"The overall thrust of the book presents an interesting and plausible account of recent historical events in Egypt. But the real value of the work lies not in its ideological drive but in the richness of its empirical data and the rare glimpse of this well–known but little–understood religio–political movement ′from the inside′." Middle East Monitor

"A deeply intimate portrait of an organisation rightly known as "the mother of all Islamist movements." Morning Star

"Hazem Kandil has written a fascinating, highly intimate account of the internal practices of Egypt′s Muslim Brotherhood. Kandil takes the reader inside the organization to reveal detailed information about everything from recruitment practices to social network formation to construction of an organizational worldview. Inside the Brotherhood is essential reading for anyone who seeks to understand the Muslim Brotherhood′s political rise and fall in Egypt." Lisa Blaydes, Stanford University

"Hazem Kandil has written an original and challenging interpretation of the organisation and ideology of the Muslim Brotherhood enriched by unique access to members and functions. The subordination of policy and strategy to piety and proselytization helps to explain the Brotherhood′s twists and turns at crucial points in modern Egyptian history, and their rise and fall since 2011, as well as the messianic reaction to their defeat and suppression." Sami Zubaida, Birkbeck, University of London"

By probing what it means to be a Muslim Brother, exploring how the Brotherhood organization is structured, and placing religion at the center of the movement′s amorphous ideology, Hazem Kandil offers helpful new interpretations even when going over familiar ground. The resulting picture is not always flattering, but it helps shed light on the group′s sometimes puzzling behavior." Nathan Brown, George Washington University

"Kandil s book is able to provide an in–depth, elaborate analysis of the contours of the recruitment and socialisation process as well as the re(construction) of networks." Political Studies Review

Introduction 1

1 Cultivating the Brother 5

2 Building the Brotherhood 48

3 Forging the Ideology 81

4 The Slow Rise and Rapid Fall from Power 119

5 Islamism in Egypt and Beyond 146

Conclusion: The End of Islamism? 175

Appendix: A Note on Theory and Method 179

Acknowledgements 184

Notes 185

Bibliography 199

Index 210