Sayyid Qutb Milestones

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

The work of Sayyid Qutb Milestones outlines the various phases in the founding and the

launching of a true Islamic life. Qutb after describing the mission of Islam and the

methodology to accomplish it, sites the ways the Prophet nurtured and guided the

premium Muslim community and afterwards the author stress out the issue of how the

Muslims lost their inspiration and the concepts of their forefathers. Qutb, being one of the

major originators of contemporary Islamic revival, was anguished with the alienation

among the Islamic values and the birth of post-colonial Muslim societies.

In Milestones Qutb sought to answer questions such as of why Islam needs to be revived

and what is the true Islamic identity and existence. How Islam was created by the Prophet

and how it can be applied to the modern Muslim societies.

Through his writings and martyrdom, the Egyptian rationalist and author Sayyid Qutb has

turn out to be a known ambassador of radical contemporary Islam. Although he might be

described as an activist and nationalist without rejecting Islam as religion his concern

was directed towards political and social issues of Islam that are depicted in several of his

works among them Milestones. Qutb was arrested and executed as a traitor by order of

the Nasser government in 1964, however, the book managed to be copied and to spread

influencing the entire Muslim world.

Towards the end of his introduction in Milestones, where Qutb points out the need for

Islamic renewal, he gives away to the reader the theory of his book.

"Without doubt, we possess this new thing which is perfect to the highest degree, a thing

which mankind does not know about and is not capable of producing. But as we have

stated before, the beauty of this new system cannot be appreciated unless it takes a

concrete form. Hence it is essential that a community arrange its affairs according to it

and show it to the world. In order to bring this about, we need to initiate the movement of

Islamic revival in some Muslim country. Only such a revivalist movement will eventually

attain to the status of world leadership, whether the distance is near or far." (Milestones,

pp. 11-12). Qutb uses the "new thing" in order to show his Islamic vision without being

traditional but the "new thing" and the revival of the Muslim nation must be done in one

state. Moreover, the vanguard of Muslims which he believed would accomplish the

revival he points out little later in the introduction that "It is necessary that there should

be a vanguard which sets out with this determination and then keeps walking on a path,

marching through the vast ocean of Jahiliyyah which has encompassed the entire world.

During its course, it should keep itself somewhat aloof for this all- encompassing

Jahiliyyah and should also keep some ties with it."(p.12). So Qutb's vision is closely

related to that of a Communist state, to establish and renew Islam the same way

the Communist Manifesto gave way to revolution. Although Qutb does not vindicate

violence he implies any means necessary. It would be hard to understand the

relationship of religion and politics in Islam, as if there is any space separating the two

in their policies and decisions. Although, Milestones seems to resemble Mein Kampf, it

appears to be a precursor manual as to what has to be done and achieve the revival of

Islam. Qutb idealizes the first generation of Muslim society that can be revived by

rejecting the Western influence and thought or Jahiliyyah. The jahili culture which Qutb

considers corrupted "un-Islamic and illegal" (p.70) is the reason why the radical

Muslims worldwide want to get rid off moderate governments which are influenced by

western culture. Qutb saw the West as decayed, he writes "Even the Western World

realizes that Western Civilization is unable to present any healthy values for the guidance

of mankind. It knows that it does not possess anything which will satisfy its own

conscience and justify its existence." (p. 7). His weak views over the western culture and

values are interpreted by Qutb's use of the Qur'an in Milestones and his supporting of the

Islamic scholars.

The Islamic system is presented through quotes and the system term, avoiding the use of

religion. "By its very nature, this concept is different from all