Sunan Kalijaga: International Journal of Islamic Civilization

ISSN 2614-5472 (p), ISSN 2614-7262 (e), Volume 2, Number 2 (2019), Pages: 263-282

Longing for Freedom in Sayyid Quthb’s Poem

Akhi Anta Hurrun Waraa Al-Sudud

Ahmad Baihaqi, Basuni Imamuddin

Universitas Indonesia, Indonesia.
Email: basunima@gmail.com

Abstract
A literary work is a repress entation of a character who lived in his time. A literary
work usually represents the feelings and conditions of the writer at that time. Among
the productive writers was Sayyid Quthb who had a balanced and adequate
educational background, both in terms of religious and general education. Sayyid
Qutb's life journey significantly changed his outlook. One of his experiences made
him join a group to defend the rights of oppressed citizens. One form of his
contribution to this cause was writing the poem "Akhi Anta Hurrun Waraa Al-
Sudud" to commemorate the events at that time. This article discusses the
biography, education, works, and an analysis of sixteen lines from Sayyid Quthb's
poem "Akhi Anta Hurrun Waraa Al-Sudud".

Keywords: Sayyid Qutb, Egypt, Government, Poetry, Akhi Anta Hurrun

Waraa Al-Sudud.

A. Introduction
Literature is part of a cultural entity, the practice of which is
reflected in its literary works. The relationship between literature and
culture is an inseparable relationship. The existence of culture also
influences literature and the existence of literature colors culture.
This is something that is natural and applies to every culture and
civilization in the world including Arabic culture and civilization.
Arabic culture has contributed significantly to the development of
literature, especially Arabic literature. In the course of its history, the
Arab society was able to create and develop its culture to reach a
Ahmad Baihaqi & Basuni Imamuddin

high level of civilization in the world. This is reflected in Naquib

Mahfudz’s success in receiving a Nobel Prize in literature.
Historically Arabic literature is part of the Arab cultural heritage. It
is also a form of cultural entity of the Arab society, because its
contents certainly reflect the thoughts and role of the Arab nation
with all its advantages and disadvantages. Arabic literature has
developed prolifically over the centuries; however, the most
outstanding form is poetry as it is the dominant form in the literary
works of the Arab society. The history of Arabic literature goes all
the way back to the Age of ignorance or Jahilliyyah and continues to
experience development in this modern era and thus, its intersection
with other cultures is something that has occurred naturally.
Arabic literature during the Jahilliyah period or the Age of
Ignorance, did not contain any religious values. It was liberal and
sometimes even contained pornography, while aesthetically it was
very closely related to the rules of balaghah. Entering the Islamic era,
gradually Arabic literature became strongly influenced by Islam,
especially in the messages or values contained in literary works of the
time. Thus, literary works that appeared were loaded with religious
values. It was during this time that Arabic literature experienced a
decline due to the presence of the Qur'an in the midst of the Arab
poets. The beauty of the language of the Qur'an and the density of its
meaning outshone all existing literary works. In the Qur'an, Allah
even challenges poets to create verses that could compete with the
beauty of the Qur'an. In the next phase, Arabic literature developed
underpinned by Islamic values and the influence of the age of
Jahilliyah began to fade. The development of Arabic literature has
continued to thrive in this modern age. Many modern literary figures
emerged such as Rifa'ah Tohtowi, Ahmad Amin, Thoha Husain and
Sayyid Qutb. Their modern literary style reflects the many changes
that had occurred compared to the style of classical Arabic literature.
In this paper, the author will discuss contemporary literature
developed by Sayyid Qutb. Besides being a poet, Sayyid Qutb was
also a lawyer and one of the contemporary Islamic figures in his time.
Therefore, it is interesting to analyze his poems in order to discover

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 Longing for Freedom in Sayyid Quthb’s …

his particular style of poetry and how his own personality influenced
his work.

B. Discussion
Sayyid Qutb’s Biography
Bearing the full name Sayyid Qutb Ibrahim Husain Syadzili, he
was born on October 9, 1906 in the village of Mausyah, near the city
of Asyut, Egypt. His father's name was al-Hajj Qutb Ibrahim. Sayyid
Qutb who became the most famous literary critic, novelist, poet,
Islamic thinker and Egyptian Islamic activist in the 20th century,
was known to be an intelligent child who was able to memorize the
entire Qur'an at the age of ten.1 The word ‘Qutb’ which is used at the
end of his name and his father’s name is a name that originates from
the family Nisabh who came from the Arabian Peninsula.
At the age of six, he entered the Awwaliyah school (Pre-
Elementary) in his village where he received his first four years of
formal education. In that madrasa or Islamic school, he memorized
the Al-Qur'an Al-Karim. In 1921 AD he moved to Cairo to continue
his schooling. Having finished that, he went to the Darul Ulum
preparatory school in 1925. In 1929 Sayyid Qutb continued his
education at Darul Ulum University and graduated with a Lisance
(Lc) degree in literature in 1933.
After graduating from Darul Ulum University, Sayyid Qutb
worked at the Ministry of Education and was assigned the task of
teaching in schools owned by the Ministry of Education for six years.
He spent one year at Suwaif, another year at Dimyat, two years in
Cairo, and two years at the Halwan Ibtida’iyah Madrasah, in the
suburbs of Halwan City, which later became his and his brothers’
home. After working as a teacher, he worked as a superintendent for
the Ministry of Education for a period of time. Then he moved again
to the Institute for Public Education Supervision where he worked for
eight years until eventually the Ministry of Education sent him to the
United States of America in 1948 to study the American education

1 Shalah Abdul Fatah al-Khalidi, “Pengantar Memahami Tafsir Fi Zhilalil Qur’an ”,

Terj: Salafuddin Abu Sayyid, (Surakarta: Era Intermedia, 2001), hal.24

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Ahmad Baihaqi & Basuni Imamuddin

curriculum and system. During his tenure in America, he divided his

study time between Wilson's Teacher’s College in Washington,
Greeley College in Colorado, and Stanford University in California.
The results of his studies and experiences broaden his thinking about
social problems caused by materialism which led people away from
God. He stayed there for two years and then he returned to Egypt on
August 20, 1950. After that he was appointed assistant Research
Superintendent at the Ministry of Education and on October 18,
1952, he resigned from the Ministry.
While working in the Ministry of Education, Sayyid Qutb was a
diligent employee, bold thinker, and a noble person. However, these
qualities eventually led him into various difficulties making him
leave his job. Sayyid Qutb submitted a letter of resignation to the
Ministry of Education upon his return from America, because at this
stage he was focusing his thoughts more on da'wah and movements
and for study and writing.2 During this time he also had the
opportunity to deliver lectures at Dar Al - Ulum. He died on August
29, 1966.3

Works of Sayyid Qutb

A great number of his writings are already well known.
However, only part of them have been published. Among these are:
 Literary Books
- Muhimmah al-Shair fi al-Hayah
- Al-Taswir al-Fanni fi al-Qur'an (Art in the Qur'an)
- Mashahid al-Qiyamah fi al-Qur'an (Art in the Qur'an)
- Al-Naqd al ‘arabi - usuluhu wa Manhijuhu
- Naqd of the Book of Mustaqbal al-Thaqafah fi Misr (A Critical
Analysis of the Future of Culture in Egypt)
 Memorial
- Tifl Min Qaryah
- Al-Atyaf al-Arba’ah (A Collection of the Writing of Four
Brothers)

2 Ibid, 28-29
3 Farid Mat Zain, Roziah Sidek (2001), Pembentukan Generasi Al-Quran Menurut
Sayyid Qutb Dalam Kitab Ma’alim Fi Al-Tari, Yayasan Restu: Selangor. H, 1-4.

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 Longing for Freedom in Sayyid Quthb’s …

- Ashwak (Thorns)
- Al-Madinah al-mashurah (Medina, City of Grace)
 Education
- Al-Qisas al-Diniy (Religious Stories)
- Al-Jadid in al-Lughah al-‘arabiyyah
- Al-Jadid in al-Mahfuzat
- Rawdah al-Atfal
 Social
- Al-Adalat al-Ijtima’iyyah fi al-Islam (Social Justice in Islam)
- Ma'rakah Islam wa al-Ra'smaliyah (the battle between Islam
and Capitalism)
- Al-Salam al-‘Alami wa al-Islam (World of Security and Islam)
- Nahy Mujtama ’al-Islamiy (Characteristics of Islamic
Communities)
- Fi Zilal al-Qur'an (Under the auspices of the Qur'an)
- Khasais al-Tasawwur al-Islamiy wa Muqawwimatiha
- Al-Islam Wa al Musykilah al-Hadarah
- Dirasat Islamiyyah (Some essons about Islam)
- Hadha al-Din (This is Islam)
- Al-Mustaqbal Li Hadha al-Din (The Future in the Hands of
Islam)
- Ma’alim Fi al-Tariq (Directions along the way)
- America Allati Ra'aitu (My view of America)
- Pole Wa Shakhsiyyah (Books and Syakhsiyyah)
 Poetry Anthologies
- Kafalah al-Raqiq (Poetry Collection)
- Hilm al-Fajr (Poetry Collection)
- Al-Syati al-Majhul

During his life, Sayyid Qutb wrote many books in various fields
such as literature, education, politics, economics, social science,
philosophy, and religion. He channeled his prolific thoughts through
these written works. The thoughts and life of Sayyid Quthb went
through several changes. He started off by writing history books and
writing stories for children. He tried to instill noble character traits in

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Ahmad Baihaqi & Basuni Imamuddin

children in such as the works of the holy people so that this new
generation would always cling to these models of perfection and
morals as demonstrated by the prophets and their disciples. His
writing like Asywak (Thorns) tells the story of absolute love which
ends in tragedy. From this writing we can see his extraordinary
personality and noble character.4
Consequently, his work awakened the spirit of Islam in the
souls of many people. Each of his writings has two main objectives,
namely to explain Islam and how it was revealed to the people and
second, to assert that the Muslims of his time have deviated from the
true form of Islam. To explain this situation, he tried to compare the
truth of Islam with the digression during the Jahilliyah age. In his
book Masyahid al-Qiayamah fi al-Qur'an, Sayyid Qutb describes the
situation on the day of resurrection which is mentioned 150 times in
84 surahs in the Qur'an.5
Sayyid Quthb once wrote:
"I describe something mentioned in the al-Quran as a "scenario ". A
"scenario" includes images, movement and impressions, so that is the "
scenario " of doomsday that has been described by God in such an
amazing way. Readers will not only be able to enjoy the beauty of
heaven and enjoy the language but they also will be able to feel the
terrors of hell when reading the verses relating to hell. "
This book is not only unique in terms of message, literature and
language. Sayyid Qutb is indeed a skilled writer who is very rich in
style. He was also gifted with great creative power which made his
works very successful. The book entitled al-Adalat al-Ijtima’iyyah fi
al-Islam is his most important writing published in 1948 6 which
succeeded in elaborating on Islam's views on economics, politics and
social justice. In this book, Sayyid Qutb attempts to combine the
fabric of Islamic history at the time of the prophet with the
atmosphere in Egypt at that time. According to him the world is
going through several cultural revolutions and experiencing
unbalanced living systems. Only true aqeedah and a just social

4 Ibid, 17
5 Ibid, 20
6 Ibid, 26

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 Longing for Freedom in Sayyid Quthb’s …

system under the auspices of Islam can save the world from the
snares of materialism.
This interpretation of Fi Zilal al-Qur'an has been printed in 8
volumes and translated into various languages in this world. Ten of
the sections have been published in Persian with the title Dar Saya-e-
Qur’an. Sayyid Qutb began writing this after 1954 and finished it
when he was in prison. Physically, this interpretation is not an
interpretation in the usual sense of the word, but rather it conveys his
captivating thoughts and feelings which he gained from reading some
of the verses of the Qur'an.
Sayyid Qutb has combined the elements of advice and
refinement, warnings and true stories, nur and endorsement contained
in every verse in the Qur'an. This interpretation is based on a firm
belief accompanied by patience and fortitude in following his own
thoughts without referring to any previous interpretation. His
interpretation has been recognized by contemporary Islamic scholars.
Among the unique features of this interpretation is his beautiful
writing style, which shows Sayyid Qutb to be more brilliant than the
previous mufassirin and the writers of the books of Hadith. His
ability to quote texts from various earlier commentaries and include
them in his own interpretations has been done with such expertise so
that the writings do not appear to be a collection of opinions about
previous interpretations but rather an encyclopedia of declarations.7
The book Ma'alim Fi al-Tariq is also the last book which
contains some of his earlier writings to which some improvements
and additions have been made in addition to several new writings. In
this book, Sayyid Qutb describes the concepts and special features of
an Islamic society. The main idea contained in this book is how the
Islamic community founded by the Messenger of Allah has reached
the peak of greatness by achieving the stages of development and
progress.

7 Ibid, 28

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Ahmad Baihaqi & Basuni Imamuddin

An Analysis of the Poem “Akhi Anta Hurrun Waraa Al-Sudud "

‫أخي أنت حر وراء السدود‬

‫ أخي أنت حر بتلك القيود‬..... ‫ أخي أنت حر وراء السدود‬-1
‫يضيك كيد العبيد‬ ً
‫ فماذا ر‬......... ‫مستعصما‬ ‫إذا كنت باهلل‬
My brother, you are free behind that dam ... My brother, you are free from
that bondage
If you ask for protection from God ... Then there will be no trickery that
will be able to harm you

‫ويشق في الكون فجر جديد‬ ‫ ر‬........ ‫ أخي ستبيد جيوش الظالم‬-2
‫ ترى الفجر يرمقنا من بعــيد‬........... ‫فأطلق لروحك رإشاقها‬
My brother, the army of darkness will perish …….. And the dawn on the
horizon will shine
Then free its light because of your spirit ... You see the dawn spying on us
from afar

‫ أبت أن تشل بقيد اإلماء‬..... ‫ أخي قد شت من يديك الدماء‬-3
‫ر‬
‫ مخضبة بوسام الخلود‬.......... ‫ للسماء‬... ‫سيفع قربانها‬
My brother, blood is flowing from your hands ... Take in the slave to save
him
The victims will be lifted up to heaven ....... Coloring them with an eternal
mark.

‫ وألقيت عن كاهليك السالح‬....... ‫ أخي هل تراك سئمت الكفاح‬- 4
‫ ويرفع رايتها من جديد‬...... ‫فمن للضحايا يواسي الجراح‬
My brother, do you look tired of fighting ... Did you remove the weapon
from your shoulder
Then whoever comforts the injured victims ... ... will then fly their flag
again

‫ أدك صخور الجبال الرواس‬..... ‫ أخي إنني اليوم صلب المراس‬- 5
ً
‫ رؤوس األفاعي إىل أن تبيد‬........ ‫غدا سأشيح بفأس الخالص‬
My brother, in truth today I am really strong ... treading heavily on a high
rocky mountain
Tomorrow I will depart bringing the ultimate ax ... to cut off the heads of
snakes until they perish


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 Longing for Freedom in Sayyid Quthb’s …

‫يقيي‬ ‫ وأمضي عىل ر ي‬........... ‫ سأثار لكن لرب ودين‬- 6

‫سنن في ر‬
‫ وإما إىل هللا في الخالدين‬......... ‫فإما إىل النرص فوق األنام‬
I rebelled for my God and my religion ... I will defend the Sunnah with great
confidence
Towards a victory beyond human estimation ... ... or towards God together
with the eternal people

‫ وال أنا ألقيت عني السالح‬........ ‫ أخي إنني ما سئمت الكفاح‬- 7
‫ وأنت ستمضي بنرص جديد‬.............. ‫فإن أنا مت فإني شهيد‬
My brother, actually I am not tired of fighting ... and I did not let go of my
weapons
If I die I will surely die a martyr ... And you will win a new victory

‫والشوق‬ ‫ري‬
‫ إىل هللا رب السنا ر‬........... ‫طريق‬ ‫ وإني عىل ثقة من‬- 8
‫ فإني ر ي‬....... ‫فإن عافني السوق أو عاقني‬
‫أمي لعهدي الوثيق‬
I believe this is my path ...... To God the Lord of the sun that rises and sets
Whether the trip is smooth or obstructed …… But I am confident in my
strong commitment

‫ طريقك قد خضبته الدماء‬........ ‫ أخي فامض ال تلتفت للوراء‬-9
‫ وال تتطلع ر ي‬............ ‫وال تلتفت هاهنا أو هناك‬
‫لغي السماء‬
My brother, let's walk and don't look back ... Your path has been covered in
blood
Do not look here and there ... And also do not look in any direction other
than the sky

‫ ولن نستذل ولن نستباح‬.......... ‫بطي مهيض الجناح‬‫ فلسنا ر ي‬-10
ً
‫ قويا ينادي الكفاح الكفاح‬... ...... ‫وإني ألسمع صوت الدماء‬
We are not birds that have broken wings ... We are not despicable and lowly
people
I am listening to the sound of blood …… Strong and calling out fight,
fight!

‫ وبللت رقيي بها في خشوع‬......... ‫ أخي إن ذرفت إىلي الدموع‬-11
‫فأوقد لهم من ر ي‬
‫ ر‬......... ‫رفان الشموع‬
‫وسيوا بها نحو مجد تليد‬
My brother, if you cry because of me ..... And you wet my grave with
khusyu

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Ahmad Baihaqi & Basuni Imamuddin

Light for them the candles ... ... and walk with them to eternal glory

‫ فروضات ر ي‬............ ‫ أخي إن نمت نلق أحبابنا‬-12
‫رن أعدت لنا‬
8‫فطون لنا في ديار الخلود‬
‫ري‬ ............ ‫وأطيارها رفرفت حولنا‬
My brother, if we die, we will meet our friends .... God's heavenly garden
has been prepared for us
The birds flutter their wings .... Fortunately, we are in the eternal village


Paraphrase of the Poem

Brother, you are free behind the dams and fetters. If you ask for
protection from God, then no deception or trickery will be able to
harm you. The army of darkness will perish and the dawn will shine
on the horizon. Free its light because of your spirit. You see the dawn
spying on us from afar. Blood flows from your hands. Let the female
slave stay overnight to save her. The victims will be lifted up to
heaven and marked with eternal signs. You seem tired of fighting.
Have you removed the weapon from your shoulder? So whoever
comforts the wounded, is raising their flag.
With conviction, today I am ready to strike the high mountain
rocks. Tomorrow I will leave with the ultimate ax and kill the snakes
by cutting off their heads. I rebel for my Lord and my religion. I will
defend the sunnah with confidence, heading towards victory, or
heading towards God together with the eternal people.
Truly I am not tired of fighting and I will not let go of my
weapons. If I die, I will become a martyr and you will win a new
victory. I believe this is my path. Dear God, Lord of the universe,
whether the trip is smooth or obstructed, I believe in my strong
commitment. Let's walk and don't look back. Your path is covered in
blood. Do not look around you and do not look any other way than
the sky. We are not birds with broken wings and they are also not
despicable and lowly people. I heard the sound of strong blood calling
out "fight, fight!" If you cry because of me and you will wet my grave
with khusyu`. Light the candles for them. Come walk with him to
eternal glory. If we die, we will meet our friends. The Garden of
8 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uKUQFqwdEQ8

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 Longing for Freedom in Sayyid Quthb’s …

Heaven has been prepared for us. The birds flutter their wings.
Fortunately, we are in an eternal village.

Analysis of the Poem’s Structure

 Typography of the Poem
The typography of poetry is the arrangement of lines, stanzas,
sentences, phrases, words, and sounds to produce a physical form that
is able to support the content, tone, and atmosphere of the poem.
Typography is a form of poetry consisting of a page that is not filled
with words running from the right to the left margin, in which a line
does not always begin with a capital letter or end with a period. In
some poetry, the typography can often be more important than the
meaning of the words. The typography can, in fact, determine the
meaning of the poem.
The poem "Akhi Anta Hurrun Waraa Al-Sudud" by Sayyid
Quthb cannot be said to have ordinary typography. This poem
consists of twenty-four lines, with stanza consisting of the same
number of lines, namely, four lines. This pattern makes the stanzas
and the lines neatly arranged and easy to read. In the first stanza
there are four lines, the second stanza there are four lines, the third
stanza there are four lines, and the fourth stanza there are four lines
and so on.
 Diction
Diction is the appropriate choice of words to convey an idea or
story. It includes language style, expressions, choice of words, etc.,
which are used in such a way that the desired effect is obtained.
Diction in poetry is essential to add to the beauty in the delivery of
the contents and meaning of the poem to the reader.
In the poem "Akhi Anta Hurrun Waraa Al-Sudud" Sayyid
Quthb uses a lot of connotation or diction of words that describe or
relate to things that he experienced or the reality he observed around
him, such as human struggle, tragedy, and sadness.
An example of connotation used in the poem "Akhi Anta
Hurrun Waraa Al-Sudud" i.e.: ‫( أنتيحرييوراءيالسدود‬You are free behind
the Dam), among others, refers to the struggle of the people who

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Ahmad Baihaqi & Basuni Imamuddin

have died. ‫( ويشرق في الكون فجر جديد‬The dawn will shine again) means
that victory will come ‫ فأطلق لروحك إشراقها‬. (Free its light for your
soul). This refers to martyrdom. ‫( سترفع قربانها للسماء‬The victims were
taken up to heaven). The meaning is that you are already in heaven
‫( سترفع قربانها للسماء‬Coloring them with eternal marks). This means to
die with honor. ‫( وألقيت عن كاهليك السالح‬You removed the weapon from
your shoulder). The intention is to spread the spirit of struggle.
 Imagery
Imagery are impressions that are captured in the sentences or
lines in poetry that can be felt through our five senses. The purpose
of using imagery in poetry is to strengthen the impression of poetry,
so that when reading poetry, it is as if the reader can see, hear, feel,
smell, and feel what is written in the poem.
In the poem "Akhi Anta Hurrun Waraa Al-Sudud", there are
several images conveyed by Sayyid Quthb, among them are visual
imagery (visual) and kinesthetic imagery. Here are some of the
images that I have managed to find.

Table 1. Several images conveyed by Sayyid Quthb.

Visual Imagery Kinesthetic Imagery

‫أخي هل تراك سئمت الكفاح‬ ‫إذا كنت باهلل مستعصما‬
Do they see that you are tired of If you are someone who asks for
fighting protection from Allah
‫ويشرق في الكون فجر جديد‬ ‫أخي ستبيد جيوش الظالم‬
And the dawn will shine on the My brother, the soldier who is
horizon wicked will one day perish
‫ترى الفجر يرمقنا من بعيد‬ ‫أبت أن تشل بقيد اإلماء‬
He will see the dawn that spies on Take in a slave girl to save her
us from a distance
‫ويرفع رايتها من جديد‬ ‫فمن للضحايا يواسي الجراح‬
So I saw it from a new thing So who comforts the victims?

 Figurative Language
Figurative language is a way to condense the meaning to be
conveyed. In other words, figurative language is used to convey

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 Longing for Freedom in Sayyid Quthb’s …

something that is broad and wide in a brief way. 9 In poetry,

figurative language is the style of language used to convey messages
in an imaginative way, in the form of figures of speech. Figures of
speech in general do not refer to the actual meaning of a word but the
connotation of the word being referred to. In the poem "Akhi Anta
Hurrun Waraa Al-Sudud", there are several figures of speech,
including repetition, metaphor, personification, Synecdoche totem
pro parte, synecdoche pars pro toto, rhetoric.
In the poem "Akhi Anta Hurrun Waraa Al-Sudud" there is a
repetition in the poem as follows: ‫( أخي أنتيحرييوراءيالسدود‬My brother,
you have been freed from behind bars). In the poem "Akhi Anta
Hurrun Waraa Al-Sudud" the figure of speech in the poem can be
seen as follows: ‫( ترى الفجر يرمقنا من بعيد‬you will see the dawn that
honors us from a distance).
In the poem "Akhi Anta Hurrun Waraa Al-Sudud" the
metaphorical form of the poem can be seen as follows: ‫ويشرق في الكون‬
‫( فجر جديد‬and the new dawn will shine on the horizon). In the poem
"Akhi Anta Hurrun Waraa Al-Sudud" synecdoche pars pro toto in the
poem can be seen as follows: ‫( أخي ستبيد جيوش الظالم‬My brother, the
soldier who is wicked will perish).
 Rhetoric
Of the twenty-four stylish lines there are three personifications
(comparing non-human beings with humans) and there is one
depersonification (comparing humans with non-human beings)
namely, ‫ترى الفجر يرمقنا‬, ‫سأشيح بفأسيالخالصيرؤوسياألفاعي‬, ‫بطير مهيض الجناح‬
‫ فلسنا‬and ‫وإني ألسمع صوت الدماء قويًا ينادي الكفاح الكفاح‬
- ‫( ترى الفجر يرمقنا‬dawn always spies on us). Sayyid Qutb uses the
verb 'spy' to compare the dawn with spies, indicating that it is
always ready to move cautiously, so that it is safe from
ambush. According to the Arabic stylistics this is a type of
personification.
- ‫( سأشيح بفأس يالخالص يرؤوس ياألفاعي‬Will cut the heads of snakes
until they perish). Sayyid Qutb compares the people he hates to
snakes that should be decapitated, so that there will be no more

9 Waluyo, Herman (1995) Teori dan Apresiasi Puisi. Jakarta: Erlangga

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evil people around him who are seen from the Arabic style as a
type of personification.
- ‫( وإني ألسمع صوت الدماء قويًا ينادي الكفاح الكفاح‬I hear the sound of
strong blood and calling out to fight, to fight!). Here Sayyid
Qutb compares the sound of blood to a commander who calls
for war which in the Arabic style is a type of personification.
‫( فلسنا بطير مهيض الجناح‬We are not birds that have broken
wings). In this figure of speech, Sayyid Qutb compares people
to birds. People should not be like birds with broken wings.
According to the Arabic stylistics it is a type of
depersonification. According to Ilm Al-Balaghah (Arabic
rhetoric), all this is included in ‫( التجسيم‬personification and
depersonification).
 Semiotics and Enjambment
Semiotics is one approach in understanding literature in which
words are used as symbols. Semiotics views the text as a whole with
a system of symbols that is interrelated. For example the poet uses
the word ‘death’ which is a symbol of the end of all life and human
hope.
Enjambment in Kamus Istilah Sastra (Dictionary of Literary
Terms)10 is defined as a connection between thought or content and
the lines. Enjambment can also be interpreted as a stepping away
from syntactic unity related to the contents and carrying the thought
over into the successive lines. In this poem, enjambments were not
found especially within the lines of each stanza.

Analysis of the Poem’s Content

 Theme
The theme is the main idea or general description of a poem.
When associated with ancient themes in Arabic poetry, the author of
this paper can conclude that the theme of the poem "Akhi Anta
Hurrun Waraa Al-Sudud" is a lamentation. This ancient theme is still
often used, but in modern times many changes have been made. If in

10 Zaidan, Abdul Rozak, Anita K. Rustapa, Hani'ah (2007) Kamus Istilah Sastra,

Jakarta, Balai Pustaka Edisi/Cetakan : Ketiga

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 Longing for Freedom in Sayyid Quthb’s …

the past this theme was used to mourn the death of someone, in this
modern poem, the theme of lamentation is used to mourn the poet’s
country that was destroyed by the oppression of another country.
When associated with themes that involve modern issues, this
poem contains the theme of suffering caused by colonialism. This
theme is one that emerged from the historical background of the
poet's country which was undergoing the colonial period. In relation
to this, the life history of Sayyid Quthb that has been discussed
above shows the general characteristics of the poet who uses this
theme.
 Interpretation of Poetry
Interpretation of poetry is an effort to appreciate and
understand poetry. Interpretation of poetry gives a theoretical or non-
theoretical view of poetry. Understanding or interpretating is based
on structural analysis and also the contents of the poem. Poets use
unusual terms or connotation in order to heighten the poetic effects
and be universally understood. In interpretation, words become very
important because the writer tries to express his soul's experiences
and views in a condensed and intense way.
In the poem "Akhi Anta Hurrun Waraa Al-Sudud", Sayyid
Quthb conveys the suffering, sorrow, and destruction of his people
due to oppression from the government and cruel soldiers. At that
time the construction of the Aswan dam was underway in a
cooperation between Egypt and Britain. But in the process of
development, many people suffered as many places were destroyed.
Among these were houses, land, and buildings; even low classed
people who were looking for a source of income around the river
suffered.
Observing these conditions, Sayyid Qutb could not stand idly
and watch such atrocities happening around him. Together with his
friends, Sayyid Quthb carried out a rebellion. The rebellion claimed
many lives, especially among the lower classes who rejected the
construction of the dam.

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Ahmad Baihaqi & Basuni Imamuddin

Poetry Analysis Theory

 Sociology of Literature Theory
Sociological studies reveal that there is a relationship between
literature and society in life. The sociology of literature is also
closely related to the author's figure as the creator of the work, the
work produced, and the people who enjoy the work. The poem
entitled "Akhi Anta Hurrun Waraa Al-Sudud" can be studied with an
approach to genetic structuralism, the view of Lucien Goldmann, a
sociologist from France, who incorporated genetic or historical
factors (which are within extrinsic elements). In this approach a link
is made between the intrinsic and extrinsic factors to obtain a holistic
understanding of a literary work.
In relation to his poem, Sayyid Qutb is part of the social
position. He is part of a collective subject (a collection of individuals
who form a unity and its activities) i.e. a subject that lives in the
midst of society and reveals the facts of humanity. These facts of
humanity arise because human activity is a subject. The poem "Akhi
Anta Hurrun Waraa Al-Sudud" is a duplication of the facts of
humanity that was compiled by Sayyid Quthb as a collective subject.
All his ideas can be said to represent certain social groups. This
literary sociological analysis can also use contextual literary theory,
by which this poem by Sayyid Quthb can be read as information
about the social life of the Egyptian people.
 Cultural Elements
- Language system
In the poem "Akhi Anta Hurrun Waraa Al-Sudud" no local
language system is used, only the high literary quality of
Sayyid Quthb. However, if you look at the language used by
the poet and the official language of his country of origin as
well as the country described by the poet, the language used by
the Egyptian people is Arabic.
- Knowledge System
Some information about the knowledge system, among others
history that relates the story of the construction of the Aswan
dam and the resistance of the oppressed Egyptian people at that

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 Longing for Freedom in Sayyid Quthb’s …

time, is found in the poem. There are also elements of political

power.
- Equipment for Life and Technology Systems
In this poem no information is found about equipment and the
technology used. But when referring to the year in which the
construction of the Aswan dam was built, we can be sure that
the dam construction process used sophisticated equipment in
its time.
- Economic or Livelihood Systems
In this poem, some information is obtained about the economic
system or the livelihood of the people at the time. In the poem
implicit information is found about the existence of agriculture
and irrigation, which can be considered to be the resources and
infrastructure for farming.
- Kinship or Social Organization Systems
This poem clearly shows that there is a kinship system or social
organization, namely the resistance of Sayyid Quthb together
with his group, the Muslim Brotherhood, who were also
supported by the oppressed people.
- Religious System
In this poem the religious system is clearly visible. All the
struggles taken up by Sayyid Qutb and his group solely relied
on the guidance of Allah SWT. In stanza 1 line 3 the word
"Allah" is found, in stanza 6 line 1 the word "Rabb" is found, in
stanza 6 line 4 the word "Allah" is found, in stanza 8 line 2 the
word "Allah" and the word "Rabb" are found, and in stanza 12
line 2 the word "Allah" is found and in some other lines the
pride in dying as a martyr appears.
- Art
The element of art appearing in the poem "Akhi Anta Hurrun
Waraa Al-Sudud" is the high rhetoric that is indicated by the
art of balaghah.

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Ahmad Baihaqi & Basuni Imamuddin

 Taste
The style of letters used in writing a literary work has its own
effect in Arabic poetry. The majority of lines in this poem end with
the rhyming letter (‫)د‬. Of the twenty-four lines in the poem, there are
fifteen lines that have the rhyme (‫)د‬. The letter (‫ )د‬can be interpreted
as a "magnet" in the heart which always attracts people to love.
Besides referring to eternity, praise, and love,11 Sayyid Quthb also
used the letter (‫ )د‬to show the meaning of those qualities.
This poem begins with the words ‫( أخي‬my brother). Of the
twenty-four lines, ten lines begin with ‫( أخي‬my brother). The
expression ‫( أخي‬my brother), which is so frequent in the poem, is used
to show that the brotherhood between Sayyid Qutb and the people
around him is very strong.
In addition, the emotion that stands out in Sayyid Quthb’s
poem is a feeling of sadness and grief caused by the oppression
experienced by the people due to government policies to construct
the Aswan dam. In addition, this poem also shows Sayyid Quthb's
indignation at the abuse, and he wants to show that he and his group
will never be afraid of fighting a wicked government.
 Message
The message contained in this poem is that people should not
take any arbitrary actions especially if they involve decisions that are
detrimental to many people. Careful consideration is required before
making any decision, especially when it will have an impact on many
people. The government as a policy maker must be wise in making
decisions; it should not think of its own or its group’s benefit which
may be harmful for others outside the group.
If the decision is detrimental to the people, especially if many
are displaced and oppressed by the decision, then do not blame them
for demanding their rights, especially if they do that on the basis of
their belief in God. When this happens, nothing can stop them, not
even death.

11 http://alrai.com/article/596453.html

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 Longing for Freedom in Sayyid Quthb’s …

C. Conclusion
"Akhi Anta Hurrun Waraa Al-Sudud" by Sayyid Qutbh is a
modern poem that structurally does not follow classical Arabic
poetry. In its structure, there are a number of dictions, imagery, and
figures of speech that add to the beauty of the contents and meaning
of he poem. Meanwhile through this poem Sayyid Qutbh asserts that
although efforts have been made to fight the rulers who are
considered to be evil, however, it must be admitted that Allah SWT
ultimately determines the success or failure of a struggle.
When the contents of this poem are considered, it is found that
has the theme of sadness and suffering due to the oppression people
were under during the construction of the Aswan dam. This suffering
is illustrated through the connotations about the wretched condition
of people or the so-called "Akhi" in the poem as a result of
government policies that are considered inappropriate. This theme
put forth by Sayyid Quthb is also a theme of modern Arabic poetry
that has experienced development and change. The theme raised was
influenced by social conditions and the background of the poets' life,
namely that time when the Egyptian government made many
decisions that were contrary to Islamic values, so Sayyid Quthb and
his group put up a fight against the government. This poem can also
be interpreted using the theory of literary sociology, namely genetic
structuralism and contextual literature.

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Ahmad Baihaqi & Basuni Imamuddin

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Kamil, Sukron. (2009). Teori Kritik Sastra Arab: Klasik dan Modern.
PT Rajagrafindo Persada: Jakarta
Al-Khalidi, Shalah Abdul Fatah. (2001). “Pengantar Memahami
Tafsir Fi Zhilalil Qur’an”, Terj: Salafuddin Abu Sayyid,
Surakarta: Era Intermedia), hal.24
Waluyo, Herman. (1995). Teori dan Apresiasi Puisi. Jakarta:
Erlangga
Zaidan, Abdul Rozak, Anita K. Rustapa, Hani'a. (2007). Kamus
Istilah Sastra, Jakarta, Balai Pustaka Edisi/Cetakan: Ketiga
Zain, Farid Mat, Roziah Sidek 2001. Pembentukan Generasi
Al-Quran Menurut Sayyid Qutb Dalam Kitab Ma’alim Fi Al-
Tariq, Yayasan Restu: Selangor. h, 1-4.

Websites
Lirahmat, Kurnia. 2018. Ilmu Balaghah I.
https://pesantrenmaqi.net/artikel/ilmu-balaghah-bagian-1
Adab.com (http://www.adab.com/modules.php?
https://www.kiblat.net/2018/03/27/syair-akhi-anta-hurrun-teladan-
keteguhan-dari-sayyid-qutb/
http://alrai.com/article/596453.html. accessed on 12 September 2019
at 18:30
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uKUQFqwdEQ8, accessed on 12
September 2019 at 18:45

282 Sunan Kalijaga, Volume 2, Number 2, 2019