Question:
Is is true that Shaykh Saalih al-Fawzaan quoted Sayyid Qutb 5 times in his books?
Answer:
It is true that Shaikh Salih al-Fawzan did quote Sayyid Qutub in some of his books. For example, in his book al-‘Ati’mah wa Ahkaam us-Saaid wal-Dhabaaih, he quoted Qutb in about five times. He quoted him on pages 18, 26, 198, 209, 217.
However, the Shaikh himself criticized Sayyid Qutb and taking from his books.
He was asked:
Question:
May Allah be good to you, we are a group of students in high school and in our last year we had a teacher who advised the students to read the books of Sayyid Qutb. He mentioned their names in the class and then he began cursing one of the Scholars who refuted Sayyid. He mentioned his name in the class and said this one does not have any concern except following the mistakes of Sayyid. What will he do with the innovators around him?
Answer:
“This is empty speech that has no value. Why does he not advise them to read the books of the Pious Predecessors which are more beneficial, better, and contain more knowledge and benefit? Why doesn’t he advise the students to read the books of the People of Knowledge from the Scholars and those who follow them? In them is much good if he was sincerely advising the students. As for specifying to read only the books of so and so only, then this is an indication he is a person of desires. Him specifying a person from the latter generations, from the contemporary people and saying read his books, this is evidence that he is a person of desire in regards to this individual. If his purpose is that the students benefit, then why not advise the students to read the books of Shaikhul-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah, the books of Imam Ibn Qayyim, the books of Shaikhul-Islam Muhammad Ibn Abdul Wahab, the books of the Imams of Da’wah? In them is knowledge, good, knowledge about Tahweed, knowledge about Shirk, knowledge about the acts of worship, and knowledge of the rulings of jurisprudence. Why doesn’t he advise them with this? Yes. What will we find in the books of Sayyid Qutub or other than him? What will you benefit? What benefit? We benefit from the knowledge of Tawheed, knowledge of Shirk, knowledge of the acts of worship, knowledge of the rulings of mutual dealings and jurisprudence. This is what we benefit from; from these types of great knowledge. Yes. If he is advising the students, then he advises them to read the beneficial books. In them is their Aqeedah, acts of worship, mutual dealings. This is sincere advise [that is given]. Yes”
So it could have been that the Shaikh quoted Sayyid in his earlier work. In any case, Shaikh Fawzan is against Sayyid Qutub and the reading of his books as we see above. So we should rely upon what the Shaikh said.
And Allah Knows Best
Faisal Ibn Abdul Qaadir Ibn Hassan
Abu Sulaymaan
