The 500 Most Influential Muslims (also known as The Muslim 500) is an annual publication first published in 2009, which ranks the most influential Muslims in the world.
Critics have noted that its top 50 list gives more weight to political leaders, who due to the nature of political systems in Middle East enjoy considerable clout and influence in the regional politics. As such the influence of individuals listed in the top 50 owes much to the fact of their existence in the political spectrum.
Overview
The publication highlights people who are influential as Muslims. That is people whose influence is derived from their practice of Islam or from the fact that they are Muslim.[5] The influence can be of a religious scholar directly addressing Muslims and influencing their beliefs, ideas and behaviour, or it can be of a ruler shaping the socio-economic factors within which people live their lives, or of artists shaping popular culture. The first two examples also point to the fact that the lists, and especially the Top 50, are dominated by religious scholars and heads of state. Their dominant and lasting influence cannot be denied, especially the rulers, who in many cases also appoint religious scholars to their respective positions.[6]
Nominations are evaluated on the basis of the influence that particular Muslims have had within the Muslim community and the manner in which their influence has benefited the Muslim community, both within the Islamic world and in terms of representing Islam to non-Muslims.[7] "Influential" for the purposes of the book is defined as "any person who has the power (be it cultural, ideological, financial, political or otherwise) to make a change that will have a significant impact on the Muslim World".[8]
The publication defines eligible entries with the following: "Traditional Islam (96% of the world's Muslims): Also known as Orthodox Islam, this ideology is not politicized and largely based on consensus of correct opinion—thus including the Sunni, Shi'a, and Ibadi branches of practice (and their subgroups) within the fold of Islam, and not groups such as the Druze or the Ahmadiyya, among others."[9]
The book starts with an overall top 50, ranked the most influential Muslims in the world. The remaining 450 most prominent Muslims is broken down into 15 categories without ranking,[10][11] of scholarly, political, administrative, lineage, preachers and spiritual guides, women, youth, philanthropy/charity, development, science and technology, arts and culture, Qu'ran reciters, media, radicals, international Islamic networks and issues of the day.[citation needed] Each year the biographies are updated.[3]
The publication also gives an insight into the different ways that Muslims impact the world and also shows the diversity of how people are living as Muslims today.[10] The book's appendices comprehensively list populations of Muslims in nations worldwide, and its introduction gives a snapshot view of different ideological movements within the Muslim world, breaking down clearly distinctions between traditional Islam and recent radical innovations.[12]
Publications
2009 edition
In 2009, the book was edited by Professors John L. Esposito and Ibrahim Kalin at Georgetown University in Washington, DC.[13]
The 500 most influential Muslims were chosen largely in terms of their overt influence.[12] The top 50 is dominated by religious scholars[14] and either heads of state, which automatically gives them an advantage when it comes to influence, or they have inherited their position. Lineage is a significant factor – it has its own category – and the predisposition to include children of important people reveals a mindset that indicates achievement is an optional extra.[5] The top 50 fits into six broad categories as follows: 12 are political leaders (kings, generals, presidents), four are spiritual leaders (Sufi shaykhs), 14 are national or international religious authorities, three are "preachers", six are high-level scholars, 11 are leaders of movements or organizations.[12]
The highest-ranking American (and highest-ranking convert) at 38th place was Sheikh Hamza Yusuf Hanson, founder of the Zaytuna Institute in Berkeley, California. Right after him comes the highest-ranking European, Sheikh Mustafa Cerić, grand mufti of Bosnia and Herzegovina.[15]
In total 72 Americans are among the 500, a disproportionately strong showing.[12]Timothy Winter (Abdal Hakim Murad) was the highest ranked British Muslim, in an unspecified position between 51st and 60th, considerably higher than the three other British people who made the list – the Conservative Party chairman Baroness Sayeeda Warsi; the UK's first Muslim life peer, Lord Nazir Ahmed; and Dr Anas Al Shaikh Ali, director of the International Institute of Islamic Thought.[16]
The women featured had a separate section from the men.[5] There were only three women listed in the top 50. Sheikha Munira al-Qubaysi (number 21), an educator of girls and women; Queen Rania of Jordan (number 37), who promotes global education; and Sheikha Mozah bint Nasser Al Missned of Qatar (number 38), who is chairwoman of the Qatar Foundation for Education, Science and Community Development.[11]
Foreign Policy magazine's Marc Lynch stated, "Esposito and Kalin's methodology seems strange. Any list in which the Sultan of Oman (Qaboos bin Said al Said, who was sixth) outranks, say, Turkish preacher Fethullah Gülen (placed 13th) or the Aga Khan (Aga Khan IV, who was placed 20th) seems odd to this observer..."[17]
2011 edition
In 2011, achievements of a lifetime were given more weight than achievements within the current year. which meant that the lists of names were going to change gradually, rather than dramatically, year-on-year. The Arab Spring had no impact on Saudi King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia's influence, it had boosted King Mohammed VI of Morocco's influence, who moved up to second place, and it had no effect on Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan who came in third place.[2]
Erdoğan was expected by many to receive the top spot in light of the Arab Spring. Erdoğan was credited with Turkey's "Muslim democracy", and was seen as the leader of a country that, as the Brookings Institution said, "played the 'most constructive' role in the Arab events."[18]
Emir of Qatar Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani influence rose during the Arab Spring, moving him to sixth place. He had driven much of the Arab Spring through the coverage given by Al Jazeera, given financial support to protesters and political support to Libya, making him arguably the biggest enabler of the Arab Spring.[19]
There were more Muslims from America than any other country again with 41 spots on the 500 list. Countries with the next highest number of names were Egypt, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and the United Kingdom, with 25 Muslims each, followed by Indonesia, with 24.[20] It lists the winners according to 13 categories, including spiritual guides, Quran reciters, scholars, politicians, celebrities, sports figures, radicals, and media leaders.[1][21]
For the fourth year running, Saudi King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz topped the list. He was followed by Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan at second place.[14] Erdoğan's advance gave him advantage over Moroccan King Mohammed VI who took the third place. Fourth place went to Dr Mohammed Badie, whose name appeared in the top 10 for the first time. He was followed by Qatari Emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani who took the fifth place. Sheikh Al-Azhar Dr. Ahmad el-Tayeb and prominent Islamic scholar Dr. Yusuf al-Qaradawi who is President of Global Association of Muslim Scholars, also made it to the top 10 ranks.[10]
2013/2014 edition
In 2013, the list was edited once again by Professor Emeritus S. Abdallah Schleifer of the American University in Cairo.[22]
The top of the list went to Sheikh Ahmed el-Tayeb, the Grand Sheikh of the Al Azhar University for the prominent role played by him in Egypt's troubled democratic transition.[23] His astute decision making over the past couple of years has preserved the traditional approach of Al-Azhar which faced threats from Islamists and Salafis in the years that have followed Mubarak's fall.[24] His public support of General Abdel Fattah el-Sisi's coup also gave it a strong religious grounding that was necessary for it to achieve the legitimacy needed to prevent a civil war, effectively making him a "king-maker" and cementing his place at the top of the list.[22] He was followed on the listing by Saudi King Abdullah bin Abdul-Aziz Al-Saud and Iranian Grand Leader Ayatollah Sayyid Ali Khamenei.[23]
Reflective of the wider trajectory of the Arab Spring, this year's list showed a decline in influence from Muslim Brotherhood associated figures Dr Mohammed Badie, Sheikh Yusuf al Qaradawi and ousted Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi. Coup kingpin General Abdel Fattah el-Sisi who was previously unlisted now ranks at 29.[23]
In 2014, the chief editor of the list was again Professor S Abdallah Schleifer. The top spot went back to Saudi King Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz al-Saud, due to his being the "absolute monarch of the most powerful Arab nation." The list accords him the place in light of Saudi Arabia being home to Islam's two holy cities of Makkah and Madinah, which millions of Muslims visit throughout the year, as well as the kingdom's oil exports. Rounding out the top three are Dr Muhammad Ahmed al-Tayeb, grand sheikh of Al-Azhar University and grand imam of Al-Azhar mosque, and Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. The top nine are all political leaders and royals, including Morocco's King Mohammed VI and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.[25]
The top 50 fit into six broad categories: 12 are political leaders (kings, generals, presidents), four are spiritual leaders (Sufi shaykhs), 14 are national or international religious authorities, three are "preachers", six are high-level scholars, 11 are leaders of movements or organizations. In total 72 Americans are among the 500 most influential Muslims, a disproportionately strong showing, but only one among the top 50, Sheikh Hamza Yusuf Hanson of Zaytuna Institute listed at number 38.[12]
2016 edition
In 2015, the top 50 was again dominated by religious scholars and heads of state. The top five, was King Abdullah of Jordan; Ahmed el-Tayeb, the grand sheikh of Egypt's Al-Azhar University; King Salman of Saudi Arabia; Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei; and King Mohammed VI of Morocco. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan came in at Number eight, but surprisingly Syrian President Bashar al-Assad did not make the Top 50 this year or last, though he is still listed in the 500. The prime minister of Iraq did not make the list, but Iraq's Grand Ayatollah Sayyid Ali Hussein Sistani did, coming in at number nine.[26]
There were 32 newcomers to the 2016 list.[26] 22 Indians featured on the list.[27][28][29] As in past years, there continued to be more Muslims from the United States than any other country. Since at least 2012, the U.S. has outpaced nations with a far larger Muslim population, with at least 40 notable people of influence, with Pakistan (33), Saudi Arabia (32), Egypt (27) and the UK (27).[26]
Leading scholar of Islamic jurisprudence who is considered to be the intellectual leader of the Deobandi movement. Veteran figure of Islamic banking and finance.
The House of Saud is the ruling royal family of Saudi Arabia. It is composed of the descendants of Muhammad bin Saud, founder of the Emirate of Diriyah, known as the First Saudi state (1727–1818), and his brothers, though the ruling faction of the family is primarily led by the descendants of Abdulaziz bin Abdul Rahman, the modern founder of Saudi Arabia. It forms a subtribe of the larger prominent ancient Banu Hanifa tribe of Arabia, from which well known 7th century Arabian theologist Maslama ibn Ḥabīb originates. The most influential position of the royal family is the King of Saudi Arabia, an absolute monarch. The family in total is estimated to comprise 15,000 members; however, the majority of power, influence and wealth is possessed by a group of about 2,000 of them. Some estimates of the royal family's wealth measure their net worth at $1.4 trillion.This figure includes the market capitalization of Saudi Aramco, the state oil and gas company, and its vast assets in fossil fuel reserves, making them the wealthiest family in the world and the wealthiest in recorded history.
Ali al-Husayni al-Sistani is an Iranian-Iraqi Islamic scholar. One of the most senior scholars of Twelver Shia with the rank of Grand Ayatollah and marja', he has been described as the spiritual leader of Shia Muslims worldwide, "the undisputed leader of Iraq's Shias", included in top positions of "The Muslim 500: The World's Most Influential Muslims", from 2009 to 2023, and named one of the 100 most influential people in the world by Time magazine in 2004 and 2005.
This is an alphabetical list of topics related to Islam, the history of Islam, Islamic culture, and the present-day Muslim world, intended to provide inspiration for the creation of new articles and categories. This list is not complete; please add to it as needed. This list may contain multiple transliterations of the same word: please do not delete the multiple alternative spellings—instead, please make redirects to the appropriate pre-existing Wikipedia article if one is present.
Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud is King of Saudi Arabia, reigning since 2015, and was also Prime Minister of Saudi Arabia from 2015 to 2022. The 25th son of King Abdulaziz, the founder of Saudi Arabia, he assumed the throne on 23 January 2015. Prior to his accession, he was Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia from 18 June 2012 to 23 January 2015. Salman is the third oldest living head of state, the oldest living monarch, and Saudi Arabia's first head of state born after the unification of Saudi Arabia. He has a reported personal wealth of at least $18 billion, which makes him the third wealthiest royal in the world and one of the wealthiest individuals in the world.
Grand Ayatollah Muhammad Husayn Fadlallah was a prominent Lebanese-Iraqi Twelver Shia cleric. Born in Najaf, Iraq, Fadlallah studied Islam in Najaf before moving to Lebanon in 1952. In the following decades, he gave many lectures, engaged in intense scholarship, wrote dozens of books, founded several Islamic religious schools, and established the Mabarrat Association. Through the aforementioned association, he established a public library, a women's cultural center, and a medical clinic.
Grand Ayatollah Sayyid Muhammad al-Husayni al-Shirazi, commonly known as Imam Shirazi, was an Iranian-Iraqi Shia marja' and political activist.
Abdulaziz bin Abdullah Al-Sheikh is a Saudi Arabian scholar who is the current Grand Mufti of Saudi Arabia. As such he is head of the Council of Senior Religious Scholars and its sub-committee, the Permanent Committee for Islamic Research and Issuing Fatwas.
International Islamic Fiqh Academy is an international Islamic institution for the advanced study of Islamic jurisprudence and law based in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. It was founded following a resolution by the Third Islamic Summit Conference of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, held in Mecca, that called for the establishment of an Islamic Fiqh Academy. The International Islamic Fiqh Academy was established in June 1983 as a subsidiary organ of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation. It consists of 57 member states and representatives.
The Shia Crescent is the notionally crescent-shaped region of the Middle East where the majority population is Shia or where there is a strong Shia minority in the population.
Grand Ayatollah Sayyid Sadiq al-Hussayni al-Shirazi is an Iraqi-Iranian Shia marja'.
Salman bin Fahd bin Abdullah al-Ouda or Salman al-Ouda, Salman al-Oadah, Salman al-Audah, or Salman al-Awdah - kunya: Abu Mu'ad - is a Saudi Muslim scholar. Al-Ouda is a member of the International Union for Muslim Scholars and on its board of trustees. He is a director of the Arabic edition of the website Islam Today and appears on a number of TV shows and authors newspaper articles.
Kanthapuram A. P. Aboobacker Musliyar known as Sheikh Abubakr Ahmad is the tenth and current Grand Mufti of India. and General Secretary of the All India Sunni Jamiyyathul Ulama and General Secretary of Samastha Kerala Jamiyyathul Ulama.
Russia–Saudi Arabia relations are the bilateral relations between the Russian Federation and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The two countries are referred to as the two petroleum superpowers and account for about a quarter of the world's crude oil production between them.
Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud was King and Prime Minister of Saudi Arabia from 1 August 2005 until his death in 2015. Prior to his ascension, he was Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia since 13 June 1982. He was the tenth son of King Abdulaziz, the founder of Saudi Arabia.
The King of Saudi Arabia, officially the King of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, is the monarch and head of state/government of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia who holds absolute power. He is the head of the Saudi Arabian royal family, the House of Saud. The king is the supreme commander-in-chief of the Royal Saudi Armed Forces and the head of the Saudi national honors system. The king is called the "Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques", a title that signifies Saudi Arabia's jurisdiction over the mosques of Masjid al-Haram in Mecca and Al-Masjid an-Nabawi in Medina. The title has been used many times through the history of Islam. The first Saudi king to use the title was Faisal; however, King Khalid did not use the title after him. In 1986, King Fahd replaced "His Majesty" with the title of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, and it has been since used by both King Abdullah and King Salman. The king has been named the most powerful and influential Muslim and Arab leader in the world according to the Muslim 500.
The Order of the Republic is an order of Tunisia, founded 16 March 1959.
A Fatwa prohibiting the insulting of the most religious figures of Sunni Islam was published by Iran's Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei, on 30 September 2010. The fatwa was issued following the insulting of Aisha by Yasser Al-Habib. This fatwa received various reactions from Shia and Sunni Muslims, and from Arabic and Western media.
The extraordinary G20 summit on COVID-19 is a G20 leaders' summit was held virtually via a video conference on 26 March 2020. The extraordinary G20 summit was called and chaired by King Salman of Saudi Arabia to support a coordinated global response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Order of Sheikh Isa bin Salman Al Khalifa is a Bahraini order of merit. It is the highest decoration in the Kingdom of Bahrain and is named after Isa bin Salman Al Khalifa, the former Emir of Bahrain.
↑ Schleifer, Abdallah, ed. (2018). The Muslim 500: the world's 500 most influential Muslims, 2019: with cumulative rankings over ten years (10th Anniversaryed.). Amann, Jordan: The Royal Islamic Strategic Studies Centre. ISBN9789957635343. OCLC1089929346.
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