A Study on Sayyid Qutb
Introduction
Sayyid Qutb was born in 19O6 in the province of Asyut, which is located in southern Egypt. He is known for his talents as being an author, a radical Islamist, and leading intellectual of the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood during the mid 195O’s. He is also well known for his works on the social and political role of Islamic fundamentalism, his two most famous books are Social Justice in Islam and Ma 'alim fi-l-Tariq (Milestones). His extensive Quranic commentary Fi zilal al-Qur 'an (In the shades of the Qur 'an) has contributed significantly to modern perceptions of Islamic concepts such as jihad, Jahiliyyah, and ummah.
Background
Qutb was raised in the Egyptian village of Musha. His parents were both deeply religious people and well known in the area. Qutb’s evident desire for knowledge was clear from his young age, and by the age of 1O he had already committed the entire text of the Qur 'an to memory. In his early 2O’s he moved to Cairo, where he received a Western style education, in addition, he was later admitted to Dar Al-Ulum, a western style university also attended by Hasan Al-banna, an Arab Islamic leader who Qtub would later join in the Muslim Brotherhood. After his graduation from Dar Al-Ulum in 1933, Qtub began his teaching career and eventually became involved in Egypt’s Ministry of Education.
How did Qutb acquire his philosophy?
In 1948, the Ministry sent him on a study mission to the United States, doubtless with the assumption that direct acquaintance with America would incline him more favourably to official policies and induce him to abandon the oppositional activities that were increasingly taking on an Islamic dimension. Sayyid Qutb’s impressions of America were, however, largely negative. While noting American achievements in production and social organization, Sayyid Qutb laid heavy emphasis on materialism, racism, and sexual permissiveness as dominant features of American life. ‘
“It is astonishing to realize, despite his
Sayyid Qutb was born in 19O6 in the province of Asyut, which is located in southern Egypt. He is known for his talents as being an author, a radical Islamist, and leading intellectual of the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood during the mid 195O’s. He is also well known for his works on the social and political role of Islamic fundamentalism, his two most famous books are Social Justice in Islam and Ma 'alim fi-l-Tariq (Milestones). His extensive Quranic commentary Fi zilal al-Qur 'an (In the shades of the Qur 'an) has contributed significantly to modern perceptions of Islamic concepts such as jihad, Jahiliyyah, and ummah.
Background
Qutb was raised in the Egyptian village of Musha. His parents were both deeply religious people and well known in the area. Qutb’s evident desire for knowledge was clear from his young age, and by the age of 1O he had already committed the entire text of the Qur 'an to memory. In his early 2O’s he moved to Cairo, where he received a Western style education, in addition, he was later admitted to Dar Al-Ulum, a western style university also attended by Hasan Al-banna, an Arab Islamic leader who Qtub would later join in the Muslim Brotherhood. After his graduation from Dar Al-Ulum in 1933, Qtub began his teaching career and eventually became involved in Egypt’s Ministry of Education.
How did Qutb acquire his philosophy?
In 1948, the Ministry sent him on a study mission to the United States, doubtless with the assumption that direct acquaintance with America would incline him more favourably to official policies and induce him to abandon the oppositional activities that were increasingly taking on an Islamic dimension. Sayyid Qutb’s impressions of America were, however, largely negative. While noting American achievements in production and social organization, Sayyid Qutb laid heavy emphasis on materialism, racism, and sexual permissiveness as dominant features of American life. ‘
“It is astonishing to realize, despite his
References: al-Mehr A.B. (n.d.) Milestones, Biography. Retrieved July 14, 2013, from, http://www.kalamullah.com/Books/Milestones%20Special%20Edition.pdf Cline, A. (2013) Sayyid Qutb: Father of Modern Islamic Extremism. Retrieved July 8, 2013, from http://atheism.about.com/od/islamicextremismpeople/a/qutb.htm Loboda, L. (2004). THE THOUGHT OF SAYYID QUTB. Retrieved July 6, 2013. SayyidQutb.com (n.d.). Retrieved July 5, 2013, from http://www.sayyidqutb.com/