Basic Principles of Islamic Worldview [Paperback]

Sayyid Qutb (Author), Rami David (Translator), Hamid Algar (Preface)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 15, 2005

Sayyid Qutb, executed in 1966 by the Egyptian government but still broadly influential today, was deeply convinced that Islam provides an ideal framework for all of human existence -- individual and social, political and economic, intellectual and spiritual. He believed equally that in all these various aspects the religion had been obscured or ditorted by an influx of alien influences. In this, one of this most widely read works, he addresses himself to the task of retrieving what he regards as the authentic mode of thought that is distinctive of Islam or even unique to it. This he does through the concise presentation of seven characteristics of Islamic thought, abundantly illustrated with citation of relevant Qur'anic verses.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

The tanslation has been edited and introduction by Hamid Algar, who places Sayyid Qutb and his work in his historical and contemporary context, and evaluates the ideas contained in the book. Hamid Algar is a professor of Persian and Islamic Studies at the University of California, Berkeley. He has published widely on both Sufism and Shi'ism.

Product Details

• Paperback: 255 pages
• Publisher: Islamic Pubns Intl (September 15, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1889999342
• ISBN-13: 978-1889999340
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #467,547 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Qutb in later life, February 9, 2007

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D. Bachelor "Daoud" (Iraq) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Basic Principles of Islamic Worldview (Paperback)

This is the same book as "The Islamic Concept and Its Characteristics". It is just a different translation. The views Qutb expressed in it are from his later years, when he had rejected secularism completely and most forms of Islam. He focuses on the Unity of God, the universal application of Shari'ah, and the necessity of Jihad to accomplish Islam's God-Given mission. For Qutb, the opposite of Islam is Jahiliyyah,(pre-Islamic ignorance of God) and he found Jahiliyyah present in secular ideologies, other religions, and many Muslim scholars.

11 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Qutb believed that all these aspects of the revealed Islamic faith had become obscured and/or distorted, September 3, 2006

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Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Basic Principles of Islamic Worldview (Paperback)

Executed in 1996 by the totalitarian Egyptian government as part of a crackdown on dissident leaders and movements, Sayyid Qutb was unshakeably persuaded that Islam provides an ideal framework for human existence including all of its diverse individual, social, political, economic, intellectual, and spiritual aspects. Qutb believed that all these aspects of the revealed Islamic faith had become obscured and/or distorted by alien influences both within and without the Muslim community. In Basic Principles Of Islamic Worldview, Qutb presents what he saw as the authentic mode of thought that is distinctive of Islam. Profusely illustrated with Qur'anic verses, Basic Principles Of Islamic Worldview has been ably translated into English by Rami David, enhanced with an informative preface by Hamid Algar (Professor of Persian and Islamic Studies, University of California - Berkley) placing Sayyid Qutb and his works in an historical and contemporary context while also evaluating the principle ideas presented, and is also available in a hardcover edition (1889999350, $34.95). No academic library Islamic Studies collection can be considered complete or adequate without the inclusion of Sayyid Qutb's Basic Principles Of Islamic Worldview.

11 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Of political use, September 25, 2007

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Thomas W. Blakey "Master Sergeant, US Army (r... (Severn, MD) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Basic Principles of Islamic Worldview (Paperback)

Qutb is an Islamic Loyola - equally devout, equally nefarious. He has the tolerance of a Falwell, the humanity of a Dzerzhinsky, and the personal appeal of a toothache. To the extent that he has influenced current Islamic thought, to that extent has he harmed Islam. This book has value in that it explains some, not all, of the motivations of radical Islamists. On its own and outside that context, it is the sort of true believer text common to all religions' more unatractive elements. I recommend not judging Islam based only on this one book.