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    Sayyid Qutb

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    802 visualizzazioni124 pagine

    Basic Principles of Islamic Worldview - Sayyid Qutb

    Caricato da

    Ardit Kraja
    Sayyid Qutb

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    © All Rights Reserved
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    BASIC PRINCIPLES OF THE ISLAMIC WORLDVIEW SAYYID QUTB "TRANSLATED BY RAMI DAVID PREFACE BY HAMID ALGAR g bey 69.5 24343 2006 ‘Suton i, 84 Eeslicorson Copyight 0208 hc Patan nan Pine inthe Ui St Aric. feet hepato yb ered tn) om, any aaa cea inte weaten pemioon the pubis ei ‘ac cpr abe ake Wed Sah Qu aay Rami Dei 1. ly Doceies. 2, God (sam) 3, Theloial binges CONTENTS PREFACE by Hamid Algar AWORD ABOUT THE METHODOLOGY 1 THE WILDERNESS AND THE DEBRIS 2. CHARACTERISTICS OF THE ISLAMIC CONCEPT 3 ivinrry 4 STABILITY 5. COMPREHENSIVENESS. 6 BALANCE, 7 POSITIVE ORIENTATION ® REALISM 9. THE ONENESS OF GOD Index 4“ 2 o 19 157 19 203 nas PREFACE G27 Qh ng ben cgi aso of he mot inn tal writers and activins ofthe Arab wor in the pas fifiy years! Although his career war cut shor by execution at the hands of the regime of Abdel Nasscr in 1966, he lefe behind an abundane body of wore that continues to be studied and varyingly appreciated down te the present. Atention has been pad in particular to al‘Adala a ‘ina’ slam ("Socal Justice in Islam") the fest of his works to appcar ia English wanalaion); Zia! a-Qurian (*n the Shade of the Quran’), = complete commentary on the Qur'an; and Malin "Tari (*Milestone"|, a manifesto for change which, together with the fimgast of forensic evidence, was used by the Egyptian govern ‘ent ta serve asa pretext fr ht execution, Quib saw hinielf above all, however aba thinker called upon to artiulae [lam i ts purest, ‘Smples, and most imperative form, to fee from the hos of miscon ‘xptions, which, n is opinion, had obscured it for centuries, ad se cl of his moe important books wer dedicated to chat purpore. The ‘book rw presented tothe reader in English tanlaton is one such Ibook may serve asa key to the understanding of some of his beter Known writings. eee Thetervenitled Khasisa-Tasour allows Mugetcwinatuse (The Characteristics and Fundamentals ofthe Islamic Concept”) i ‘id to have been feet published in ether 1960 or 1962, at atime when Stsauthor was ina? The printing used for this wanslation is described Gee of Spyl Qa oe pan wets tn wo Sal a me sin Je ar ont N30) pp. 1985) ps fr 1420 hae A, "Syy tb the Poverty 9fhilarophy rssicon Que wed on the frontispiece asthe “ninth legitimate edition (Dar al Shuruq, Beirut and Csiro, 2000), legitimate in that has been authorized by Sayyid Quid hes and is noe a pirate edition. Several of Queb’s works, above all fAdala a-ttima'iya f ‘Lela, changed sig «any in content frem onc edition to the nex, and shor of locating & 0py ofthe 1960 or 198 edison of Khai and comparing with the in cis impossible o ell whether changes were eve made between. the tse edition and any of ts sucessrs, Probably, however, the text did not undergo any major revision, for it was iteaded ay the fst ina ewo-pare series and Sayyid Qui spent part of the time lee to him in completing che sequel, Mugaww mat a-Tasewr al-slami ("The Fundamental of the Islamic Concept”). At numerous poinesin the Khasi, where he senses, perhaps that he has not dea with ters in adequate deta, he efets the reader precisely to his fortheom ing Mugawwimat for «fuller discussion ofthe topic in question itis therefore unlikely that he should have thought it necessary co rework the Khasais, As forthe Mugatwimat, he was unable t finish wet ing it before his execution, and it was not until 1986 that his brother, ‘Muhammad Quib, published the fe chapters that were complete together with his nes Fortwo final chapters, prefacing the book with a lengthy introduction. The work entitled Khasi ot Tasowwv a Islam oa Mugawwimatubs (The Charactersis and Fundamental ‘of the Islamic Concept"), both inthe et and in he ninth edition, here ‘offered in ransltion, dealin face only wih the “Characteristics” not st all with the Fundamentals, our retention ofthe te is simply Fidelity to Sayyid Quub’s choice. Tehas often beun remarked by sdirers and detacrors alike that Sayyid Queb was aot a scholar of Islam an lin, sn the foemal and traiional sense. From his poine of view, this wns an advantage, in ‘hat icenabled him, he believed, to encounter the Quran dict fe ofthe extraneous elements that had come to dovd Islamic scholar Ship ovr the ezaturcs. He was particularly eitical of che philosoph ‘al tradition eepresented by such luminaries as Tha Sina and Fara, and (ds) tothe a thas Goo sight tack out these who Pave sine fat ad ‘oose fom among you sch a (wih chet lies] beat witness 0 ‘he tutl since God oes no ne eidoersand that God ight sender pur ofl dros tho who have ane oft and being to naught thor who deny the et, ‘Do you think that you could eter paradizeunlers God takes cngrizanceof your having seen har in His casey and as fogizance of jour having been patient in adversity? For ined, ou did long for death in God nae before pou ee fce to face ‘with aednow you havesean swith your own eee™ (itera 139-10) And ofthese "Indes, God Has sccoured you on many bartels when you were Fen} and [He did 0, 00) 08 the Day of Hun, when you took pid in your peat numbers andy proved of no ral what cer © youfor the earth, demi all ite vstness, became [oo] ‘arrow fr you and you tuned bac, retreating wbereqpon God Sesrowed from oo high Hi gfe] ier peace upon His poste and upon the believers, aml bestowed [upon youl fom of high fetes which you could not ee and chased thowe who ee bent fo denying the rath fr rich the einen ofall who deny the tub deat 25.26) And of these: "You shill most certainly be ried in your possessions ad in your pont and indeed you val eat many hurl this from chose to whos revelation war granted fore you ine a wll from "Bose who have comet serie divinity to athe beings beside Cod avi you ems pce in adversy ad conscious of mi, behold something tose oae's eset epon® IAIman (6 They understood the tue meaning ofthese words hecsse God was speaking tO hem of tealites they lived through, of memories cerched in thas soul, of experiences ao dirtsnt in ine “Those who endue today and tomorrow similar experiences ate those who understand the meanings of the Qur'an, They ca taste the truths of the Islamic concept ae it appears inthe Quran, Base it exists in their emotions and experiences; they iterpeer and perceive all things ins light. Those people are bu fe Since peoplchave drifted away from che Quran as they have fom living in a world comparable to that whi sais revelation, it snow SSL TT a nn nl rnecesaty to provide them with che eaths ofthe Islamic concep con ering God, the universe, life and mankind, by means ofthe relevant series ofthe Quren, accompanied by explanation and commentaey, ‘Coordinated with each other and classed, Sech supplementary mate tial rot intended go subscitte forthe Quean in addeessing men's hearts and minds, but to enable them to connect with the Qur'an as much ay pouble o ail them in eouchiog snd eating dhe supreme Islamic concep. ere major fat hast be pointed out By expounding the tuts ‘of the Islamic concept, we are not aiming at purely coltaal knowl- tg, We do not wish to create 4 ew section inthe Islamic library, > be added to what ued to be known as "Islamic philosophy.” No, out sim snot some frigid knowledge thar deals only with men's mind and ‘dd to the accumulation of “clear” Such an aim does not deserve pain and effort, for ie a cheap ard foolish am. We eck “movement” {ea stage beyond “knowledge” We want knowledge ro transform iself inuo a ativatiog power for ealzing ite meaning inthe real world. We seek oenlis theconacienceof man to achieve the purpose of his exis fence, a traced ove by tis divine concept. We eck eo return human ity tt Lond othe plan He had drawn up fort and the noble and ‘Seraed life that conforms to te nobility thst God prescribes for man kind the lf hat was achieved once in history, whe the Islamic eon cepe became a realiey embodied in a people leading mankind towards foodies, righteousness and growth Tchebstory of eam, there camea time when th original amie vay of life, dived from the correct Islamic concept, came in contact Irth orher ways of life and cultures predominating i the conquered lands ‘When thelife ofthe Muslims became free afthe concerns af had, and they suerendeed to confor and affaence; and when athe same {ime different opinions and schools of thought came into existence, largely because of political problems going back tothe well-known confct berween ‘Alt and Mutwipa, they began to concert them Selves with Gretk philosophy and theological discussion relating (0 CChistiaity which were then translated inca Arabic. From such con er, which ean be characterized asa kind of intellectual indulgence ‘during the Abbasid period and in Andalusia, cere emerged deviations ad tendoncas alien tothe orginal Ilamio concep, That concept had ‘ome precisely in order to rescue humanity from such deviations and tendecics, to bring t back tthe posiire aad realitc understanding which orients all of man's energies rowards life, constructive action, tukivaton, advancement and purty, to preserve his energies from boing wasted on pace chat resuls fom sta intellect wasetng in the wilderness without a guide “Maay Muslim scholars found chemselves compelled ro deal with ‘he ees of interaction with alien cultures and the consent devi ations. They started responding, explaining and arguing about the ‘essence and atutes of God, about fate and divine dec, about the actons of mankind, his punishnen and reward issn nd repentance Various sects sachs Khawai,Sh', Marsh Qadariyyab,Jabriyyah, Sunniyyah and Murtaza, emerged asa rel ofthis proces Some of these Maslisascholare and thinkets became inatvated with Greek philosophy especially th commentaries on Aristotle (who twas rlered to as "the frst teacher"), and theological and metaphysi- cal dscussions. They imagined that Islanc thought could not attain petlection and matory, glory and distinction, unless t cored ieclt Inthe gab of philosophy or philosophiing. Just as some people today ate fssnated by the gab of Western thinking today, to foo were the People ofthe past fascinated bythe garb of Greck thought, and they tei to develop an “Islamic philosophy” similar to the Greck phi losophy, They abo ered 0 establish a science of theology based on Aristotelian bg. Instead of moulding the Islamic concept in ts own independent format, and in accordance wit ts overall nature shat addeesee hoa existence with lls fundamentals and conceras, not he fman intl- lect alone, people Borrowed the philosophical mould and ponted the Islamic cose into i. They also borrowed some philosophical con cepts and tried ro reconcile them with the Islamic concep, but alot all thir erminology was borrowed. There isa basic disagreement berween the philotophical proach ‘or mezhod and faith, between the sublime tats of Islamic Beli and ‘the petty and confused endeavors chat belongin the category of human philosophies and theological schemes. So-called “Islamic philosophy” Js manifestly out of harmony with the cohercot scheme of Islamic bei These endeavors have resuked in abun confasion esiaing the parity of che Iemic concep, nasrowing its spe, and pling ieowith superficiality. With all the intiacies, dryness and confusion, “lami philosoply” and theology alike became completly alien &o thenatur, eth, method and syle of lam, (Of course, these remarks will shock many of those working in the fl of “Islamic philosophy” or philosophical research in general However, the “Islamic concept” cannor be purified from distortion, deviation sn falsification anti ii cleansed from everything raced toso-clled "Islamic philosophy” and theology, rom all ue arguments thar were essed among the various Islamic secs across the centuries. ‘Goce this fs donc, we can go back 0 the Qur'an and directly obt the fundamentals ofthe Islamic concept and demonstrate the charac- ‘erste thar distinguish eon all other concepes. Theres no haze ia ‘making few comparisons in order to clarify those characteristics, but the fundamentals f this concepe should be obtained directly fom the (Qur'em and preseneed ina complete and independent manner. In ont to understand the aloremcationed method, i becomes Jmpoctant realize the following thee facts Tirct, whatever the Imic world took from Greek philosophy nd Christian theology had an elfectom shaping the arguments thst Secured among the various sees, Those argumencs were nothing tore than latter day commentaries onthe Geek pulosophy, conveyed ina distorted and disrupred manner and a defective language ‘Second che attra to recone the commentaries of Geeck phi losophy withthe Islamic concept was simplistic in the extreme and And based on ignorance of the mature of Greck philosophy, ofits po Toundly pagan elements, lack of a wnifed intelectual system and a nied methodological base, in all of whic respect it conteasts with the Iamic notion and its authentic sources. Greck philosophy arose ina pagan environment replete with mythology and its eoows were nourished by an all-pervading paganism. I was therefore folsh and pointless to stempe a reconciliation berween Gres plosophy and the Islamie concepe based on che principle of abrolute and profound bliin the Onenest of God. Under the spell of Christian infiuenced, lace commentaries on the Greek philosophers, Muslim philosophers and polemics belevederroneously that the Greck “sages” could not havebeen pagan and could not have denied the Oneness of God, Based ‘on this fallacy, they undertook che task of reconciliation, and ee result sroe what came tobe called "Islamic philosophy.” Third, the pebems arising in he Islamic world—those that pro: ‘ved discussions since the musder of ‘Uthman, may God be pleased ‘wth him led people wo interpret the verses ofthe Qui‘anin their own aj deviating fom its meanings and concepts When agements were set forth to support dhe various viewpoins each see sought support in philosophical snd theological discussions, Sach resources were at ft tebe ued as foundation for pure Islamic hovght, the fundamentals concepts of which can be drawn only from the established text of the Ques, in an stmorphere, moreover, fee af the contamination of {hes historical disputes. ie wil be ftngo separate thientie heritage from ous gensine anderstanding of Islam, and to subject tt a thor ‘ough hstorial seedy in arder to demonstrate the vatious deviations exiting within and the earons for them, Then we will be able avoid falling inc similar raps taday when we are outlining the mean ingof the Islamic concep and its consttuan clement ‘Wester waysofthought folowed:hei owa particular paths, draw- ing fist on Greck thought with alts pagan contamination, and then fan eamity othe church that resulted in oeclesisial anathema. From the Renaissance onwards, the general tendency Wast0 opp08e the Catholic Church adits concep, cen co opposethe church ssc, and finaly oppose religious concepts m general, The Gocteines ofthe hutch never represented true Christan The environment accompa ying fs the exablishment of Chebsanity ander the ul ofthe pagan ‘Roman Empire and then the erty ofthe Roman Empire to Christanity deforzed Christianity with the resid of paganism, Then he Church and its council joined with the divine principle of Ceitanityvasious Sterpreations and additions that were intended eo confront the polit cal sues ofthe day and the sectarian difereces tha arose 25 well 38 to gather together ll the feuding segments ofthe empie ina reigon acceptable to them all The real wis a Chlstiaaity that expresed ‘clesianical chought rather than the Chaitin faith at ad been revealed by God, ‘When che Church adopted these distorted concepts and embraced false or defective notions abou the universe—something inevitable i human research and experimentatin—itadopeed a harshly adversa ial ance to the natural sins who wer trying to corcect this fale ‘or defective knowledge. The Church didnot only atack them verbally, but also wtlzed its secular power in rather ugly manne, in order 10 ‘uh ll hose who opposed its religions and scientific concepts. rom then on, Europesn thowght took am adversarial stance not only tthe prevailing doctrines and concept ofthe Church bu alo 0 all igus doctrines and concepes at large. This enmity went beyond particular elgiousdocerines and concepts to embrace religous mode fof thought as such. European thinkers established methodologies and Schools of thought ehe main purpote of which was to oppose religous thovaghe and to elma dhe authority ofthe Church by eliminating es God anda modes of thought lated co Him Enmity to reigio and its ways of thought continued w exis ot oaly within the issues, piloso- Dhies and behets established by European thinkers, bu also within the ‘Sore of thee chought and their methods for appropvacing knowledge. Consequently, «hast for Islam thought can no longer be found within the modes of European thought, noe can i be revived on the buasisofEncopean thoughe, asthe mater ha been put by some Mash. thinkers. Once he has Snished perusing this book, the reader will landertand chasis imposible borrow Westera modes of thought ‘or any of is product. The method we have wsed inthis reseasch on "The Characteristics and Fundamenals of che Islamic Coneepe” i 10 obtai inspiration worship stones. If we found one stone tobe heter than the other, we thew away the old one and started to worship the new one. If we ‘could at find a stone, we would collet dir, milk & goat over it, and then cireumambulat i” Inthe Kitab al-Aenam(*The Book ofldols") al Kalbisaid:*When ‘aman travelled, he would pick four stones and choose the bes one out ‘of them co make this god, while the three remaining stones became a resting place for his fod. When he lef the place, he would also leave the stones behind They also worshipped the planes, asta che Persians di. Se’ stid: "The Himyar tribe used to worship the sun, while Kananah used ‘worship the mooa, Tamim worshipped the Hyades and Lakhm and Jusham worshipped Jupiter. The Tay tbe worshipped Canopus, Qays worshipped Sits, and Asad worshipped Mercury.” This phenomeroa is mentioned in several verses ofthe Que’an *Now among His signs are the nigh andthe day, 8 well asthe sn andthe moon: [bene] adore note anor he toa but poate oats in adoration before Gah who hat ected chemi is im who you etl) wor” (fee) "Ad dha iis He slone who sustains he bigest ae Many references are made tothe ceston ofthe stars ad planets and ro God's sovereignty over them, together with the rest of His exe tions, in order to refute the divinity ofthe planets and thei suitability fo worship. Tn gencal, polytheistic belies permeated the lives of the pee= Mamie Arabs. Coeeupe customs were based upon these beliefs, and ‘thes, too are referred wo in many parts ofthe Qur'an. Examples are the dedication to thee gods of par ofthe harvest or of newly born a tals, without keeping. share for God at even depriving themselves of them at cetain times or denying them co women, Some ofthe Arabs also mage ic forbidden to ride on certain animals or slaughter them, (On other oceasions they would sarice thei chilsen o please theit gods Ir was said cht ‘Abd Al-Mattalib made a vow to slaughter his {eoth son if he was granted ten sonst proect him. The tenth son ‘happened to be ‘Abdulla but his father ransomed hin from the gods by slaughtering hundred eatnel in his place, Likewise, forvune and the recourse o oracles were extremely common, All ofthis is refered toi the Quen: Rib ska “hod oat of whatever He has crete ofthe fruits of he fk and thecattin they stg unto Gods pocto, saying “This belongs 0 ‘Goat ors they fale] clain-—"and this fr those beings who ioe ate convinced, ave hac in God’ divinity But hat which amined tothe beings sete inthe minds with God does tot bg [the closer to God-~whereas shat which s assigned to ‘Gol brings ee ut closer eo thse Beings to whom they ascribe a heim is vine Bad nded thee odgment ‘tnd ikewise eel n Beng or powers ka ate supposed se have #shae in God divinity makes [even the saying of thee ‘iden sem guodly 10 many of howe who ascribe diviiy vo aught beside God, broping tem to roin snd confusing them in thle ‘sith "Yet anless God had so willed hey would nee be doi aod, heer, lao fom them and al chee falieimagery! ‘Ad they aye "Such-and- uch cate and Fre of the ld ae seed; none ay ea there save thse whom we wil (to do olen chy [fla] claims and (they declare that itis foriéden to burden the backs of certain kinds of cate; and there ae eae ‘ree which they do ot pronounce Go's name—fssl setbuing. [the vei of ches cartons eo Hi. But] He wil eq them for Ail i fle inagey "they st, “Al ha sin che wombs ofsuc-and-sch et tie is veered for a tales and forbidden to out women; tit te sllboen then both say have their shaze there” (Goo will equi them forall hey (ls arbre (ohm): Bebold, Hes ray all-knowing. ‘indents ae they who, in thei weak minded ignorance, slay thi chien and delare forbidden that which Ges has ro vide or hem a sustenance falely ascribing [such prohibitions to ‘God they have gone sry ad hve not ound he tak path” Taba 136-160) hin “The concepts of the absolute oneness of God and the resurec- iow were utterly alien to them. They believed in God, the Creaor of the heavens and the earth and whatever is beeween them but didnot tant #9 admit or acknowledge His Oneness, by vcrue of which only Fe controls chi lives and their mater, only He determines what is permitted and what is prohibited, only He answers to their concerns In this if ad inthe Hereafter, and only His laws shouldbe followed wen making judgments among themehes. Without acknowledge- ‘ment of all of this, faith and eligion eanoot exe, "The Noble Qur'an eles to thee strong opposition to these two truths, the oneness of God and the resurrection “Now thet people] deem strange that warner hoo have come uot them fm thet own midand [oo] he denies of he each ste saying *A [tere speller, Lat Doce he claim tha all {he dees ae (be on God? Very 4 moe strange thing this!” ‘And cee leaders Insnch forth (his. "Go ahead, abd bald steady omo your des: his, behalf the only ting odo! [Never did wee of ela ike hia any Eth of later dap! Isnsbing but [antl ma iverson!” een, As agai his ehey who are Benton denying the tah sy (unto allwho are of ike mind) "Shall we poinc Ut youa man who will ‘eyo that afte your death, hen you wl have been sxatered In coun fragments, you shall—lo aad behold be [etored fo tli new at of ereation? Does he [knowing ait his wn lying iveetons to Goooris hea mada (sa) Such werethe distorted eoneepes prevalent inche Arabian Penis, ‘When wea them tothe ple of debris hat had een readin che East and West the adven of slam, we gana cca idea of the heavy Burden "hae everywhere weighed down the hartan mind, Iwas this debe that

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