The Clarification of Contemporary Sects

A general introduction to the fundamental precepts of the Quṭbi ideology which revived the methodology of the Khārijites in the 20th century. Originally published in 2000.

The Bāṭinī Movements, Secret Orders, Freemasonry, al-Ikhwān, al-Qāidah and ISIS: Part 5 - Ashʿarī, Bāṭinī, Rāfiḍī Freemason: Sayyid Quṭb, Grandfather of 20th Century Takfīrī and Terrorist Ideology Though Ḥasan al-Bannā sowed the seeds for the Takfīrī mentality and spirit, it was Sayyid Quṭb who spelled it out thoroughly and and conveyed it explicitly, placing the dots on all the letters. Just as Ḥasan al-Bannā utilized terrorism through his secret apparatus and militia wing that partook in political assassinations and bombings in the 1940s, Sayyid Quṭb also atempted to mobilize a similar apparatus in the sixties to unleash terror in Cairo and other cities across Egypt which were inhabited by "apostate" societies who had allegedly thrown the yoke of Islām from their necks and "reverted to a jāhiliyyah more severe than the pre-Islāmic jāhiliyyah." It is from the ideologies of these Ṣūfī, Ashʿarī, Bāṭinī, Takfīrī extremists that the terrorism of al-Qaidah and ISIS derives its ideological basis and justification. There is no Salafism here. These extremist, terrorist ideologies are not found in the books of the Salaf, nor Ibn Taymiyyah nor Ibn ʿAbd al-Wahhāb, but they are found in the works of the people of fikr (thought) amongst the Ashʿarī, Ṣūfī tradition that came out of Egypt.

"It is clear from the above that the fountain of all extremist, terrorist movements in the 20th century, whether al-Qaeda, al-Nuṣrah or ISIS, is the ideology of Sayyid Quṭb. This ideology has been employed over the decades by the Muslim Brotherhood (al-Ikhwān) to facilitate their own sinister goals which have nothing to do with Islām but are entirely political in nature."

Like Mawdudi and various Western totalitarians, he [Qutb] identified his own society (in his case, contemporary Muslim polities) as among the enemies that a virtuous, ideologically self-conscious, vanguard minority would have to fight by any means necessary, including violent revolution, so that a new and perfectly just society might arise. His ideal society was a classless one where the "selfish individual" of liberal democracies would be banished and the "exploitation of man by man" would be abolished. God alone would govern it through the implementation of Islamic law (shari'a). This was Leninism in Islamist dress.

The esteemed scholar, Rabee' bin Haadee al-Madkhalee, who has authored numerous works in refutation of the heresies and extremism of the father of all modern takfiri groups, pointed out in 1995 Qutb's exposition of elements of Communist ideology as well as his Leninist revolutionary activities.

Secondly: This tashree (legislation) that Sayyid Qutb ascribes to Islaam (referring here to some aspects of socialism-marxism related to confiscation of wealth from the rich for redistribution amongst the poor that Qutb permitted), he borrowed them from the Communist and Western principles (mabaadi) and theorems (nadhariyyaat) which had become widespread in his lifetime. In fact he himself used to imbibe (such principles and theorems) and they remained settled in his soul and in his intellect at the time when he would write in the name of Islaam. Especially when he mounted the peak of the Nasserite Taaghootee revolution which in its application, centred around Socialism, based upon the theorem of Sayyid Qutb and his likes, those who had mixed Marxist Socialism with the garment of Islaam, and by which Islaam and the Muslims were pounded.

As for the Qutubiyyoon (the Qutbis), then their methodology (manhaj) is based primarily upon the issue of legislation (tashree'), explaining its link with the foundation of the religion and explaining that the various flaws that have engulfed the legal structures in our contemporary societies nullify the contract of Islaam and demolish the very basis of Tawheed. It is also known that the books that represent this particular orientation and which outline its methodology are the books of the teacher, Sayyid Qutb - may Allaah have mercy upon him - in the field of da'wah and public speeches.

Sayyid Quṭb (and Mawdūdī) revived the manhaj of the Khārijites and his books and teachings led to the appearance of al-Qaeda and ISIS. In the mid-1990s Salafi Publications was involved in an intense battle against those spreading these doctrines in the West by translating and conveying the refutations of the scholars against Sayyid Quṭb, his writings, his followers and his defenders. The Quṭbists in the West, foremost among them was Alī Timīmī, they regurgitated the lies and slanders of deviant Quṭbists and Turāthists in the Arab lands, such as ʿAbd al-Razzāq al-Shayijī, and applied them to the Salafis in the West. Hence, their labels 'Salafiyyah Jadīdah' (Neo-Salafism), 'Destructive Cult', 'Muqallidah' and so on.

And we have seen groupings in various regions called "The Qutbiyyoon" embracing the ideology of Takfir (excommunication), and I have seen the signs of that: From those who ask me about praying in houses and abandoning the mosques upon the consideration that they are Jaahiliyyah places of worship, and this is from what they understood from az-Zilaal in tafseer of the saying of Allaah, "And take your houses as a qiblah", and I refuted them in the first chapter of my book "Fataawaa Mu'aasirah".

And whoever reads the literary works of Jamaa'at at-Takfir will find the remnants of this ideology, and its well known expressions that are from the core, essence of this ideology, even if they do not explicitly reveal their quoting from it (i.e. from the actual source, the works of Qutb).

The Messenger testified for Amr bin al-Aas with Paradise and Mu'aawiyah is from the noblest of the Companions, and they, may Allaah be pleased with them, they have deen and piety and rectitude. A Muslim does not doubt with respect to them. And they did not do anything for which they can be criticised. And everything which those (i.e. the one who said this, Sayyid Qutb), is a pure fabrication, a lie, and misguiding of others (in the matter), and refuge is with Allaah. This is the epitomy of nifaaq from the one who said it.

With the knowledge that Shaykh Ibn Uthaymeen, a year or so before his death, wholeheartedly warned from the Qutbi Manhaj as evidenced by his checking and commendation of a particular book, refer to the article "Shaykh Muhammad bin Saalih al-Uthaymeen Distinguished Between The Salafi Manhaj and The Qutbi Manhaj and Wholeheartedly Reccommended Warning From the Qutbi Manhaj After Detailed Study and Consideration" (see here).