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Islamic State in the Viewpoints of Two Leaders (Sayyid Quotb and Ayatollah Khomeini): Similarities and Differences
The argument over succession after the Prophet Muhammad's demise has been one of the central differences between Shiism and Sunnis, two significant Islamic religions, over the span of fourteen centuries, which still is the case. Shiites have the conviction that the succession of the Prophet to be the right of Ali ibn Abi Talib and they assume the rule to have divine legitimacy, whereas the Sunnis consider Abu Bakr as the Prophet' successor.
After the Muslims confrontation with the West in the previous century and despite the schism between Sunnis and Shi'ism, the Islamic government has been the primary demands of the both religions leaders.
Sayyid Qutb (1906-1966) one of the leaders of Ekhvanol-Moslemin (the Muslim Fraternity) in Egypt and Ayatollah Khomeini, the leader of the Islamic Revolution of Iran (1902-1989), both believe in the Islamic regime.
After dealing briefly with Sayyid Qutb and Ayatollah Khomeini's lives and their positions in the political thoughts of the contemporary Islamic world, the present article examines the essence of the Islamic state, its characteristics, and the similarities and differences between the two leaders' points of view regarding the Islamic state.
Sayyid Qutb's most prominent work, through which one can learn about his views on Islamic rule, is The Road Signs, which has had a profound impact on the Islamist militants of the twentieth century.
As for Ayatollah Khomeini's views on the Islamic state, one should refer to the book called "Velayat-e faqih", the basis of legislating in the Islamic Republic, after the 1979 Islamic Revolution.
Thus, In order to answer the research question on the comparative study of Sayyid Qutb and Ayatollah Khomeini's views on the Islamic state, the documentary and library methods have been applied.