Abul A'la Maududi
According to Hossein Nasr, ICNA has been influenced by the ideals of Abul A'la Maududi of Pakistan, and is structured similar to the Jamaat-e-Islami, which Mawdudi founded. However, it is a separate entity from Jamaat-e-Islami. John Esposito wrote in 2004 that it had links to "Jamaat-e-Islami".