Sayyid Qutb and the Origins of Radical Islamism by John Calvert

A biography of Sayyid Qutb, a prominent Egyptian Islamic intellectual and activist who became one of the leading ideologues of radical Islamism. The biography traces Qutb's life from his childhood in rural Egypt to his execution by the regime of Gamal Abdel Nasser. It examines the influences that shaped Qutb's thinking, including traditional Islamic education, Egyptian nationalism, and the author's experiences in the United States. The book argues that Qutb developed a worldview based on the distinction between the "jahiliyya" (ignorance and paganism) and the "ummah" (Islamic community). For Qutb, Western society, and in particular the United States, represented the "jahiliyya" characterized by materialism, individualism, and moral permissiveness. He saw Islam as the only solution to the problems of the modern world and advocated the need for an Islamic revolution that would overthrow secular governments and establish an Islamic state. The biography explores Qutb's ideas and their impact on the history of Islam, examining how his ideas have been interpreted and used by radical Islamist groups, including al-Qaeda. The book examines the development of Qutb's thought, from his early days as an Egyptian nationalist to his radicalization around an apocalyptic vision of the struggle between Islamism and global "jahiliyya". The biography also explores the role of the Nasser regime in the persecution of Islamism and Qutb's role in the development of jihadist ideology.