Sayyid Qutb facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Sayyid Qutb |
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| سيد قطب | |
Qutb on trial in 1966
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| Religion | Islam |
| Personal | |
| Nationality | Egyptian |
| Born | Sayyid Ibrahim Husayn Shadhili Qutb 9 October 1906 Mūshā, Asyut Governorate, Khedivate of Egypt |
| Died | 29 August 1966 (aged 59) Cairo, United Arab Republic |
| Cause of death | Execution by hanging |
| Relatives | Muhammad Qutb (brother) |
| Religious career | |
| Works | Milestones, In the Shade of the Quran |
| Influenced | Abdullah Azzam, Abu Muhammad al-Maqdisi, Anwar al-Awlaki, Ayman al-Zawahiri, Mahmoud Ezzat, Mohammed Badie, Muhammad abd-al-Salam Faraj, Muhammad Qutb, Osama bin Laden, Shukri Mustafa, Ruhollah Khomeini, Ali Khamenei, Abu Ali al-Anbari |
Sayyid Ibrahim Husayn Shadhili Qutb (born October 9, 1906 – died August 29, 1966) was an important Egyptian thinker and writer. He was a leading member of the Muslim Brotherhood, a large Islamic group. Some people call him the "father of Salafi jihadism". This is a way of thinking that has influenced groups like al-Qaeda and ISIL.
Qutb wrote many books, around 24 that were published, and many articles. He is most famous for his ideas about how Islam should guide society and politics. His well-known books include Social Justice and Milestones. His biggest work, In the Shade of the Qur'an, is a 30-volume explanation of the Quran.
Throughout his life, Qutb was connected with many important politicians, thinkers, and writers. By the 1940s, his writings were even used in school lessons. In 1966, he was found guilty of planning to kill Egyptian President Gamal Abdel Nasser. He was then executed.
Sayyid Qutb often criticized the Muslim world. But he also strongly disliked the society and culture of the United States. He saw it as too focused on money and violence. He believed in using strong action, called jihad, to achieve his goals. His followers see him as a great thinker and a martyr for Islam. Many others, especially in the West, see him as a key person who started violent Islamist ideas. His ideas about Jahiliyyah (a state of ignorance) and linking sharia (Islamic Law) to Tawhid (belief in one God) have greatly influenced modern Islamist movements.
Contents
Sayyid Qutb: A Key Thinker
His Early Life and Education
Sayyid Ibrahim Husayn Shadhili Qutb was born on October 9, 1906. He grew up in a village called Musha in Upper Egypt. His father was a landowner and also active in politics. He held weekly meetings to talk about political events and the Qur'an. Young Sayyid Qutb learned about the beautiful recitation of the Qur'an from these meetings. He memorized the entire Qur'an by the age of 10.
He was a very smart child. He loved collecting books, including Sherlock Holmes stories and A Thousand and One Nights. He also read about astrology and magic. He sometimes used this knowledge to help local people with exorcisms. As a teenager, Qutb was critical of religious schools. He felt they only focused on religion and not enough on other subjects. He believed that schools teaching both regular subjects and religion were better. This dislike for traditional religious teachers stayed with him throughout his life.
Qutb moved to Cairo for his education between 1929 and 1933. He then started working as a teacher for the Ministry of Public Instruction. Early in his career, Qutb focused on literature. He wrote novels like Ashwak (Thorns). He even helped famous Egyptian novelist Naguib Mahfouz become known. His first article was published in 1922. His first book, about the role of poets, came out in 1932. In 1939, he started working for Egypt's Ministry of Education.
In the early 1940s, he read the work of Nobel Prize-winner Alexis Carrel. Carrel was a French scientist who criticized Western society. Qutb was greatly influenced by Carrel's ideas. He believed that Western society, instead of making people free, trapped them in a system that ignored their spirit. He saw Carrel as a rare Western thinker who understood that his own culture valued machines over the human spirit.
From 1948 to 1950, Qutb went to the United States on a scholarship. He studied the American education system. He spent several months at Colorado State College of Education. While in the West, his first major book on religious social criticism, Social Justice in Islam, was published in 1949.
Qutb found peace in Islam, but he had health problems throughout his life. He was known for being quiet and sometimes sad. He never married. He believed the Qur'an taught that men should manage women's affairs. He felt he could not find a woman with enough "moral purity."
From a young age, Qutb showed how much he valued education. He even acted as a teacher to the women in his village:
- "Syed Qutb would save his money to buy books from a man who sold them in villages.
- He had his own library of 25 books by age 12, even though books were expensive.
- He would read books and then give talks to the village.
- Women would wait for him to come home from school to ask him questions.
- Sometimes he was shy, but he would teach them what he knew."
Time in the United States
His time in the United States helped shape some of Qutb's strong views. He spent two years studying educational administration. He worked and studied in Washington, D.C., and Greeley, Colorado. He also visited major American cities and traveled in Europe on his way home.
Before he left the United States, he still enjoyed some Western things. He liked classical music and Hollywood movies. He had read works by Charles Darwin and Albert Einstein. He also read French literature, especially Victor Hugo.
What He Thought About America
When he returned to Egypt in 1951, Qutb wrote an article called "The America that I Have Seen." In it, he openly criticized many things he saw in the United States. He later used these criticisms to talk about Western culture in general. He disliked its focus on money, individual freedoms, and economic system. He also criticized racism, boxing matches, "poor" haircuts, and superficial conversations. He thought Americans were too enthusiastic about sports and lacked artistic feeling. He was shocked by the "animal-like" mixing of genders, even in churches. He also strongly disliked American support for the new Israeli state.
He wrote about American taste in music:
- "Americans are simple in their artistic taste.
- 'Jazz' music is their favorite.
- This music was invented by Black people to be noisy and excite animal-like feelings.
- Americans get very excited by jazz music, especially with loud singing.
- The noise of instruments and voices gets very loud, almost deafening.
- People cheer loudly and clap their hands continuously."
Qutb believed that many parts of American life were simple and "shocking." He saw Americans as "numb to faith in religion, art, and spiritual values." His experiences in the United States helped him reject Western values. This led him to become more involved in Islamism when he returned to Egypt.
Return to Egypt and Political Journey
Qutb left his government job and joined the Muslim Brotherhood in the early 1950s. He became the editor of their weekly newspaper. He also became head of their public relations section and a member of their top council.
In July 1952, the Egyptian government was overthrown by the Free Officers Movement. This group was led by Gamal Abdel Nasser. Qutb and the Muslim Brotherhood welcomed this change. They saw the old government as un-Islamic and too close to the British Empire. Before and after the change, Qutb and the Brotherhood had a close relationship with Nasser's group. Nasser even visited Qutb's house to ask for ideas about the revolution. Many Brotherhood members hoped Nasser would create an Islamic government.
However, their cooperation soon ended. Nasser's ideas were about Egyptian nationalism, which did not fit with the Brotherhood's Islamic goals. Nasser had secretly formed a group called "Tahreer" (freedom) to oppose the Muslim Brotherhood. The Brotherhood was popular because of its social programs. Nasser wanted to be ready to take over. At first, Qutb did not know Nasser's real plans. They would meet for many hours to discuss Egypt's future. When Qutb realized Nasser had used the Brotherhood, he quickly left. Nasser then tried to offer Qutb any government position he wanted, except king.
Qutb refused all offers. He understood that Nasser would not create a government based on Islamic ideas. Upset by this, Qutb and other Brotherhood members planned to kill Nasser in 1954. The plan failed, and Qutb was put in jail. The Egyptian government used this event to arrest many members of the Muslim Brotherhood. During his first three years in prison, conditions were very difficult. In later years, he was allowed more freedom, including the chance to write.
His Ideas While Imprisoned
During his imprisonment, Qutb wrote his two most important books: Fi Zilal al-Qur'an (In the Shade of the Qur'an) and Ma'alim fi-l-Tariq (Milestones). These books show his final ideas. They include his strong anti-secular and anti-Western views. These ideas came from his understanding of the Qur'an, Islamic history, and Egypt's problems. The way of thinking he inspired is called Qutbism.
Qutb was released from prison in May 1964 for only eight months. He was rearrested on August 9, 1965. He was accused of planning to overthrow the government. Many charges against him came directly from his book Ma'alim fi-l-Tariq. He strongly defended what he had written. The trial ended with a death sentence for Qutb and six other Muslim Brotherhood members. He was sentenced to death for his part in the plot to kill the President. He was executed on August 29, 1966.
Sayyid Qutb's Main Ideas
Qutb believed that faith in things we cannot see was important. It showed that humans could accept knowledge beyond just science. He wrote that focusing only on material things makes humans less spiritual.
What is Jahiliyyah?
After 1948, Qutb's ideas changed greatly towards an Islamist view. He later said his earlier writings were "un-Islamic." Many reasons are given for this change. One idea is that the harsh conditions he faced in prison, including the difficult treatment of Muslim Brotherhood members, convinced him. He believed only a government based on Islamic law could prevent such abuses. Another idea is that his experiences in America, and Nasser's policies, showed him the danger of jahiliyyah (pre-Islamic ignorance).
In his book Milestones, he shared these views:
- "New leaders need to keep and improve the good things from Europe's creativity.
- They also need to give humanity high ideals and values that haven't been found yet.
- These values should show a way of life that fits human nature, is positive, and can be put into practice."
- "Western democracy has become weak. It is even borrowing ideas from Eastern countries, like socialism for its economy.
- The Eastern countries' ideas, like Marxism, first attracted many people. But now Marxism is failing in its ideas.
- This theory goes against human nature. It only works in weak societies or those under long dictatorships.
- Even now, its economic system is failing. Russia, the leader of communist countries, needs to import food.
- This is because their system of collective farming failed, which goes against human nature."
These experiences made Qutb take a very strong stance. He believed that non-Islamic things were bad and corrupt. He argued that following sharia completely, in all parts of life, would bring many benefits to humanity. This included peace and access to the "treasures" of the universe.
Qutb's own life experiences greatly shaped his ideas. Even his early, non-religious writings showed hints of his later themes. For example, his childhood story A Child From the Village talks about village beliefs and unfairness. His later works focused on explaining the Qur'an, social justice, and political Islam.
Qutb's writing career also influenced his philosophy. In Artistic Representation in the Qur'an, he developed a way to appreciate the Qur'an's literary beauty. He used this method in his large commentary on the Qur'an, Fi zilal al-Qur'an. This book became the basis for his ideas in Ma'alim fi-l-Tariq.
Later in his life, Qutb combined his experiences and ideas in Ma'alim fi-l-Tariq. This book was a religious and political guide for what he believed was a true Islamic system. In this book, Qutb said that Muslim governments, like Nasser's in Egypt, were secular. He believed their power came from humans, not from God, making them corrupt. This book made Qutb one of the most important Islamist thinkers of the 20th century. Qutb said that secularism was an "oppressive system." He felt it stopped religious freedom by keeping religion only in private life. He believed an Islamic state would give Muslims full religious freedom by applying Islamic laws publicly. Other religions would be practiced privately.
Qutb was not happy with the state of Islam at the time. He thought there were two main reasons for this. First, many Muslims were not following the Qur'an and Sharia law. This led to secular culture spreading in Muslim societies. Second, he believed there was a long-standing Western hatred towards Islam. He said the Islamic world had fallen into a state of jahiliyyah. In Milestones, Qutb argued that most people were not true Muslims. He believed a small, revolutionary Islamic group should guide people back to what he saw as pure Islam.
He wrote:
- "People are not Muslims, even if they say they are, as long as they live in Jahiliyyah.
- If someone wants to trick himself or others into thinking Islam can fit with Jahiliyyah, that's up to him.
- But this trickery doesn't change the truth. This is not Islam, and they are not Muslims.
- Today, the goal is to bring these ignorant people back to Islam and make them Muslims again."
His Views on Society and Government
Qutb's political ideas always focused on Islam. He saw Islam as a complete system of morals, justice, and government. He believed that Islamic laws (sharia) should be the only basis for ruling and for all parts of life. After the 1952 change, he supported a "just dictatorship." This would give political freedoms only to good people. Later, he wrote that rule by sharia law would need almost no government at all. In an earlier work, Qutb said military jihad was for defense. Later, he believed jihad should be used to attack.
Qutb disagreed with many modern Muslims who said democracy was Islamic. They argued that the Qur'anic idea of Shura (consultation) supported elections. Qutb pointed out that the Shura chapter of the Qur'an was written early on. It does not talk about government or elections. It only says a ruler should consult some people, as a general rule of Shura.
Qutb also opposed the popular idea of Arab nationalism. He became disappointed with the 1952 Nasser Revolution. This was after he experienced unfair arrests and violence during his imprisonment. In his important 1964 book Maʿālim fī aṭ Ṭarīq, Sayyid Qutb stated:
- "Humanity is now at a dangerous point. Not because of the risk of nuclear war, which is just a symptom.
- But because humanity lacks the important values needed for healthy growth and real progress.
- Even the Western world knows that Western civilization cannot offer healthy values to guide humanity.
- The Eastern countries are the same. Their social ideas, especially Marxism, are failing.
- Humanity needs new leadership! At this confusing time, it is the turn of Islam and the Muslim community."
Qutb strongly believed that the world was made to serve humans if understood correctly. He wrote:
- "Islam teaches that God created the physical world for human use.
- Humans are told to study the world, find its potential, and use it for their own good and others.
- Any harm from nature comes from not understanding its laws.
- The more humans learn about nature, the more peaceful their relationship with it.
- So, the idea of 'conquering nature' is not Islamic. It shows a lack of understanding of how the world was created."
Why He Disliked Western Culture
Qutb believed there were only two types of societies: Islamic and Jahili (ignorant). He said that all existing Muslim societies were also "jahili societies." This was because they gave the power to make laws to humans, not to God. He also wrote:
- "The Muslim community has disappeared for a long time.
- The leadership of humanity has gone to other ideas and nations."
Qutb argued:
- Many Muslims read the Qur'an just for culture or information. This misses its true purpose. It should be seen as commands from God to be followed.
- Instead of rule by a few pious people, Qutb believed in a kind of "anarcho-Islam." He thought Muslims would not need judges or police if they obeyed divine sharia law. There would be no rulers, no "servitude to other men." This is because only God should have power over creation.
- To achieve this freedom, a revolutionary group should fight jahiliyyah. They would do this by teaching and using "physical power and jihad." This would "get rid of" the organizations and authorities of the Jahili system.
- This group would grow through teaching and jihad. It would form a truly Islamic community. Then it would spread throughout Islamic lands and finally across the world. This would lead to Islamic leadership for all humanity.
- Qutb said that some people might wrongly define jihad as only defensive. But he believed true jihad was offensive, not defensive.
Qutb stressed that this struggle would be very hard. True Islam would change every part of society, removing anything non-Muslim. True Muslims could expect lives of "poverty, difficulty, frustration, and sacrifice." He believed that Jahili fake-Muslims, Jews, and Westerners would all fight against Islam.
His Strong Views on Jewish People
Qutb held very strong negative views about Jewish people. He was influenced by other Islamists and believed in global Jewish conspiracies. In 1950, he wrote a book called Our Struggle against the Jews. This book is a key part of some anti-Jewish ideas in Islamism today. Qutb blamed Jewish people for pushing for secular changes in the Ottoman Empire. He also blamed them for causing problems that led to its breakup.
He wrote:
- "A Jewish person was behind causing tribal pride in the last Caliphate.
- They caused revolutions that removed Islamic law and put in a 'Constitution' during Sultan Abdul Hamid II's time.
- And the 'hero' Ataturk ended the Caliphate.
- Then, behind the war against the first signs of Islamic revival everywhere, stood the Jews."
How Sayyid Qutb Influenced Others
Sayyid Qutb is seen as one of the most important Muslim thinkers of the modern era. This is not only because of his ideas but also because many see his death as a martyr's death. He is called Shaheed, or martyr. For militant Islamists around the world, his execution in a Muslim country showed how bad Muslim governments had become. In Egypt, Qutb's death inspired a new generation of militant Islamists. They called for Islamic law to be put in place.
Authors Daniel Benjamin and Steven Simon say that Sayyid Qutb "brought together the main parts of modern Islamism." This included ideas from different groups and thinkers.
Qutb's books are still widely available and translated into many languages. His most famous work is Ma'alim fi-l-Tariq (Milestones). But most of his ideas are in his Qur'an commentary, Fi zilal al-Qur'an (In the Shade of the Quran). This 30-volume work is known for its new way of explaining the Qur'an. Qutb saw the Qur'an as the final guide for all matters of faith. His main goal in writing In the Shade of the Qur’an was to bring faith back to the center of Muslims' minds. He wanted to start a change that would lead to a renewal of Islamic tradition.
His influence covers topics like Westernization, modernization, and political change. It also includes the idea of an unavoidable conflict between "Islam and the West." His ideas also touch on the concept of a worldwide Muslim community and the full use of jihad. Qutb's ideas on Islamic advocacy, social justice, and education have influenced many Muslim scholars. These include the founder of the Syrian Muslim Brotherhood, Mustafa al-Siba'i, and the Indonesian scholar Hamka.
His influence is not limited to Sunni Muslims. The current Supreme Leader of Iran, Ali Khamenei, translated his work into Persian. Qutb's books were translated into Persian in the 1950s and 60s. They were very popular before and after the Iranian Revolution. Important figures like Ali Khamenei and his brother translated Qutb's works.
Influence on Al-Qaeda and Other Groups
Qutb influenced Islamic militant groups in Egypt and other places. His influence on al-Qaeda came from his writings and his followers. Especially important was his brother, Muhammad Qutb. Muhammad moved to Saudi Arabia after being released from prison. He became a professor and helped publish and promote his brother Sayyid's work.
One of Muhammad Qutb's students was Ayman Al-Zawahiri. Al-Zawahiri later became a member of the Egyptian Islamic Jihad. He then became a mentor to Osama bin Laden and the second leader of Al-Qaeda. Al-Zawahiri first learned about Qutb from his uncle, Mafouz Azzam. Azzam was very close to Qutb throughout his life. He was Qutb's student, then helper, and later his personal lawyer. He was one of the last people to see Qutb before his execution. According to Lawrence Wright, young Ayman al-Zawahiri often heard from his uncle about Qutb's good character and the suffering he faced in prison. Al-Zawahiri praised Qutb in his own book.
Al-Zawahiri wrote:
- "Sayyid Qutb stressed the importance of Tawheed (belief in one God) in Islam.
- He said the fight between Islam and its enemies is about who has power: God and his Shari’ah, or human-made laws.
- Even though Qutb was treated badly by Nasser’s government, his influence on young Muslims was huge.
- Qutb’s message was, and still is, to believe in one God and the power of the divine path.
- This message started the fire of Islamic revolution against the enemies of Islam at home and abroad.
- His revolution continues to grow day by day."
Osama bin Laden also knew Sayyid's brother, Muhammad Qutb. A close college friend of bin Laden's said that bin Laden regularly went to Muhammad Qutb's lectures. He said that both he and bin Laden "read Sayyid Qutb. He was the one who most affected our generation."
While in prison in Yemen, Anwar al-Awlaki was influenced by Qutb's works. He would read 150–200 pages of Qutb's books every day. He said he felt "so immersed with the author I would feel Sayyid was with me in my cell speaking to me directly."
Influence on the Iranian Revolution
Qutb was an important influence on Ruhollah Khomeini and other Iranian Shia thinkers. These thinkers led to the 1979 Iranian Revolution. In 1984, the Islamic Republic of Iran honored Qutb's "martyrdom." They issued a postage stamp showing him behind bars. Qutb's works were translated into Persian by Iranian Islamists. They were very popular before and after the revolution. Important figures like current Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei translated Qutb's works.
However, Iranian thinkers have slowly started to oppose Qutb's militant ideas over time. Some Iranian Shi'ite religious leaders criticized Qutb's ideas. They saw them as too influenced by Sunni Islam and accused him of heresy. In 2015, a youth group held a conference on Qutb's ideas in Tehran. Most people at the conference had negative views of Qutb. They saw him as someone who promoted extreme ideas. Some argued that Qutb's "binary worldview" (dividing societies into Jahili and Tawhidi) led to hatred against non-Muslims. They said this resulted in the cruel actions of groups like the Islamic State (IS).
His Books and Writings
Sayyid Qutb wrote many books and articles. Here are some of his main works:
Literary Works
- The Task of the Poet in Life and the Poetry of the Contemporary Generation, 1932
- The Unknown Beach, 1935
- Critique of a Book by Taha Husain: the Future of Culture in Egypt, 1939
- Artistic Imagery in the Qur'an, 1945
- The Four Apparitions, 1945
- A Child from the Village, 1946
- The Enchanted City, 1946
- Books and Personalities, 1946
- Thorns, 1947
- Aspects of Resurrection in the Qu'ran, 1946
- Literary Criticism: Its Foundation and Methods, 1948
- "The America I Have Seen," 1949
Theoretical Works
- Social Justice in Islam, 1949
- The Battle Between Islam and Capitalism, 1951
- World Peace and Islam, 1951
- In the Shade of the Qur'an, first part 1954
- Islamic Studies, 1953
- This Religion is Islam, (after 1954)
- The Future of This Religion, (after 1954)
- The Characteristics and Values of Islamic Conduct, 1960
- Islam and the Problems of Civilization, (after 1954)
- Milestones, 1964
- Basic Principles of Islamic Worldview
- The Islamic Concept and Its Characteristics
- Islam and universal peace
Co-authored Works
- The Four Ghosts, 1945. Written with his siblings: Muhammad, Aminah, and Hamidah.
- Rawdah al-Atfal, a children's book. Written with Amīnah Saʻīd and Yūsuf Murād.
- The New [Approach to] Arabic Language, a textbook on Arabic language.
- The New [Approach to] Arabic Literature, a textbook on Arabic literature.
Images for kids
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Qutb on trial in 1966
