Saad Zaghlul Pasha (1859-1927), Egyptian political leader, founded the country's most important political party, the Wafd.

Saad Zaghlul was born in Ibyana, a village in the province of Gharbiyyah in the Egyptian Delta, of pure Egyptian parents of modest means. At Azhar University he specialized in Islamic law, philosophy, and theology and came under the strong influence of the Islamic reformers Jamal al-Din al-Afghani and Muhammad Abduh. Zaghlul's subsequent career reflected the imprint of these reformers, and he championed the internal reform of Egyptian social, educational, and political institutions till the end of his eventful life.

Zaghlul's first appointment was as assistant editor of the Arabic section of the Egyptian Official Journal, which was edited by Muhammad Abduh. His insight and commitment to educational reforms soon began to be reflected in the various essays either written or inspired by Zaghlul that were highly critical of the low state...