Islam grew up in an independent country owing allegiance to no empire and to no king, in a form of society never again achieved. it had to embody this society in itself, had to order, encourage, and promote it… So Islam chose to unite earth and Heaven in one spiritual organization, and one that recognized no difference between worldly zeal and religious coercion.
Sayyid Qutb, in Donohue & Esposito p. 103
It appears from the Qutb essay in the assigned reading that the marriage between the religious and the gubernatorial is integral to what would be considered the ‘ideal’ social organization of Islam, which arose from the unique circumstances in which Islam came into being, namely without the obligation of allegiance to a king or power. The integration of the two, however, causes there to be an inherent link between the enforcement of law and the enforcement of morality, which by its nature derives from justice according to principles that are revealed. Though I may be terribly mistaken on this point, it appears that Islamic moral theology has its basis exclusively in revelation and is then explained to the people through the use of reason. Reason and intuition might then not be considered valid starting points for moral reasoning. This would stand in contrast to Christian moral tradition, which would consider reason and intuition to be valid points of departure for moral reasoning.
The ramifications of this difference would not be substantial for a community that is comprised exclusively of believers in Islam, but might prove problematic for the guaranteeing of the rights of those living under Islamic jurisdiction but do not share the same faith, and Qutb did not adequately address the issue of social justice for non-believers. The fact that revelation plays such a large role in Islamic moral theology, as well as the fact that social organization is inseparable from morality, the variable that remains unaddressed is the question of what happens to those who are socially outside of the the Islamic milieu but geographically within it and under its jurisdiction.
Paul Elhallal 
Thanks, Paul. I, too, was curious about the place for intellectual freedom in Qutb’s vision. It seems to me striking and compelling so long as it is offered as a vision of the world but, as you point out, if religion and society are melded, what of those within the jurisdiction who do not find it compelling?
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Paul: I would generally agree with your assessment of Islamic ethics. Some nuance might be added: in certain strains of Islamic jurisprudential traditional (Shia, Hanafis, but als Malikis to an extent) there are principles which allow for a rational reflection on “the good”. However, for most scholars this only come into effect when there are not clear rulings from Qur’an or hadith. And of course you are right that the very idea that righteousness/goodness is connected to the law puts non-Muslims (or secular Muslims) who do not follow the law in a complicated position in Islamic societies.
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