Qutb argues that absolute sovereignty belongs only to God. He asserts that any form of human-made government or law is a form of Jahiliyyah and must be replaced by a system based strictly on the Quran.
Qutb argues that to restore Islam, a dedicated elite must separate itself from the "anarchy" of modern society. This elite needs "milestones" (jalons) to guide their long march toward establishing a society based solely on divine guidance. The Definition of Jahiliyyah: jalons sur la route de l-islam pdf 33
Qutb argues that modern society—including many Muslim-majority nations—has fallen back into a state of "primitive savagery" or ignorance ( jahiliyyah ). He believes any system not governed strictly by divine law (Sharia) is a form of jahiliyyah. Qutb argues that absolute sovereignty belongs only to God
Born in 1906 in the village of Musha, Egypt, Qutb was initially a literary critic and secular educator. He traveled to the United States in the late 1940s, where he became deeply disillusioned by what he saw as Western materialism, moral decay, and racism. Upon returning to Egypt, he joined the Muslim Brotherhood and soon became its most influential ideological voice. Arrested in 1954 following an assassination attempt on Nasser, Qutb spent most of the remaining 12 years of his life in prison, where he wrote Milestones (1964) and a 30-volume Quranic commentary, Fi Zilal al-Quran (In the Shade of the Quran). This elite needs "milestones" (jalons) to guide their
The text emphasizes that absolute sovereignty belongs only to God. Establishing "God's rule on earth" requires the removal of human-made authority and the liberation of man from serving other men. The Nature of Jihad:
"Jalons sur la route de l'Islam" is not a standard academic treatise; it is a revolutionary manifesto. Qutb wrote it as a critique of the Muslim world of his time, arguing that Muslim societies had reverted to a state of pre-Islamic ignorance ( Jahiliyyah ) because they had abandoned the sovereignty of God ( Hakimiyyah ).