Sayyid Qutb

Sayyid Qutb Ibrahim Husayn Shadili (1906-1966 CE / 1324-1386 AH) was an Egyptian author, literary critic, and Islamic thinker who became one of the most influential ideologues of the 20th-century Islamic revival. Born in Musha, Upper Egypt, he was initially a literary critic and educator before undergoing a transformation toward Islamic activism, deepened by a period spent in the United States (1948-1950) that left him critical of Western materialism.

Qutb's most important work is Fi Zilal al-Quran (In the Shade of the Quran), a comprehensive, literary tafsir of the entire Quran that combines Quranic interpretation with social and political commentary. Written partly during his years in prison, it became one of the most widely read tafsirs of the modern era. His other highly influential work, Ma'alim fit-Tariq (Milestones), presented a radical vision of Islamic activism that called for the establishment of a truly Islamic society and critiqued existing Muslim societies as living in a state of jahiliyyah (pre-Islamic ignorance).

Qutb joined the Muslim Brotherhood and was imprisoned after the failed assassination attempt on President Nasser in 1954. He spent over a decade in prison, where he wrote much of his most influential work. He was executed by the Egyptian government in 1966. His writings, particularly Ma'alim fit-Tariq, have generated extensive debate. His literary tafsir Fi Zilal al-Quran is widely appreciated for its eloquence and spiritual depth, while his political ideas have been both embraced by some activist movements and strongly criticized by mainstream scholars who disagreed with his concept of declaring Muslim societies to be in a state of jahiliyyah.