Journal Of Islamic Denominations

Journal Of Islamic Denominations

The Role of Anti-Arrogance (Istikbār-Setīzī) in the Political Discourse of Sayyid Qutb and the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors
abdolmohamad sharifat 1
Mahmoud Shahriyari Zadeh Khoramdashti 2
1 Assistant Professor, Department of Islamic Schools of Thought, University of Religions and Denominations, Qom, Iran
2 Ph.D. in Wahhabism Studies, University of Religions and Denominations, Qom, Iran
10.22034/jid.2026.549977.2603
Abstract
This study conducts a comparative analysis of the role of anti-arrogance (Istikbār-Setīzī) within the political discourse of two prominent thinkers of the Islamic world: Sayyid Qutb and the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution. Given the significance of this theme in determining how the Islamic world confronts Western hegemony and its subsequent impact on the political and cultural destiny of Islamic societies, the necessity of this research is increasingly evident. Sayyid Qutb, by introducing the concept of "Modern Jāhiliyyah" (ignorance) and fundamentally rejecting Western civilization, formulated a discourse of anti-arrogance based on an absolute and radical confrontation with existing systems. In contrast, the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution, by elucidating the concept of the "Global System of Domination" and analyzing its cultural, political, and economic dimensions, has presented a constructive, realistic, and civilization-building discourse framed within "Religious Democracy" and "Islamic Unity". Employing a descriptive-analytical methodology based on library research and comparative analysis, the findings reveal that while both thinkers identify "Arrogance" (Istikbār) as the primary enemy of the Islamic Ummah, they differ fundamentally in their foundations, methodologies, and outcomes. Qutb's discourse, due to its radical and negationist approach, has led to political deadlock; whereas the discourse of the Supreme Leader of Islamic Revolution, by leveraging internal capacities, the unity of the Ummah, and religious rationality, has paved the way for a new Islamic civilization and the creation of a sustainable and inspiring system.
Keywords
Anti-Arrogance (Istikbār-Setīzī)
Sayyid Qutb
Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution
Political Discourse
Modern Jāhiliyyah
Global System of Domination
Religious Democracy
Subjects
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