Why did the Muslim Brotherhood oppose Egypt’s Wafd Party and King Farouk I?

The Muslim Brotherhood opposed both the Wafd party and King Farouk I as part of its transition from a social and religious movement into a vehicle for popular political mobilization.12

The Brotherhood’s opposition was rooted in the belief that the existing political establishment—including the Wafd and the monarchy—had failed to address the needs of the Egyptian population, particularly regarding social welfare, development, and education. As the organization became increasingly politicized in the late 1930s, it positioned itself as an ideological alternative to the ruling elite, which it viewed as ineffective and complicit in the continued British influence in Egypt.2

Specifically, the Brotherhood:
* Opposed the Wafd Party: The Brotherhood organized popular protests against the Wafd government during World War II. This rivalry intensified as the Brotherhood sought to challenge the secular political framework that the Wafd represented.12
* Opposed King Farouk I: The organization mobilized against the monarchy as part of its broader rejection of the status quo, which it associated with corruption, incompetence, and a failure to achieve true national independence.23