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Hasan al-Banna

Sheikh Hassan Ahmed Abdel Rahman Muhammed al-Banna
حسن أحمد عبد الرحمن محمد البنا
Hassan al-Banna.jpg
Born (1906-10-14)October 14, 1906
Mahmoudiyah, Beheira, Egypt
Died February 12, 1949(1949-02-12) (aged 42)
Cairo, Egypt
Religion Islam
Jurisprudence Shafi'i
Creed no creed
Political Party Muslim Brotherhood
Alma mater Dar al-Ulum
Founder and 1st General Guide of the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood
In office
1928–1949
Preceded by (Position established)
Succeeded by Hassan al-Hudaybi & Said Ramadan

Sheikh Hassan Ahmed Abdel Rahman Muhammed al-Banna (Arabic: حسن أحمد عبد الرحمن محمد البنا‎‎; 14 October 1906 – 12 February 1949), known as Hassan al-Banna, was an Egyptian schoolteacher and imam, best known for founding the Muslim Brotherhood, one of the largest and most influential Islamic revivalist organizations.

Al-Banna's writings marked a watershed 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 as the only acceptable constitution. He called for Islamization of the state, the economy, and society. 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 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.

The Muslim Brotherhood advocated gradualist moral reform and had no plans for violent takeover of power. "Jihad of the spirit" was a key notion in their program, referring to self-initiated productive work aimed at bettering the conditions of the Islamic community. Under al-Banna's leadership, the organization embarked on a wide-ranging campaign of social engagement with a particular emphasis on public health improvements. At the same time, in the wake of the abolition of the caliphate, al-Banna warned Muslims against the "widespread belief" that "jihad of the heart" was more important than "jihad of the sword" and called on them to prepare for struggle against colonial rule. He allowed formation of a secret military wing which took part in the Arab-Israeli conflict. Al-Banna argued that the state should enforce Islamic public morality through censorship and application of hudud corporal punishments, and generally encourage Egyptians to abandon Western customs. Nonetheless, his thought was open to Western ideas and some of his writings quote European authors instead of Islamic sources.


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