Pakistani intellectual and Islamist. Born 1903, died 1979.
As a young man, al-Mawdudi became politically active, and an advocate of a politicised interpretation of Islam. In 1941, he founded the party Jamaat-i Islami, which promoted the foundation of a modern Islamic state.
The party has played a significant rôle in the development of political life in Pakistan. In the 1950s, it spearheaded efforts to counteract the ahmadiyya movement. As a result of these activities, al-Mawdudi was sentenced to death, but he was later pardoned. In 1970, he resigned as leader of the party, devoting the remainder of his life to writing. Among his works during this period are a number of commentaries to the Qu'ran.
Since the 1950s, al-Mawdudi's writings have been extensively translated, and his concept of Islam as a coherent political ideology have had significant impact throught the Islamic world.