Hassan al-Banna

Hassan Ahmed Abd al-Rahman Muhammed al-Banna (; 14 October 1906 – 12 February 1949), known as Hassan al-Banna (), was an Egyptian schoolteacher, social reformist, anticolonial activist and Imam, best known for founding the Muslim Brotherhood, one of the largest and most influential global Islamist movements.

Al-Banna's writings marked a turning-point in Islamic intellectual history by presenting a modern ideology based on Islam. Al-Banna considered Islam to be a comprehensive system of life, with the Quran and Sunnah as the only acceptable constitution. He called for the gradual Islamization of the state, economy, and society, beginning with individual self-improvement. He declared that establishing a just society required development of institutions and progressive taxation, and elaborated an Islamic fiscal theory where ''zakat'' would be reserved for social expenditure in order to reduce inequality. Al-Banna's ideology involved criticism of Western materialism, British imperialism, and the traditionalism of the Egyptian ''ulema''. He appealed to Egyptian and pan-Arab patriotism but rejected Arab nationalism and regarded all Muslims as members of a single nation-community.

Following the abolition of the Caliphate in 1924, al-Banna called on Muslims to prepare for armed struggle against colonial rule; he warned Muslims against the "widespread belief" that "''jihad'' of the heart" was more important than "''jihad'' of the sword". He allowed the formation of a secret military wing within the Muslim Brotherhood, which took part in the Arab-Israeli conflict. Al-Banna generally encouraged Egyptians to abandon Western customs and argued that the state should incorporate the application of the ''hudud'' to enforce public morality. Nonetheless, his thought was open to Western philosophy and his writings often quote European authors in addition to Islamic sources.

Al-Banna was assassinated by the Egyptian secret police in 1949. His son-in-law Said Ramadan emerged as a major leader of the Muslim Brotherhood in the 1950s. Provided by Wikipedia