world
?ewry, whose purpose is to eliminate all limitations, especially
the limitations imposed by faith and religion, so that ?ews may
penetrate into body politics of the whole world and then may be
free to perpetuate their evil designs. (t the top of the list of
these activities is usury, the aim of which is that all the
wealth of man&ind end up in the hands of ?ewish financial
institutions which run on interest. ?9.115/111@
In another boo= o3 his, Ma'ra#atuna ma'a al-%ahud 7&ur battle ith the !es8, Qutb e"9ands on
his theory...
(t the beginning the enemies of the Muslim community did not
fight openly with arms but tried to fight the community in its
belief through intrigue, spreading ambiguities, creating
suspicions. They do li&ewise today. They have plotted and they go
on plotting against this nation. 1undreds and thousands have
infiltrated the Muslim world, and they still do in the guise of
!rientalists. The pupils of the latter fill today the positions
of the intellectual life of the countries whose people call
themselves Muslim. Their aim is clearly shown by the *rotocols
[of the .lders of Dion. The ?ews are behind materialism, animal
sexuality, the destruction of the family and the dissolution of
society. *rincipal among them are Marx, 2reud, -ur&heim and the
?ew ?ean#*aul <artre. ?1.@
What does Qutb thin0 o4 Christians and Fews being 6Beo#le o4 the Boo06,
di44erent 4ro #olytheists1
0hat contrary to usual Muslim belie3, D&eo9le o3 the ;oo=D 7ahl-ul-#itab8 6+, 9olytheists
7mushri#8.
...when the ?ews and 9hristians 0disobeyed0 God, they became li&e
those who 0associate others with God0 ?i.e. 9olytheists@ ?9.*5@
2ews and Christians are also dangerous to listen to or deal with because o3 their Dultimate
designsD on Islam.
%hen the ?ews and 9hristians discuss Islamic beliefs or Islamic
history, or when they ma&e proposals concerning Muslim society or
Muslim politics or economics, [Muslims who thin& the ?ews and
9hristians are doing it with good intentions, or with the
welfare of the Muslims at heart or in order to see& guidance and
light ... are indeed deluded. ?9.11!@
In su99ort o3 this Qutb -uotes seeral ayat and a hadith warning about the danger o3 &eo9le o3
the ;oo= leading Muslims in Dto the state o3 unbelie3D and o3 being untrustworthy // M)o not as=
the &eo9le o3 the ;oo= about anything. 0hey will not guide you.M 79.1138
Christians believe in the trinity o4 6Father, Son and 2oly S#irit,6 whi/h 3uslis
do not /onsider true onotheis be/ause it 6asso/iates others with 8od:6
But Fews don't believe in a divine trinity, so why does Qutb /onsider the
#olytheist1
#hen Qutb tal=s about DothersD that Christians and 2ews are Dassociating with >od,D he means
religious o33icials, not deities 72esus and the :oly S9irit8. 2ust as legislating and 3ollowing any
law not in the traditional Shari'ah is 9olytheism 7shir#8, so to is 3ollowing DlawsD legislated by
9riests and rabbis.
Sayth Qutb' 2ews and Christians
did not consider their priests or rabbis as divine, nor did they
worship them5 but they gave them the authority to ma&e laws,
obeying laws which were made by them [and not permitted by
God... ?9.12@
0his is not 9ermitted by >od because
it clear that obedience to laws and /udgments is a sort of
worship ?9.*5@
Gbedience to clerics then ma=es 9eo9le o3 the boo= 9olytheists. 6s eidence, Qutb -uotes a
hadith 7narratie8 by 0irmidhi where the &ro9het says'
0They [the *eople of the 7oo& have ta&en their rabbis and
priests as lords other than God0 (di reports; CI said, 0They do
not worship their priests.0 God"s Messenger replied, 0%hatever
their priests and rabbis call permissible, they accept as
permissible5 whatever they declare as forbidden, they consider as
forbidden, and thus they worship them.0 [<ince the *rophet ##
peace be on him ## clearly stated that, according to the
Shari'ah, 0to obey0 is 0to worship0. Ta&ing this meaning of
worship, when the ?ews and 9hristians 0disobeyed0 God, they
became li&e those who 0associate others with God0 ?9.*5@
2ews and Christians are thus 9olytheists, subEect to all the 9enalties such 9eo9le are desering o3
under traditional Islamic Law.
With his very di view o4 the religious #rede/essors o4 +sla does Qutb tea/h
that Christians and Fews should be 4or/ed to abandon their religion1
(o. 6s Qutb re9eats seeral times, his Islamic moement Ddoes not use com9ulsion 3or changing
the ideas o3 9eo9leD and DIslam does not 3orce 9eo9le to acce9t its belie3.D 79.%*8
In an Islamic system there is room for all &inds of people to
follow their own beliefs, [as long as they are obeying the laws
of the [Islamically#ruled country which are themselves based on
the -ivine authority. ?9.*1@
0he idea that Islam eer did use com9ulsion is 7he says8 sim9ly a lie concocted by #estern
scholars.
The orientalists have painted a picture of Islam as a violent
movement which imposed its belief upon people by the sword. These
vicious orientalists &now very well this is not true... ?9..%/.*@
So under the Qutbian syste then Christians and Fews would be able to /ontinue
#ra/ti/ing their religion1
#elllll ... again Qutb is ambiguous, not to say downright contradictory. Gn the one hand'
In an Islamic system there is room for all &inds of people to
follow their own beliefs, [as long as obeying the laws of the
[Islamically#ruled country which are themselves based on the
-ivine authority. ?9.*1@
6nd again'
when Islam releases people from this political pressure of ...
servitude to other men ... it gives them complete freedom to
accept or not to accept its beliefs.
;ut in the ne"t breath adds'
1owever this freedom does not mean that they can ma&e their
desires their gods, or that they can choose to remain in the
servitude of other human beings, ma&ing some men lords over
others. ?9.*1@
DSeritudeD 7as 9reiously e"9lained8 re3ers to the obedience o3 Christians and 2ews to their
religious leaders. 0hough these &eo9le o3 the ;oo= Ddid not consider their 9riests or rabbis as
diineD, they Dgae them the authority to ma=e laws, obeying laws which were made by them,
?and@ not 9ermitted by >odD 79.128 because DMto obeyM is Mto worshi9,MD and Dthis religion has
come to annihilate such 9ractices ...D 79.*58
6s usual this raises all sorts o3 -uestions Qutb does not begin to answer. Setting aside the issue
o3 whether 2ews and Christians 3ollow their religious authorities any more slaishly than say the
Muslim ;rotherhood 3ollowed 3earless leader Shai=h :assan al ;annas, how e"actly can a
religion 3unction without rules, without someone to ma=e rulesF #ould non/Muslim religious
leaders be allowed to gie 6(J instruction or adiceF 6nd what might be in store 3or these
9riests and rabbis whose D9racticesD are in line 3or DannihilationDF )oubtless Christians and 2ews
will be wondering i3 the banning o3 any rules made by non/Muslim religious leaders isn<t Eust a
way o3 wea=ening or deca9itating com9eting religions, while allowing Qutbians deny any
com9ulsion in religion and wor= themseles u9 into a rage oer the alleged slander o3 Dicious
orientalists.D
Q"-B and BEACEF"! CO&EC+S-A,CE with ,O,&
3"S!+3S
2undreds o4 illions o4 3uslis live in /ountries where they are a inority:
2ow does Qutb thin0 3uslis should relate to non&3usli a7ority
/outnries li0e +ndia, the ":S:, Canada or /ountries in Euro#e && or 4or that
atter any /ountry no atter who's in the a7ority && where it's /lear ost
#eo#le do not want to live under Shari'ah and don't thin0 it's divine law1
6 true Muslim not only has no loyalty to any country Dwhere the Islamic Shari'ah is not
en3orced,D but must be 9re9ared to 3ight against such countries.
(ny place where the Islamic Shari'ah is not enforced and where
Islam is not dominant becomes the 1ome of 1ostility +DarulHarb,
... ( Muslim will remain prepared to fight against it, whether it
be his birthplace or a place where his relatives reside or where
his property or any other material interest are located.
The homeland of the Muslim, in which he lives and [upon which he
depends, is not a piece of land5 the nationality of the Muslim,
by which he is identified, is not the nationality determined by a
government ... striving is purely for the sa&e of God, for the
success of 1is religion and 1is law .... ?9.12!/%@
What does Qutb thin0 o4 #ea/e1 Can 6+sla6 9i:e: Qutb's ideal +slai/
hoeland; live in #ea/e with non&3usli states1
:y9othetically 9erha9s.
It may happen that the enemies of Islam may consider it expedient
not to ta&e any action against Islam, if Islam leaves them alone
in their geographical boundaries to continue the lordship of some
men over others and does not extend its message and its
declaration of universal freedom within their domain. 7ut Islam
cannot agree to this unless they submit to its authority by
paying Ji!yah, which will be guarantee that they have opened
their doors for the preaching of Islam ... ?9..3@
;ut in reality, no.
6 situation where an Islamic and non/Islamic state lie in 9eace3ul coe"istence and do not
threaten each other is a Dsu9er3icial 9eace.D 0rue 9eace does not and cannot e"ist unless Dthe
obedience o3 all 9eo9leD is D3or >od alone.D
It is immaterial whether the homeland of Islam ## in the true
Islamic sense, Dar ulIslam ## is in a condition of peace or
whether it is threatened by its neighbors. %hen Islam strives for
peace, its ob/ective is not that superficial peace which re:uires
that only that part of the earth where the followers of Islam are
residing remain secure. The peace which Islam desires is that the
religion +i.e. the 4aw of the society, be purified for God, that
the obedience of all people be for God alone, and that some
people should not be lords over others. ?9.*3@
&eace with non/Muslim society is un3easible because !ahiliyyah won<t surrender without a
3ight .
Jahiliyyah is always ready and alive to defend its existence
consciously or unconsciously. It crushes all elements which seem
to be dangerous to its personality. +p.EA,
Those who have usurped the authority of God and are oppressing
God"s creatures are not going to give up their power merely
through preaching. ?9.%1/4@
6nd Qutb<s Islam is 7by de3inition8 Ddangerous to ?!ahiliyyah<s@ 9ersonality,D as his brand o3
Islam aims to eliminate !ahiliyyah.
&eace with non/Muslim society iolates the duty o3 !ihaad.
Qutb gies an elaborate e"9lanation o3 how 7contrary to what some Dtreacherous GrientalistsD
hae claimed8, Muslims today must 3ollow the model o3 Dnon/de3ensieD !ihaad war that
recogniHes only two =inds o3 non/Muslims'
?; those who submit to Muslim authority, liing under Shari'ah and 9aying a s9ecial tribute ta"
7called )himmies8, and
'; those who are Dat warD with Islam. 79.*38
6ccording to this classi3ication system, non/Muslims who wish 3or 9eace3ul co/e"istence with
true Muslims must submit to Muslim authority.
6llowing a non/Muslim society to e"ist 9reents any Muslims within that society 3rom really
;,I(> Muslims 7according to Qutb8 because 7as e"9lained aboe8 Muslims cannot really be
Muslims without Shari'ah rule.
The Muslim community ... vanished ... the moment the laws of God
became suspended on earth ?9.4@
6nd in any case, there<s no room 3or any land on earth not ruled by Shari'ah.
Islam has the right to ta&e the initiative...this is God"s
religion and it is for the whole world. It has the right to
destroy all obstacles in the form of institutions and
traditions ... it attac&s institutions and traditions to release
human beings from their poisonous influences, which distort human
nature and curtail human freedom. 79..%8
But isn't Jihaad 4or de4ensive #ur#oses these days1 Wasn't e5#ansive Jihaad 7ust
a te#orary #hase o4 +sla1
6s mentioned aboe, Qutb angrily and re9eatedly denounces the idea that !ihaad war Dis merely
3or de3ense,D blaming this 3oolish misconce9tion on those so/called Muslims Dde3eated by the
attac=s o3 the treacherous ?#estern@ GrientalistsND
There is no room to say that the basic aim of the Islamic
movement was 0defensive0 in the narrow sense which some people
ascribe to it today, defeated by the attac&s of the treacherous
!rientalists$ ?9.*4@
... Those who say that Islamic Jihaad was merely for the defense
of the 0homeland of Islam0 diminish the greatness of the Islamic
way of life ... ?9..1@
:e admits that Muslims were restrained 3rom 3ighting 3or a brie3 time Din Mecca and in the early
9eriod o3 their migration to Medina,D but that 3ollowing this DMuslims were 9ermitted to 3ight,
then they were commanded to 3ight against the aggressorsK and 3inally they were commanded to
3ight against all the 9olytheists,D which as we hae seen includes Christians and 2ews. 79.*!8
+4 there are 4our stages o4 Jihaad 9H?I non&violent, H'I 4ighting o#tional, HJI
de4ensive 4ighting andatory, and HAI violently e5#ansionist;, /an 3uslis
/hoose whi/h o4 the 4our to use de#ending on the /ir/ustan/es1
(ot according to Qutb. DGnly the 3inal stages o3 the moement o3 2ihaad are to be 3ollowed,
?where D9olytheistsD re9laces DaggressorsD as the enemy@K the initial or middle states are not
a99licable.D 79.*38
6nother time he 9oints out that limiting !ihaad to a de3ensie war ma=es no sense because it<s
not what the 3irst +ight3ully >uided Cali9hs 7al-Khulafaa 'ashidun8 // 6bu ;a=r, Lmar 6li, or
Gthman // did. 0hey would neer hae re3rained 3rom attac=ing and inading Dthe +oman and
&ersian 9owersD sim9ly because they were Dsatis3iedD that the D+oman and &ersian 9owersD had
no aggressie intensions and Dwere not going to attac= the 6rabian 9eninsula.D 79.*28 )oes this
mean Qutb considered India, ,uro9e, China and all countries surrounding Muslim land to be the
e-uialent o3 &ersia and the ;yHantine ,m9ire be3ore they were con-uered by Muslim armiesF It
certainly sounds li=e it.
Q"-B and the F"-".E
What /an 6true6 3uslis loo0 4orward to 4ollowing Qutb's #ath 9a//ording to
Qutb;1
6 total way o3 li3e...
The word religion includes more than belief5 0religion0
actually means a way of life,C +p.A>,
Its system extends into all aspects of life5 it discusses all
minor or ma/or affairs of man&ind5 it orders man"s life ?9.32@
... com9letely di33erent 3rom what they are use to ...
The change from this Jayiliyya, which has encompassed the
earth, to Islam is vast and far#reaching5 the Islamic life is the
opposite of all modes of jahili life, whether ancient or modern.
?9.13!@
Islam cannot accept any mixing with Jayiliyya, either in its
concept or in the modes of living which are derived from this
concept.?9.135@
... 3ree o3 relations with 7non/anguard8 9arents, siblings, children ...
... a Muslim has no relatives except those who share the belief
in God... ?9.114@
... and with much 9ain and su33ering.
#hile you might e"9ect Qutb to end his tract on an ins9irational note, 9roclaiming the glories o3
the new world to come in order to encourage his readers to Eoin the Islamic anguard, he does
something ery di33erent. In his concluding cha9ter, D0his is the +oad,D Qutb 9re9ares his
3ollowers 3or !ihaad with some iidly gruesome imagery. :e reminds them not to 3orget the
story o3 the Ma=ers o3 the &it, where sadistic heathens burned belieers to death ...
... arrogant, mischievous, criminal and degraded people ... sat
by the pit of fire, watching how the 7elievers suffered and
writhed in pain. They sat there to en/oy the sight of how fire
consumes living beings and how the bodies of these noble souls
were reduced to cinders and ashes ... shouts of mad /oy would
escape their lips at the sight of blood and pieces of flesh.
?9.1%5@
or o3 other torturers who ...
would catch a man, bury him halfway in a hole dug in the ground,
then saw his head until it split in two5 or would comb with iron
combs between his flesh and bones ... ?9.1%.@
in their attem9t to ma=e a man renounce Islam.
[This example ... in which the 7elievers have no escape and the
unbelievers are not punished ... must not be forgotten$ ...
7elievers ## the callers toward God ## should remain fully aware
that they can also meet this extreme end in the way of God, and
they have no say in it. ?9.1%%@
;elieers must be 9re9ared 3or a Dli3e until death in 9oerty, di33iculty, 3rustration, torment and
sacri3ice...D 79.1%.8 and loo= 3orward to Dtraersing this road eer 9aed with s=ulls and limbs
and blood and sweat.D 79.1%18
What /an non&3uslis loo0 4orward to i4 Qutb's #ath is 4ollowed 9a//ording to
Qutb;1
6lthough Qutb neer summariHes his ision by saying, D#e will not be satis3ied until the whole
world submits to the authority o3 true Islam 7as de3ined by me8, im9osed by 3orce and made u9
o3 laws 7a.=.a. the traditional Shari'ah8 oer anything and eerything you do,D the dots to 3ollow
are 3ew and close together'
>od<s Lordshi9 oer the whole world ...
[( vast ocean of Jahiliyyah ... encompass[es the entire
world ?9.12@
[Jihaad struggle is not a temporary phase but an eternal
state ## an eternal state, as truth and falsehood cannot co#exist
on this earth ... ?9.*%@
Islam has the right to ta&e the initiative ... this is God"s
religion and it is for the whole world. It has the right to
destroy all obstacles in the form of institutions and
traditions ... it attac&s institutions and traditions to release
human beings from their poisonous influences, which distort human
nature and curtail human freedom. ?9..%@
C%e understand the true character of Islam, and that it is a
universal proclamation of freedom of man from servitude to other
men, the establishment of the sovereignty of God and 1is 4ordship
throughout the world, ... and the implementation of the rule of
the -ivine shari'ah in human affairs.C ?9.*2@
Islam is not Ca geographically#bound system ... Islam came
into this world to establish God"s rule on God"s earth ... ?9..!@
... im9osed by 3orce ...
%henever Islam stood up with the universal declaration that
God"s 4ordship should be established over the entire earth ...
the usurpers of God"s authority on earth have struc& out against
it fiercely and have never tolerated it. It became incumbent upon
Islam to stri&e bac& and release man throughout the earth from
the grip of these usurpers. ?9.*%@
[The Islamic movement to reestablish Islam uses ... physical
power and Jihaad for abolishing the organi3ations and authorities
of the jahili system which prevents people from reforming their
ideas and beliefs but forces them to obey their erroneous ways
and ma&e them serve human lords [non#Shari'ah government instead
of the (lmighty 4ord. 79.%%8
... by a anguard that beliees its #estern enemy is simultaneously cons9iring to destroy Islam
and aware Islam is su9erior ...
the %estern world reali3es that %estern civili3ation is unable
to present any healthy values for the guidance of man&ind. It
&nows that it does not possess anything which will satisfy its
own conscience and /ustify its existence. ?9..@8
4oo& at this capitalism ... at this individual freedom, ... at
this materialistic attitude ... at this ... 0free mixing of the
sexes50 at this 0emancipation of women50 at these unfair and
cumbersome laws of marriage and divorce, ... these facts, when
seen in the light of Islam made the (merican people blush.?9.134@
... which will eliminate obstacles including irtually eerything non/Islamic ...
There are many practical obstacles in establishing God"s rule
on earth, such as the power of the state, the social system and
traditions and, in general, the whole human environment. Islam
uses force only to remove these obstacles so that there may not
remain any wall between Islam and individual human beings. ?9..2@
... and re-uire obedience to Shari'ah laws, including the 9aying o3 tribute ta" and end to
3ollowing o3 religious regulations o3 9riests and rabbis.
.nemies of Islam [must submit to [Islam"s authority by
paying Ji!yah ?9..3@
freedom [to refuse to be a Muslim does not mean that [non#
Muslims can ma&e their desires their gods, or that they can
choose to remain in the servitude of other human beings, ma&ing
some men lords over others. ?9.*1@
0hose who do not conert to Islam should e"9ect the attitudes o3 Muslims they meet 7including
those running the goernment8 to ary 3rom distrust ...
0-o not as& the *eople of the 7oo& about anything. They will not
guide you.0 79.1138
... to hostility ... 7#estern ciiliHation has a Dcrusading s9iritD to attac= Islam8
... to im9lacable hatred 73or 2ews8.
The ?ews are behind materialism, animal sexuality, the
destruction of the family and the dissolution of society.
*rincipal among them are Marx, 2reud, -ur&heim and the ?ew ?ean#
*aul <artre. ?11@
What /an 6Jahili6 3uslis loo0 4orward to i4 Qutb's #ath is 4ollowed 9a//ording
to Qutb;1
0his is the grou9 lying directly in the 9ath o3 Qutb<s moement. Li=e eeryone else their lies
will be dee9ly changed by true Islam and subEect to D3orceD by the moement 7since they are 9art
o3 the Dwhole human enironmentD8, whether they li=e it or not. #hat ha99ens i3 they do not
heed Qutbian 9reaching and become DtrueD Muslims, is unclear. Qutb says Islam Dgies them
com9lete 3reedom to acce9t or not to acce9t its belie3sD ?9.*1@, but whether DthemD re3ers only to
non/Muslim non/Muslims or also to 9eo9le who consider themseles Muslims but who Qutbians
do not, will ma=e a big di33erence. I3 Qutbians declare Muslims who resist their 9reaching
hy9ocrites 7munaafiqeen8 or enemies o3 Islam, they 7the Dhy9ocritesD8 will be subEect to
9unishment under shari'ah law, as hae modernist Muslims =illed or threatened with by death
,gy9tian Islamists in the last decades.
htt9'AAenglish.alEaHeera.netA(+Ae"eresA.;;*%!$1/.)%C/!,.)/;2%1/216*,256!*1).htm
htt9'AAwww.derechos.orgAwiA2Aegy9t.html
#hat is certain is that lies o3 the Dauthorities o3 the !ahili systemD will be in real danger. 0hese
9eo9le not only 3alsely declare themseles Muslims, but 9reent the masses o3 !ahili Muslims
3rom becoming true Muslims. 0he Darrogant, mischieous, criminal and degraded 9eo9leD o3
Milestones last cha9ter, who saw o9en Muslims< heads be3ore burning them alie is undoubtedly
a re3erence to the !ahili authorities o3 ,gy9t who tortured Qutb and his Muslim ;rotherhood
brothers in 9rison. Many Muslims in ,gy9t 7and elsewhere8 hae already been slain by Islamists
3or 3ar less.
A<<E,<"3
What has been the i#a/t o4 Milestones1 +s it res#onsible 4or soe, or u/h o4
+slai/ terroris1
Much o3 what<s been described aboe 7e.g. new military con-uests o3 non/Muslims and EiHyah
ta"8 has not come to 9ass since Qutb<s death and isn<t li=ely to. Lto9ian reolutionary isions li=e
Milestones seldom ma=e an im9act 3rom 3ul3illing their 9romises, their im9act comes 3rom trying
to.
In the decades 3ollowing Qutb<s e"ecution more than a 3ew grou9s deoted to armed !ihaad
made news with terrorist attac=s. ;y the mid 1445s, one list o3 Qutb/ins9ired grou9s included al-
!ihaad al-Islami( al-Ta#fir a al-)i"rah( !und Allah( al-!ihaad( Tan*im al-+aniyyah al-
As#ariyyah // all iolent insurgent grou9s. ?14@
0wo moements dedicated to renewing Islam and oerthrowing the ,gy9tian goernment // al-
!ihaad al-Islami, and 9articularly !ama'at Islamiyya // hae been res9onsible 3or hundreds o3
deaths in ,gy9t during the 1415s and 45s, including those o3 a 9resident 76nwar Sadat8, a head
o3 the counter/terrorism 9olice 7MaEor >eneral +aou3 Ihayrat8, a 9arliamentary s9ea=er 7+i3aat
el/Mahgoub8, doHens o3 ,uro9ean tourists and ,gy9tian bystanders, and oer 155 ,gy9tian
9olice. htt9'AAgemso3islamism.tri9od.comAtimelineBegy9t.html ?25@
0he most direct connection between Milestones and terrorism is through Qutb<s brother
Muhammad and al/Qaeda<s second/in/command 6yman al/Oawahiri. Muhammad 3led to Saudi
6rabia a3ter his brother<s e"ecution and there carried on the torch, Dediting and 9ublishingD
Sayyid<s boo=s and 9reaching his ideas.?25@ In Saudi, Done o3 Muhammad Qutb<s students and
ardent 3ollowers was 6yman al/OawahiriD, ?22@ who a3ter returning to ,gy9t went on to Eoin the
aboe mentioned al-!ihaad al-Islami, $ollowing the crac=down on terrorism there, he and other
Eihaadis went into e"ile in 63ghanistan where he met bin Laden and became his Dmentor.D
Oawahiri emerged as the new head o3 al-!ihaad al-Islami and merged his grou9 into al Qaeda.
?23@
Oawahiri has 9raised Qutb in his writings. Oawahiri has been called DEihad<s main ideologist.D
0he leadershi9 o3 his al-!ihaad al-Islami organiHation Dcom9rises the maEority o3 al Qaeda<s
ruling council 7shura8.D ?2!@
0here is some dis9ute oer how much o3 this 9osthumous Islamic terror was ins9ired by Qutb.
63ter all, Milestones doesn<t s9eci3y what =ind o3 D3orceD he thin=s will be necessary. Some say
Qutb was s9ea=ing in meta9hor. ?2%@ 6nd o3 course some Qutb su99orters either deny
Milestones instigated Diolence and destructie actiities,D ?2*@ or attribute connections between
terrorism and Qutb mainly to #estern commentators. ?2.@ It could be the terrorists mentioned
oershadow a larger but less media/attracting grou9 who 9atiently, 9eace3ully 9reach, belieing
Islam must D3irst ... be im9rinted on hearts and ... consciencesD 79.3%8 be3ore Shari'ah rules.
;ut most commentators do attribute at least some blame to Qutb. ?21@ 0he worldiew o3
Milestones ma=es terrorism // i.e. e"treme iolence to demoraliHe the terrorists< target with 3ear //
com9elling in seeral ways. 0here is what Qutb and Qutbians beliee ...
0he sta=es are huge. 0he li3e or 7continued8 death o3 Islam itsel3 hangs in the balance.
6ction is not Eust ital but urgent. DMan=ind today is on the brin= o3 a 9reci9ice.D 79..8
:uman beings hae only two ways to go' >od or Satan 79.11.8K good or eil 79.1%!8K a
wonder3ul world 7rule by 9er3ect law, harmony, 9eace, discoeries o3 nature8, or the eil
and corru9tion o3 eerything non/Muslim. 0here<s no middle ground. Surely with all this
in the balance, Muslims should not hesitate to use iolence i3 necessary.
Violence will be necessary 7and Eusti3ied8. Qubtists will be u9 against a !ahiliyya 3ighting
not only to 9resere itsel3, but out o3 natural wic=edness // torturing Muslims to death 3or
3un. 0here will be #esterners 9lotting cons9iracies against Islam as they hae since the
Crusades. 6nd there will be 2ews trying to control the world so that they can ma=e
eeryone miserable. #hat dishoonor can there be in =illing 9eo9le this de9raedFN
Violence shouldn<t be necessary 3or long. In 3ighting their most 9ower3ul enemy, the
#estA6merica, Muslims needn<t worry too much about a long bloody cycle o3 iolence
and retaliation that adocates o3 noniolence are always warning about. 0his enemy
realiHes it<s no good. It<s not li=ely to 9ut u9 much o3 a 3ight when it sees the 3irmness o3
its Islamic enemy and is reminded that all it has to do to ma=e the world a better 9lace is
cease its wic=edness and acce9t true Islam.
... and what they do not beliee but will hae to con3ront anyway'
Many Muslims will resist. Most Muslims sim9ly don<t thin= Islam is dead or that they
aren<t Muslims. $ew are enthusiastic about the goernment that rules oer them but only
a minority these regimes are #ufr. (or is the heartland o3 the Muslim world 3amous 3or its
enthusiasm 3or reolt and reolution. ?24@
#hat ma=es Qutbism wonder3ul ma=es it im9ossible. ,eryone will be 3ree 3rom
Dseritude to other menKD not een Islamic Eudges or 9olice will be needed to u9hold
>od<s law. 0his 9romise has and will ins9ire and motiate 3ollowers and Eusti3y Qutbism
7attem9ts8 to oerthrow goernments. ;ut een many 9ious Muslims liing in Muslim
lands who thin= their goernment should be more Islamic will hae serious doubts about
it. It<s li=ely to sound more li=e a 3anatic<s uto9ian 9i9edream // a reci9e 3or chaos and 3or
less 3reedom, not more. 0he one Islamist reolution the Muslim world has seen 7although
somewhat di33erent in ideology than Qutbism8 has =e9t 3ew o3 its 9romises. 7See #hat
:a99ens #hen Islamists 0a=e &owerF / 0he Case o3 Iran8
Virtually all (on/Muslims will 3ight Qutbism 7and not out o3 wic=ednessN8. -ery 3ew
#esterners thin= their ciiliHation has no redeeming alue. -ery 3ew 6mericans Dblush
with embarrassmentD at the in3eriority o3 their society in com9arison with Islam. 0hey do
not see themseles engaged in cons9iracy against Islam. 0he ast maEority will see
Qutbian 9romise o3 D3reedomD as a 3limsy, nonsensical rationaliHation 3or aggression and
domination.
0his collision o3 Qutbist 9assion and e-ually determined !ahili resistance, and the 3rustration o3
Qubtists with !ahiliyya<s 3ailure to conert or colla9se in the 3ace o3 the necessity o3 true Islam
does not auger well 3or 9eace.