The twentieth century assumed great salience in the human history. The decline of the Ottoman Empire and its further division in smaller kingdoms claiming self rule, two devastating world wars which blew away the culture of colonialism of Europe, fall of the Berlin Wall, etc., are some of the important events of the century. Apart from these major changes, the century witnessed the birth of many reform movements with the aim of restoring the dwindling morality and to put a check on the devastation caused by the world wars. However, one movement whose echo got heard in the entire Muslim world and which left the greatest impact is Ikhwan al-Muslimoon (Muslim Brotherhood); even today it is working hard for the revival of Islam.
If we flip through the pages of history, we get to know that the birth of the movement took place in 1928. It was the time when Egypt was in immense political crisis as a result of World War I. National and community issues were left unaddressed. The Turks announced the abolishment of Caliphate because of which the Arab nationalism or Arab ethnicity, which had remained dormant for years, rose to surface. As Egypt used to enjoy the central position at that time, the nationalistic and patriotic fervour received acceptance all across the Arab world and many nationalistic movements surfaced.
In the garb of nation and patriotism, these movements supported western ideas and philosophies which eventually led to the struggle between Islam and the west. Because of the subservient media, the west started to gain momentum and their influence was felt in every field of life. The situation came to such a sorry state of affairs that there were open speeches and orations akin to the claims of Pharaoh and Namrood. Universities and other areas became the place to ridicule Islam. The morale of people went so down that they started avoiding praying in parks and public places. But it has been a law of Allah that He sends down the rain of mercy only after the sun heats up the surface of the earth. Hence, to put a check on the devastation and destruction, Allah chose His servant Hasan Al-Banna, the Martyr.
When Hasan Al-Banna analysed the society around him, he became tense and began to think restlessly regarding the ways to reform it. Hence, he associated himself with Ahad Islahi Tehreek and Islami Anjuman, were very much in operation in Cairo at that time. He participated in various activities and because of God-gifted talents he formed a circle of likeminded people around him. His companions later took him as their leader and they then made a firm commitment to reform the society. One day during a speech Hasan Al-Banna inadvertently said, “We are Ikhwan al-Muslimoon”; since then the movement got its name Ikhwan al-Muslimoon.
This movement underwent two tough and nerve-wrecking phases.
The former phase is from 1933 to 1939. During this period the movement surfaced with a clear cut ideology. During the initial stages there was a person-to-person call and the method of secret preaching was adopted. Later the call reached other cities and districts so much so that people from more than 50 cities and districts began to connect themselves with the movement. Eventually the echo reached the government. The founder of the movement extensively wrote letters to different departments of the government, calling them towards real or complete Islam. He demanded the implementation of Islamic Shari’ah and called on various other leaders from the Arab world.
To spread the word, al-Banna started printing and publishing newspapers and magazines in the year 1939, which lasted till 1945. In this phase, the movement entered the political arena and emerged as a strong political force on the horizons of Egypt. Its growing acceptance in the general public made it earn the wrath of the ruling government and its members were subjected to tortures and other brutalities at the hands of the government.
However, despite the brutal repression, people from all the strata of the society joined the movement in large numbers. Brotherhood participated in the general elections of 1941. The Egyptian government tried every possible way and made sure that Brotherhood did not get votes, however Hasan al-Banna was declared victorious. Later the government cancelled the elections and called for new elections and then it used everything it could to turn the decision in their favour. Further the government tried every possible way to curb the movement and as a result al-Banna and other members were sent to jails. Even the founder of the organisation had restrictions on entering and exiting the country. And eventually in the evening of February 12, 1949, al-Banna was shot dead in front of the organisation’s office; however the death failed to shake the morale of the Ikhwanis as they turned more steadfast in their actions.
Even before the end of the World War II, the government unleashed its brutalities and inhumane activities on the members. However, the end of the World War II completely changed the scenario. The agreement which the British made got abolished and nationalistic movements began to emerge. Brotherhood participated in full swing in these movements and injected the fervour of Jihad among the masses to fight the British. Finally, the British were left with no choice but to leave Egypt and in the year 1952 Egypt got independence from the colonial British rule. The revolutionaries and Ikhwanis remained associated with each other for a period of time; however due to the difference in ideology and norms, revolutionaries began to keep themselves from the Ikhwanis. Hence the Ikhwan was labelled as anti-government or unlawful and bans were imposed on it. Many Ikhwanis were arrested and thrown behind the bars. All parties, except Ikhwan, were dissolved and Gamal Abdul Nasser claimed himself to be the ruler of Egypt. On October 26, 1954, six Ikhwanis were arrested and sent to gallows on charges of attempting to murder Nasser. Thousands of Ikhwanis were sent to jails and they received such inhumane and barbaric tortures that even the darkest pages of history will find them difficult to accommodate.
The historical background of Muslim Brotherhood clearly throws light on its high ambitions and goals. On the one hand, the nation was going through the crisis of national and community issues, and on the other there was moral depravation and degradation; and the rise of the Ikhwan in such context unveils its genesis and the goals it sought. The paramount goal of Ikhwanis was not just moral upgrading or religious revival; instead they sought to change the ruling, economic, educational systems along with constitutional laws and policies, both internal and foreign. The Brothers wanted to bestow a sense of pride and self-importance. In short, the goal of Ikhwan was to impart correct and complete education of Islam to the new generation so that they implement and follow Islam in toto in all the aspects governing human life. They were to be taught truthfulness of Abu Bakr Siddiq, justice of Umar and valiance of Ali, so that they may establish a just society based on those principles.
It has been made clear that Muslim Brotherhood was founded by Hasan al-Banna; hence the members accepted him as their first leader. He elevated the Brotherhood to such high levels that it was impossible for any common man to do so. It was because of his efforts that Muslim Brotherhood emerged as a worldwide movement. In a very young age he did such exceptional work that the like of which is not available in the whole history of Ikhwan.
Hasan al-Hudaibi was the second leader of Ikhwan. He was a lawyer, great Islamic scholar and noted expert on Islamic jurisprudence. He was chosen because of his experience and honesty. The organisation, which had became a little lull immediately after the death of al-Banna, once again began its activities in full swing. The process of meeting influential leaders and individuals was resumed and even Gamal Abdel Nasser participated in the meetings but he later tried to put a ban on the activities of the organisation. Through a military court, Nasser announced death sentence for Hasan al-Hudaibi, which was later converted into life sentence. Later many other leaders came and took over the responsibility; they include Umar al-Tilmisani, Abdul Qadir Audha, etc. Some of the leaders became very famous; for example, Syed Qutb, the Martyr, etc.
IMPACT ON ARAB WORLD
The efforts of Ikhwan were not limited to certain fields; instead they relentlessly tried in every field concerning human life and attained some degree of tangible result in all the fields. First of all, Ikhwan pulled Egypt out of the political crisis and reformed the political system. They threw away the western colonisers. They did not concentrate just on the educated class, instead expanded their circle to farmers and labourers as well. They presented Islam as a complete system of life, dealing with all its aspects. They struggled for intellectual as well as tangible revolution. They extensively wrote letters to the people in power and tried to reform the system of governance. For the first time in the twentieth century the concept that Islam is a complete way of life and not just an individual’s faith caught the attention of the people. They presented that Islam is fit for all time and place. They floated the idea that it is incumbent upon anyone who professes Islam that he must strive and struggle to implement Islam in toto, which is the full Islamic System.
As journalism plays a pivotal role in floating the ideas and ideology through constant writing and publishing, many Ikhwanis excelled in the field of journalism. At that time Egyptian Press was at its lowest ebb and Ikhwan revived it by bringing out its monthly magazine through which it reached out to people. Through their extraordinary journalism, they revolutionised journalism in Egypt.
Education plays a pivotal role in the success of a nation or community. The Brothers concentrated a lot on their efforts in the field of education and drew the attention of the government towards Islamisation of education. They said education means rise of good ideas and ideology, inculcation of moral values and connection with the past. They formed a board for this purpose and established separate colleges for boys and girls to impart education. Centres for industrial education were set up and they left their impressions in the field of education as well.
They linked literature with Islam. In the whole of the Islamic world, Islamic novels, dramas, stories, literature for kids, etc., were published and a huge bookstore got opened. Famous Muslim writers like Najeeb Al-Kailani, Abdur Rehman Muhammad Al Makhdoob, etc., either directly or indirectly got influenced by the organisation.
Services of Ikhwan in the field of economics also deserve a mention. To strengthen the national economy they formed various companies whose profit was shared on Mudhrabat basis and labourers were also the shareholders in the profit. The companies focused mainly on Construction, Engineering, Stone carving, etc. Lawful means were stressed upon and banking system was made better. Economic principles were aligned with Islam and interest-free banking and transactions were emphasised.
Ikhwan did some important work in the field of service to society. They formed a separate department by this name. In the initial days of the formation of this department, five hundred centres were formed and its radius, after engulfing the cities, reached the villages and outskirts of the country. Efforts in health field are also worth mentioning. They established hundreds of clinics where free medicines were distributed.
On cultural level, Islamic effects started to appear in day-to-day human life activities. A check on nudity and unlawful activities, boycott of films, persuasion of hijab for women, desisting from overspending on marriages and festivals and subscribing to simplicity were stressed upon. All this led to some reform of the society and morality and ethics were restored to some extent.
Political arena also witnessed the services of Ikhwan. Changes were made in the constitution of Egypt and Islam received the status of state religion and some Shari’ah laws got included in the penal code.
If we see the impact of Ikhwan on the Arab world, it is clear that the ideological profoundness, expanse and elevation found in Ikhwan are not seen in other organisations.
In the modern world the biggest challenge Islam faces is in exploring a way whereby it incorporates the modern world’s advancement without compromising with the Islamic values. The first contribution in this field would be by researching the modern civilization with an unbiased view and to see it from the parameters different from the east and the west. Second would be the revival of Islam so that its impact and effect is appreciated in the modern civilization. And, thirdly, the freedom of ideas, viewpoints and most importantly Ijtihad be given preference.
Without doubt, all the three points were comprehensively present in Ikhwan and this is the secret of their success. For all the Islamic organisations working for the revival of Islam, Ikhwan’s principles are like torch-lights, under whose guidance one can cut through the darkness of Godlessness and reach its stipulated goal.
[This article first appeared in Urdu monthly Zindagi-e-Nau, March 1997. Translation by KAMRAN SHAHID ANSARI]