Hassan al-Banna

Hassan Ahmed Abdel Rahman Muhammed al-Banna (حسن أحمد عبد الرحمن محمد البنا; 14 October 1906 – 12 February 1949), known as Hassan al-Banna (حسن البنا), 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 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 Qur'an and Sunnah 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 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.

The Muslim Brotherhood advocated gradualist moral reform and had no plans for a violent takeover of power.

The "Jihad of the spirit"―self-initiated productive work aimed at bettering the conditions of the Islamic community―was a significant part of their ideology.

Under Al-Banna's leadership, the organization embarked on a wide-ranging campaign of social engagement; they especially emphasized public health improvements.

Hassan al-Banna was born on 14 October 1906 in Mahmudiyya, a rural Nile Delta town in the Beheira Governorate northwest of Cairo.

His father, Sheikh Ahmed Abd al-Rahman al-Banna al-Sa'ati, was a Hanbali imam, muezzin and mosque teacher.

His father was an important spiritual influence during al-Banna's early life.

Sheikh Ahmed was known for his work as a Hanbali scholar, particularly his classifications of the traditions of Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal al-Shaybani.

These classifications became known as musnad al-fath al-rabbani.

Al-Banna was first exposed to Egyptian nationalist politics during the Egyptian Revolution of 1919; he was thirteen years old at the time.

In his personal accounts, Al-Banna identified himself with the widespread activism of the time.

Despite his young age, al-Banna participated in demonstrations in Damanhur, published political pamphlets and founded youth reform societies.

Although Al-Banna's family were not members of the Egyptian elite, they were relatively well-respected in Mahmudiyya.

Sheikh Ahmed's was a distinguished imam and the family owned some property.

However, during the 1920s economic crisis, the family had trouble sustaining the upkeep of their property and moved to Cairo in 1924.

In Mahmudiyya, al-Banna studied in the village mosque with Sheikh Zahran.

The two developed a close relationship that influenced al-Banna's early intellectual and religious development.

In addition to the mosque school, al-Banna received private instruction from his father.

He also studied in Cairo for four years; he attended Dar al-‘Ulum, an Egyptian institution that educated prospective teachers in modern subjects.

The school was not very traditional and al-Banna enrolled against his father's wishes, as a break from typical Islamic conservatism.

Building upon his father's scholarly connections, al-Banna became associated with the Islamic Society for Nobility of Islamic Morals and the Young Men's Muslim Association (YMMA).

He published more than fifteen articles in Majallat al-Fath, an influential Islamic journal associated with the YMMA.

Hasan Al-Banna headed to Cairo in 1923 to enroll as a student in Dar al-Ulum college.

His student life would be a significant experience for his ideological formation.

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 enforce Islamic public morality through censorship and application of hudud corporal punishment.

Nonetheless, his thought was open to Western ideas and some of his writings quote European authors instead of Islamic sources.

Through this work, Sheikh Ahmed forged connections with Islamic scholars that proved useful when his son moved to Cairo in 1932.

In addition to his early exposure to Hanbali puritanism, Hassan al-Banna was inspired by Rashid Rida's magazine, Al-Manar.

He was also heavily influenced by Sufism as a youth in Mahmudiyya.

He attended weekly Hadra and was a member of the al-Hassafiyya Sufi order.

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.