Zainab al-Ghazali

Zainab al-Ghazali al-Jubaili (1335-1426 AH / 1917-2005 CE) was a prominent Egyptian Islamic activist, preacher, and author. Born in Banha, Egypt, she showed religious commitment from an early age. She founded the Muslim Women's Association (Jama'at as-Sayyidat al-Muslimat) in 1936, which grew to have millions of members before it was dissolved by the Egyptian government in 1964.

Al-Ghazali was a devoted student of Imam Hasan al-Banna and later became deeply involved with the Muslim Brotherhood. She was known for her commitment to Islamic education and da'wah among women, running classes, circles of knowledge, and charitable activities. Her organization operated independently from the Brotherhood but cooperated with it in the promotion of Islamic values.

Following the crackdown on the Muslim Brotherhood under Nasser, she was imprisoned in 1965 and subjected to harsh treatment over several years, an experience she documented in her memoir Ayyam min Hayati (Days of My Life), which became one of the most widely read accounts of Islamic activism and imprisonment in the Arab world. It is a testament to patience, faith, and steadfastness under persecution.

After her release, she continued her da'wah activities and became a regular contributor to the Muslim Brotherhood's publications. She received the King Faisal International Prize in 1994 for service to Islam. Al-Ghazali passed away in Cairo in 2005 and is remembered as one of the most determined and influential Muslim women activists of the 20th century.