How do you solve a problem like jāhiliyya? The struggle over sayyid Quṭb’s legacy among Jordanian Muslim Brothers

Abstract

The Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood ideologue Sayyid Qut:b (1906-66) is perhaps the most famous Islamist intellectual of the twentieth century, mostly because of his radical ideas. In academic literature, Qut:b's controversial views-especially his use of the term 'jahiliyya'-are equally dominant and it is also because of this that Muslim scholars allied to the Egyptian state have criticized him. To deal with the Egyptian state's repression of Islamists and its vilification of Qut:b as emblematic of the danger they supposedly represent, several Egyptian Brothers have tried to salvage Qut:b as a martyr for the cause, but have apologetically portrayed his ideas as moderate. This article analyses how Jordanian Muslim Brothers, who participate in a far more inclusive political environment, have interpreted Qut:b's works (especially the concept of jahiliyya), and what this tells us about Qut:b's legacy.