The Position of Leadership in Islamic Society from the Viewpoint of Sayyid Qutb

Leadership of the society has long been one of the most challenging problems for political and thought movements in the world of Islam. Queries like: Who has the right to hold the authority of the Muslim? Who grants him this right? What are his duties in order to establish and preserve an Islamic society? And what is the responsibility of the people toward him?, are the most fundamental issues of the problem. Any answer to these questions could determine the framework of the identity of any Muslim political or thought movement. The present thesis aims at surveying the position of leadership in the Islamic society from the viewpoint of Sayyid Qutb, as one of the most influential thinkers of the political Islam in its Sunnite denomination. While Qutb^,s political thoughts has a notable potential of coordination with their Shiite equivalents, unfortunately, they are being misused as a source of validity by the exterimist groups who have declared Jihad against the Shias as their first-ranked enemy and the Jews and disbelievers as their second one. According to the thoughts of  Sayyid Qutb, Islam is the only way of man^,s redemption from today^,s materialism and his salvation in both this world and the coming one. Moreover, Islam is not an abstract and objective religion but it is a subjective and realistic one that necessitates the establishment of a government. On the other hand, though the leader of the Islamic society ought to be elected by the people, his legitimacy depends on the establishment of the Islamic law and justice, and not any other source such as divine appointment, inheritance or the decision of a particular council could make it legitimate.  Of course, Islam does not seek its external realization only through a series of formal laws, and it obligates all people including the rulers to purify themselves from their inside through the obedience of God as a prerequisite of perfect commitment to the religion. As a result, Islam designates some personality characteristics for the ruler such as internal conscience and freedom, believing in human equality, social responsibility and openness to consultations, that guarantee the realization of its goals. In return, Islam expects people to be obedient to the rulers of the Muslim society and be of assistance in order to establish the religion of God.