ABSTRACT
There is no doubt that Qutb’s conceptions of Islam are signifi cant sources of modern Islamic interpretation. However, there is a certain ambiguity with regard to the question of whether he contributed to the ideological framework of the Brotherhood. Defending his input, some Brothers point out that his legacy must not be reduced to his thoughts as presented in Ma<lim fi al-Tariq (Milestones). The diversity of his work is indeed impressive and encompasses several genres of literature, such as autobiography, poetry, literary criticism, religiously inspired analytical work and, last but not least, Islamist propaganda. 1 In particular, his commentary on the Qur’an is known as a modern contribution to the Islamic faith and not only referred to by members of the Brotherhood. 2 Nevertheless, many scholars, as well as Brothers, have pointed out that Qutb’s writings contain the ideological basis for radical Islamic activism or even militancy. 3 In this respect, his Qur’anic commentary and, even more so, his book Ma<lim fi al-Tariq indeed contain the ideological foundations of radical Islamist thinking. As such, Milestones served as a theological guidebook for radical Islamist groups which fi rst evolved in the 1970s and which eventually progressed to today’s a Jihadist networks in and beyond Egypt. 4 The ambiguity embedded in Qutb’s concepts and the diversity of his written expression led to a wide range of reactions, which vary from blind admiration to rejection.
