Sayyid Qutb

Egyptian Islamist intellectual who, after spending two years in the United States (1948-1950), developed the theological framework for modern jihadist ideology — executed by Nasser in 1966.

The jahiliyyah framework: Qutb's concept of jahiliyyah (the term for pre-Islamic Arab barbarism) was applied by him to all contemporary societies — including Muslim ones that had abandoned Islamic law. His argument: all modern societies (including Muslim-majority ones) are in a state of jahiliyyah and must be transformed through jihad (both spiritual and political/military). Milestones (1964), written in prison, is the foundational text of jihadist ideology — the intellectual template for al-Qaeda, ISIS, and other movements. His American experience (he was appalled by what he saw as American materialism and sexual immorality) was formative. Executed by Nasser's government, which made him a martyr.