Sayyid Qutb: Revolt Against Uthman رضى الله عنه Outburst of Spirit of Islam

 

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

الصلاة والسلام عليك يا سيدي يا رسول الله

وعلى آلك واصحابك يا سيدي يا نور الله

فداك ابي وامي يا رسول الله

In the Name of Allah, the Rahman, the Merciful

The martyrdom of Uthman رضى الله عنه the Third Successor of the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم was a major tragedy in early Islamic history for it was an assassination carried out by Muslims themselves. The Muslims who started dissension toward the end of his Caliphate were rebellious and disobedient. As Sunni Muslims we obviously condemn both the uprising and the consequent murder of Uthman رضى الله عنه and in this we are distinguished from the schismatics like the Kharijites and Shi’ites who have enmity for Uthman رضى الله عنه considering him blameworthy. In modern times some so-called Muslim thinkers, including those with a Sunni background, dissented from the orthodox Sunni narrative and also considered Uthman رضى الله عنه at least partially blameworthy and that the rebels who besieged him at his home in Medina were acting in the spirit of Islam, God forbid. Hence, Sayyid Qutb wrote:

ولكن لا بد لمن ينظر إلى الأمور بعين الإسلام ويستشعر الأمور بروح الإسلام أن يقرر أن تلك الثورة في عمومها كانت فورة من روح الإسلام

But whoever looks at things with the eye of Islam and senses things with the spirit of Islam must decide that this revolution in general was an outburst of the spirit of Islam (al-Adalah al-Ijtima’iyyah, p.161)

Due to the influence of Marxism and Leninism upon Sayyid Qutb it is not surprising that he concurred with the Kharijite and Shi’ite narrative concerning the siege and murder of Uthman رضى الله عنه

A similar narrative, one that is deeply critical of Uthman رضى الله عنه was shared by Mawdudi too.