While definitions of sovereignty have varied throughout history, it has most commonly been understood as supreme authority within a territory. In Islam, Allah is considered the supreme authority on Earth. Sayyid Qutb (1906-1966) was an Egyptian author, Islamic scholar and a prominent member of the Muslim brotherhood during the 1950s and 1960s. The sovereignty of Allah, Haakimiyyah, was the foundation of Qubt's ideology, which is salient to political and social issues. Before delving into Qutb ideology, it is important to understand that religion must be interpreted moderately; in Surah An-Nisa (4:171), Allah says, “Do not exaggerate in your religion.” Thus, Qutb’s interpretation of Islam, and his application of it to politics, is rather controversial and extreme within Islamic thought. Qutb’s manifesto, Milestones, sought to revive Islam at its purest state, free society from man-made systems, and to return to Allah’s Sovereignty, building one harmonious and equal society. In it, Qutb argues that such a society once existed as the first Islamic generation. This modelling highlights Qutb’s background in the Salafist sect, belonging to the Sunni tradition. Qutb’s interpretation on the concept of sovereignty, differing from common Western understandings, is a subject of fascination. This article traces the
relationship between Islamic theology, the state and society. First, it is worth defining that the state greatly influences society in Qutb’s ideology as the foundation of values and principles, since society is constrained by its laws and institutions. In Milestones, Qutb advocates for the necessity of political change, arguing that society has been failed by communism, capitalism, imperialism, and secularism alike. Those societies are named Jahilliyah and are characterised as rebellious against Allah’s Sovereignty. The failure of man-made systems, owing to their rejection of Allah's sovereignty and promoting materialism, indicates the consequences of straying away from our true human nature. This path leads to an unhealthy desire for superficial goods and services, producing a misalignment between our values and our actions. Instead, Qutb argues that humanity must recognise the importance of staying true to our innate nature through the centrality of Allah in our lives. Such systems are, therefore, contrary to the laws of nature, with inevitable pernicious consequences of inequality and superficiality. Qutb emphasises the dynamism of Islam as a lifestyle, conducive to a virtuous and harmonious society capable of pursuing material progress while maintaining the importance of human nature. The importance of Islam in day-to-day affairs instils in a society the invaluable worth of human rights and morals that are vital in producing human 33 | P a g e
