With an ongoing influence upon Muslim thought, Sayyid Qutb’s most profound work is a literary landmark of the twentieth century.

“From the 1960s to the present day, few Muslims, even those with quibbles, have doubted that In the Shade of the Qur’an is a remarkable intellectual achievement.”—John Calvert, associate professor of history at Creighton University and author of Sayyid Qutb and the Origins of Radical Islamism

“Widely considered to be of the most influential Qur’anic commentaries of the twentieth century.”—Muhammad Mojlum Khan, author of The Muslim 100 and The Muslim Heritage of Bengal

This commentary on the entire Qur’an vigorously explores its rich wisdom in a clear and coherent style. It is universally recognized as a momentous work of reference for an understanding of contemporary Islamic thinking, particularly the interpretation of the Qur’an in the twentieth century.

With a focus on conveying the timeless messages found in the Qur’an, Qutb’s commentary aims to reassure and reaffirm the essence and value of faith and its profound role in the life of man instead of focusing on legalistic issues. This foregrounds the moral and social advantages of each command along with their role in personal and collective life.

Prefaced to each chapter is an introduction to its content, summarizing the main message of the surah. Moreover, each chapter is divided by topic in order to draw out the prevalent themes in a harmonized way.

Sayyid Qutb (1906 1966) was born in Egypt in 1906. He started his career as a literary writer and critic, and progressed to become one of the most original and independent Muslim thinkers of his time. He was executed by the Nasser regime of Egypt on 1 August 1966. Sayyid Qutb has more than twenty-five literary works to his name, of which In the Shade of the Qur’an, his tafsir written, and re-written, over a period of fifteen years, most of which were spent in Egyptian prisons, is the largest and most important.