40 YEARS AFTER SAYYID QUTB'S MARTYRDOM

40 WESTERN YEARS AFTER SAYYID QUTB'S MARTYRDOM

From: islamiccommunitynet
Assalamu aleikum.
Sayyid Qutb was martyred 40 western years ago this date by hanging on
August 29, 1966 by Gamel Nasser. The movement and the struggle
continue and have become internationalized. Sayyid Qutb's work remains
an inspiration for mujahideen everywhere.

Please note that 3 articles follow:

*Sayyid Qutb
*Milestones - By Sayyid Qutb (index and link)
*Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood Leaders Arrested


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(1)

Sayyid Qutb
By Ahmed El-Kadi, MD
http://www.islam101.com/history/people/century20/syedQutb.htm

Sayyid Qutb, the doyen of the Ikhwan al-Muslimun, had a very profound
impact on the Muslim Arab youth coming of age since late 60s. Western
writers in recent years have focused on him as one of the two most
influencial Muslim thinkers of this century, the other being Sayyid
Maududi. Qutb's writings prior to 1951 are more of a `moralist'. It
was after he was introduced to Maududi's ideas, especially his
emphasis on Islam being a complete way of life, and establishment of
Allah's order on earth as every Muslim's primary responsibility that
Qutb changed into a revolutionary. His two years sojourn (1948-1950)
in the US opened his eyes to the malise of the western culture and
non-Islamic ideologies.

After his return to Egypt he resigned his job in the Education
directorate and devoted himself to the idea of bringing a total change
in the political system. Ikhwan gained ideological vitality when
Sayyid Qutb in his jail cell wrote a book in which he revised Hassan
al-Banna Shahid's dream of establishing an Islamic state in Egypt
after the nation was thoroughly Islamized. Sayyid Qutb recommended
that a revlutionary vanguard should first establish an Islamic state
and then, from above impose Islamization on Egyptian society that had
deviated to Arab nationalistic ideologies.

His subsequent 11 years behind prison walls gave him an opportunity to
confirm what Maududi's writing made him aware, and that is what
convinced the secular Nasserites to condemn him to death on false
accusations.

Other than Prophet Muhammad (s), the contemporary men who had great
influence on me were my father, Imam Hassan al-Banna, and Shaheed
Sayyid Qutb. The first two Islamic books that I studied as teenager
were "Dirasat Islamiyya" (Studies in Islam, or Lessons in Islam) and
Aladalah Alijtima'eyyah Fil-Islam (Social Justice in Islam) both by
Sayyid Qutb. Although I have never met or seen Sayyid Qutb, I knew him
(as most other Muslims involved with Islamic work) through his many
books, like the two mentioned above, his great commentary on the
Qur'an, Fithilal-el-Qur'an (in the Shades of the Qur'an), and other books.

Sayyid Qutb was born on 8 October 1906, in a village called "Musha" in
the township of Qaha in the province of Assyout in Egypt. He entered
the elementary and primary school of Musha in 1912 and finished his
primary education in 1918. He dropped out of school for two years
because of the revolution of 1919. His father was Haj Qutb, son of
Ibrahi, and a well-known religious person in his village, and his
mother was also a religious lady from a well-known family who cared
about him and his two younger sisters, Hamida and Amina, and a younger
brother, Muhammad. After completing his primary education in Musha,
Sayyid Qutb moved to Cairo for further education where he lived with
his uncle, Ahmad Hussain Osman. This was in 1920, when he was 14 years
old. It should be noted that he memorized the Qur'an when he was about
10 years old in his village. He lost his father while he was in Cairo,
so he convinced his mother to move with him to Cairo, where she died
in 1940. After the death of his mother, he expressed his loneliness in
several articles (Ummah, My Mother) published in the book, "Atatiaf
Alarbaa" (The Four Lights), which his sisters, brother and he wrote.

In Cairo, he completed his high school education and enrolled in the
teachers' college, Darul Oloom, in 1929. In 1939 he qualified as an
Arabic-Language teacher and received a Bachelor of Arts degree then
joined the ministry of education. Very soon (about six years), he left
his ministry job as a teacher and devoted his time to freelance
writing. A factor leading to his resignation from the teaching job was
his disagreement with the ministry of education and many colleagues
regarding his philosophy of education and his attitude towards the
literary arts.

From 1939 to 1951, an obvious switch in his writing towards the
Islamic ideology was noted. He wrote several articles on the artistic
expression of the Qur'an, as well as two books titled "Expression of
the Qur'an" and "Scenes from the Day of Judgement." In 1948, his book
"Social Justice in Islam" was published. In it he made it clear that
true social justice can only be realized in Islam. In November 1948,
he went to the United States to study educational curricula. He spent
two and one half years moving between Washington DC., and California,
where he realized the materialistic attitude of the literary arts and
its lack of spirituality. He interrupted his stay in the United States
and returned to Egypt in August 1950. Sayyid Qutb resumed his job as a
teacher and inspector in the ministry of education before he resigned
in October 1952 (again because of his repeated philosophical
disagreements with the minister of education and many of his colleagues).

The period from 1951 to 1965 included his joining the Ikhwan (The
Muslim Brotherhood). His ideas were quite clear about the fallacy of
many of the prevailing social and political/economic injustices and
the need for Islamic reform, and he became the chief editor of the
newspaper of Ikhwan. During his period, several of his books appeared
on Islamic ideology and Islam as a complete way of life. He was
arrested when the Ikhwan was accused of attempting to overthrow the
government in 1954 and was sentenced to 15 years imprisonment with
hard labor. He remained in Jarah prison near Cairo for about 10 years
after which due to his health condition, he was released when the
Iraqi President, Abdul Salam Arif, intervened.

In 1965 he published his famous book, Mallem Fittareek (Milestones),
which led to his re-arrest with the accusation of conspiracy against
the Egyptian President, Abdul Nasser. He was tried and rapidly
sentenced to death based upon many excerpts of his book, Milestones.
There was quite an international uproar and protest in various Muslim
countries with appeals to President Abdul Nasser to pardon Sayyid
Qutb. In spite of several demonstrations and many objections in
various Muslim countries, Sayyid Qutb was executed by hanging on
August 29, 1966. He left behind a total of 24 books, including several
novels, several books on literary arts' critique, on the education of
adults and children, and several religious books, including the 30
volume Commentary of the Qur'an.

Sayyid Qutb will always be remembered for his legacy of clearly
defining the basic ideas of the Oneness and sovereignty of Allah, the
clear distinction between pure faith and the association of partners
with Allah (Shirk) overt and hidden, and the only hope for salvation
of humanity. Sayyid Qutb was smiling when he was executed, showing his
conviction of the beautiful life to come in paradise – a life he
definitely and rightfully deserved.

http://www.islam101.com/history/people/century20/syedQutb.htm


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(2)

Milestones - By Sayyid Qutb
Mankind today is on the brink of a precipice, not because of the
danger of complete annihilation which is hanging over its head-this
being just a symptom and not the real disease
http://www.youngmuslims.ca/online_library/books/milestones/hold/index_2.asp

Table of Index:

* Introduction
* Chapter 1:
o The unique Qur'anic generation
* Chapter 2:
o The nature of the Qur'anic method
* Chapter 3:
o The Characteristics of the Islamic Society and the Correct
method for its Formation
* Chapter 4:
o Jihadd in the cause of God
* Chapter 5:
o La Ilaha Illa Allah-The way of Life of Islam
* Chapter 6:
o The Universal Law
* Chapter 7:
o Islam is the Real Civilization
* Chapter 8:
o Chapter 8 is down, for technical reasons. We apologize for
the inconvenience. Feel free to search on Google with the keywords
Milestone + Syed Qutb.
* Chapter 9:
o A Muslim's Nationality and his Belief
* Chapter 10:
o Far-Reaching Changes
* Chapter 11:
o The faith Triumphant
* Chapter 12:
o This is the Road

http://www.youngmuslims.ca/online_library/books/milestones/hold/index_2.asp


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(3)

Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood Leaders Arrested
Written by The Media Line Staff
The Media Line
Published Monday, August 28, 2006
http://themedialine.org/news/news_detail.asp?NewsID=14894

The Egyptian State Security's Prosecution arrested over the weekend 17
leaders of the Muslim Brotherhood movement, including
General-Secretary Dr. Mahmoud 'Izzat, the London-based daily A-Sharq
Al-Awsat reports.

The group will face charges of being members of an outlawed
organization and possessing publications propagating its ideologies,
said the Muslim Brotherhood's lawyer 'Abd Al-Mun'im `Abd Al-Maq'soud.

According to the investigation report, the group attempted to "incite
the public, spread chaos and call for public disobedience." They did
so, according to A-Sharq Al-Awsat, using the offices of the Muslim
Brotherhood's members of parliament.

The Muslim Brotherhood, an outlawed but tolerated movement, is the
largest opposition movement in Egypt. The organization fielded
candidates as independents in last year's legislative elections and
won a fifth of the seats in the parliament.

A week and a half ago the Egyptian police arrested another 17 members
of the movement. They were arrested for allegedly holding a meeting in
eastern Cairo, aimed at "reviving the movement's activities."

http://themedialine.org/news/news_detail.asp?NewsID=14894