Famous Egyptian Spiritual & Religious Leaders

A prominent prophet in Islam, Christianity, and the Baháʼí Faith among other Abrahamic religions, Moses is also the most important prophet in Judaism. One of the most important biblical characters, Moses received the Ten Commandments from God on Mount Sinai. The Ten Commandments are fundamental to both Christianity and Judaism. The authorship of the Torah is also attributed to Moses.

Catherine of Alexandria is a Christian saint who was martyred at the hands of the Roman Emperor Maxentius in the early 4th century. Catherine is generally credited with converting hundreds of people to Christianity. Over 1,100 years after her martyrdom, French warrior Joan of Arc claimed that Catherine was one of the saints to counsel her in her visions.

Sayyid Qutb was an Egyptian educator, author, Islamic theorist, revolutionary, and poet. During the 1950s and 1960s, Qutb was an important member of the Society of the Muslim Brothers. Sayyid Qutb is regarded as the Father of Salafi-Jihadism, a transnational religious-political ideology that forms the basis of several Jihadist organizations, such as Daesh and Al Qaeda.

Anthony the Great is revered as the patron saint of diseases for miraculously healing people of ailments such as ergot poisoning, which came to be known as St. Anthony's Fire. Known widely as the Father of Monasticism, he had spent 20 years in isolation in the Thebaid desert.

Athanasius of Alexandria was the 20th bishop of Alexandria. A well-known Egyptian leader of the 4th century, Athanasius' career was shaped by his conflicts with Arius and successive Roman emperors. He is venerated as a saint and his feast day is observed on different days depending upon the various churches.