In the same spirit, Hassan al-Banna
(1906-1949), founder of the Muslim Brotherhood, began his movement by
translating the social message of the Koran into a modern idiom, founding
clinics, hospitals, trade unions, schools, and factories that gave workers
insurance, holidays, and good working conditions. In other words, he aimed to
bring the masses to modernity in an Islamic setting. The Brotherhood’s
resulting popularity was threatening to Egypt’s secular government, which could
not provide these services.