In this pioneering study, Robert G. Rabil examines Fathi Yakan’s foundational role in establishing Sunni Salafi activism through the creation of al‑Jamaʿa al‑Islamiyya. He traces how Yakan capitalized on Sunni grievances over Maronite dominance and Lebanon’s fragile national identity, particularly in Tripoli, reshaping Islamism into a political project. The article highlights Yakan’s ideological synthesis of Muslim Brotherhood and Salafi concepts, and illustrates how his efforts paved the way for sustained Islamist participation in Lebanese politics. Rabil offers a nuanced portrait of a key figure whose legacy reshaped the contours of sectarian and ideological power in Lebanon.