ABSTRACT
The Egyptian people are a religious people who revere their faith. They perceive religion as being of paramount importance, an integral facet of the nation's culture, folklore and society. Islamic groups, each according to its doctrine, capitalize on this, using all their strength to undermine the state and attain the common goal: application of Islamic law (Shari‘a) and the installation of Islamic rule free from all Western influence. Such was the case, these groups believe, in the time of Muhammad the Prophet and his early followers; they idealize the period of the genesis of Islam, and — according to their teachings — only a return to this golden age can cure the ills of modern Egypt. Arguing that Western influence, beginning with the invasion of Napoleon, is at the root of the evil, they support their writings and declarations with interpretations of Quranic passages by Ahmad Ibn Hanbal and Ibn Taymiyya, both of whom call for close textual reading of the Quran and Hadith, and a rejection of all interpretations, philosophies and accompanying texts.
