Radical Reform

I believe this is the single most important text I have read to contextualize Sayyid Qutb all semester. This book gives a succinct description of how different forms of Qur’anic interpretation arose, and how they are accepted or rejected in current scholarly circles. I especially like the point which is made at the beginning that assumptions that the Qur’an comes from one person at one point in time involves two dangerous shortcuts: one to assumer that texts are not read dogmatically, and two utilizing a historical method to analyze the Qur’an and to treat it historically, a method taken from Christianity. This is especially interesting because Qutb engages in both of these activities; he interprets the Qur’an as being historically accurate and in doing so he interprets it in a very dogmatic way. In his book Milestones his dogmatic approach entirely shapes and justifies his reading of the Qur’an. In addition Qutb rejects all Islamic writings after the Qur’an, which he says are tainted in Jahillyah. However, from this article, it is demonstrated that the subsequent expansions on the Qur’an are actually based primarily in facts, and are an attempt to preserve the original word of the Qur’an. From this, one might even make the suggestion that in reality it is Qutb whose interpretation is based in Jahillyah. While traditions such as faqhi are purposed and based solely on architectures meant to preserve Qur’anic ideals, Qutb simply attempts to begin with a blank slate and rebuild Islam upon his own interpretation.
I really enjoyed how this text focused on the individual efforts of some scholars to preserve Qur’anic ideals, and at the same time exposes other scholars as being overly interpretive of the Qur’anic texts. I have a hope to read this entire book, as it has been eye opening in terms of the history of the Qur’an and the subsequent interpretations of its writings.

Milestones Chapter 1

Sayyid Qutb introduces his book as a revolutionary concept; the revival of a "original Muslim Community" to bring the world out of Jahiliyyah. Qutb takes a hard stance saying that the entire world, including Islamic faith, Islamic philosophy and even modern Islamic sources are components of Jahiliyyah. Qutb asserts that only the Qur'an and the Hadith are valid sources of Islamic knowledge, and subsequent writings not from this original "perfect" Islamic community are tainted by Jahillyah. He goes further to say that this book will be an examination of this orginal community, and he urges all Muslims to return to the ideals of this original community. Qutb's technique is subtle here, but he has effectiively rearranged Islam to be interpretable by only him and those who believe in this book. By stating that all material since the original Islamic community is Jahillyah, Qutb can in one broad sweep eliminate all of the previous commentaries and writings on Islam, and impose his interpretation as the one true interpretation of the Qur'an. In addition, he has expanded the term of Jahillyah to encompass all of society (something I touched on in my previous blogs) which explains how his ideals can be used to justify any renunciation or attack of almost any other social group. One thing which Qutb does not consider, however, in his discussion is that the Qur'an, which he is deeming the only source of Islamic knowledge, maintains a special status for the "people of the book". This is an interesting side note because Qutb does not consider in his broad sweeping claim of Jahillyah that people of the book cannot be characterized in this way according to the Qur'an, and therefore his argument is null in their case. This is important because some of his claims later in the book make direct attacks upon Christianity and Judaism, and yet he has completely ignored in his first argument the fact that they are protected by the Qur'an.