1. Hassan Ahmed Abd al-Rahman Muhammed al-Banna, 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 global Islamist movements, and for his death at the hands of the Egyptian government.
Hassan al-Banna called for Islamization of the state, the economy, and society.
Hassan al-Banna declared that establishing a just society required development of institutions and progressive taxation, and developed an Islamic fiscal theory where zakat would be reserved for social expenditure in order to reduce inequality.
Hassan al-Banna appealed to Egyptian and pan-Arab patriotism but rejected Arab nationalism and regarded all Muslims as members of a single nation-community.
Hassan al-Banna allowed the formation of a secret military wing within the Muslim Brotherhood, which took part in the Arab-Israeli conflict.
Hassan al-Banna's son-in-law Said Ramadan emerged as a major leader of the Muslim Brotherhood in the 1950s.
Hassan al-Banna was born on 14 October 1906 in Mahmudiyya, a rural Nile Delta town in the Beheira Governorate northwest of Cairo.
Hassan al-Banna's father, Sheikh Ahmed Abd al-Rahman al-Banna al-Sa'ati, was a Hanbali imam, muezzin and mosque teacher.
Hassan al-Banna's father was an important spiritual influence during al-Banna's early life.
In Mahmudiyya, Hassan al-Banna studied in the village mosque with Sheikh Zahran.
Hassan al-Banna 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 Hassan al-Banna enrolled against his father's wishes, as a break from typical Islamic conservatism.
Hassan al-Banna published more than fifteen articles in Majallat al-Fath, an influential Islamic journal associated with the YMMA.
Hassan al-Banna was a regular visitor of the Salafiyya book store, at that time directed by Muhibb al-Din al-Khatib; and often attended the lectures of Rashid Rida.
Hassan al-Banna later called the events a "declaration of war against all shapes of Islam".
Hassan al-Banna was especially concerned that hasty attempts to modernize Egypt often had the negative effect of compromising Islamic principles.
Hassan al-Banna became acquainted with many important thinkers in Cairo, and had established personal correspondence with Rashid Rida.
Similar to the organizations that Hassan al-Banna had himself joined at a young age, these organizations aimed to promote personal piety and engaged in pure charitable activities.
The organization's growth was particularly pronounced after Hassan al-Banna relocated their headquarters to Cairo in 1932.
In Ismailia, Hassan al-Banna preached not only in the mosque, but in the coffee houses; in those times, coffee houses were generally viewed as a morally suspect novelty.
Hassan al-Banna built a complex mass movement that featured sophisticated governance structures; sections in charge of furthering the society's values among peasants, workers and professionals; units entrusted with key functions, including propagation of the message, liaison with the Islamic world and press and translation; and specialized committees for finances and legal affairs.
Hassan al-Banna called on Muslims to prepare for jihad against colonial powers:.
Hassan al-Banna believed that the doctrine of early Muslims towards disbelievers in the creation of their empire had not been outdated.
Sometime in 1939, Hassan al-Banna resurrected Al-Manar to further promote the revolutionary ideology pioneered by the Muslim Brotherhood and claim Rashid Rida's legacy.
Hassan al-Banna used the name kata'ib for the units of his organization, in the style of Francisco Franco, the Fascist dictator of Spain.
Hassan al-Banna's father Ahmed retrieved his corpse from Qasr El Eyni Hospital to his house, then his coffin was carried by women with the police escort who prevented men from attending his funeral except for Makram Ebeid who was a government figure.
Al-Banna's daughter Wafa Hassan al-Banna was married to Said Ramadan, who became a major leader of the Muslim Brotherhood.
Hassan al-Banna's younger brother, Gamal al-Banna, was a more liberal scholar and proponent of Islamic reform.
Hassan al-Banna wrote more than 2000 articles and many books, which include an autobiographical novel entitled Mudhakkirat al-da'wa wa al-da'iya.