Gamal al-Banna facts for kids

Gamal al-Banna (born December 15, 1920 – died January 30, 2013) was an Egyptian writer and a leader in workers' unions. He was the youngest brother of Hassan al-Banna, who started the Muslim Brotherhood. Gamal al-Banna was known as a liberal thinker. He often questioned traditional Islamic ideas. For example, he disagreed with 635 sayings (called Hadiths) from important collections like Sahih Bukhari and Sahih Muslim. He felt these sayings did not match the Qur'an, which is the holy book of Islam. He was also the great-uncle of Tariq Ramadan, a well-known writer and academic.

Early Life and Education

Gamal al-Banna was born in 1920 in Mahmudiya. His family was very religious. His father fixed watches but spent a lot of time studying and organizing Hadiths. Gamal was often sick as a child. Because of this, he spent much of his time reading with his father. After finishing high school, he decided not to go to university. Instead, he chose to become a writer.

Gamal al-Banna's Main Ideas

Gamal al-Banna had a unique way of understanding Islam. His ideas were based on being reasonable, human-focused, and believing in equality. He also supported women's rights and was against strict authority. He believed in freedom and keeping religion separate from government. As a thinker about society and politics, he was against capitalism. He believed Islam teaches fairness for everyone.

He once wrote that even though Marxism (a political idea) failed, it didn't mean capitalism was perfect. He explained that Islam came at a time when powerful empires ruled. These empires treated people unfairly and kept them poor and uneducated. Islam changed this by bringing ideas of freedom, justice, and equality. It taught that everyone is equal, no matter their skin color, gender, wealth, or background. He felt Islam should continue to bring these important ideas to the world.

Working for Social Justice

Gamal al-Banna spent many years working for workers' rights. He was a leader in textile industry unions. In 1953, he started an organization called The Egyptian Society for the Care of Prisoners and their Families. This group helped prisoners and their families. He also taught at the Cairo Institute of Trade-Union Studies for 30 years, from 1963 to 1993. In 1981, he helped create the International Islamic Confederation of Labor in Geneva, Switzerland. He became its first president.

Al-Banna believed that Islam is against unfair wealth and power. He was also against very harsh punishments, like the death penalty for changing one's religion. He strongly opposed treating women or religious minority groups, like the Coptic Christians in Egypt, unfairly.

Belief in Equality and Women's Rights

Gamal al-Banna strongly believed in equality for all people. He thought that Islam gives women and men the same rights and duties. A good Muslim, in his view, sees all people as equal, no matter their religion. When it came to the role of women in Islam, al-Banna said there was no reason why a Muslim woman could not lead prayers (called salat). This role is usually called imam (or imama for a female leader).

He wrote a book called The Muslim Woman to explain his ideas on this topic.

Freedom of Belief

For al-Banna, religious thinking should be completely free. He believed that people should have the freedom to choose their beliefs. This means that if a Muslim decides to change their religion, no one should be allowed to harm them for it.

Protecting Religion and State

Al-Banna was a religious Muslim who supported the idea of an "Islamic state." However, he also believed that the power of the state is often misused by politicians. This misuse can harm both Muslims and the religion of Islam. He argued for protecting the state and religion from each other. This way, Muslims and Islam would be safe from politicians using religion for their own goals.

Public Appearances and Media

Gamal al-Banna often appeared on TV shows in Egypt and other Arab countries. He would answer questions and join discussions. Sometimes, his views caused a stir on TV. For example, during Ramadan in 2006, he said that smoking was not forbidden. He even said Muslims could smoke during the daytime in Ramadan. He explained that tobacco did not exist during the time of Prophet Muhammad (in the 7th century AD). Therefore, neither the Quran nor the Prophet had directly forbidden smoking.

Other Books by Gamal al-Banna

Gamal al-Banna wrote more than fifty books. Some of his other publications include:

• Tathwir al-Qur'an ("The Revolutionization of the Quran"). Cairo: Dar al-Fikr al-Islami, 2000.
• Tafnid Da'wa Hadd ar-Eidda ("Refutation of the Demand of the Punishment for Apostasy"). Cairo: Dar ash-Shuruq, 2008.
• Al-Hejab ("The Headscarf"). Cairo: Dar al-Fikr al-Islami, 2002.

See also

• Islamic Modernism