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 The cover of the 2009 edition | |
| Author | John L. Esposito (contributor of the 2009 edition only),İbrahim Kalın, Usra Ghazi,Prince Alwaleed Center for Muslim–Christian Understanding,S. Abdallah Schleifer |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Series | 1st Edition (2009) 2nd Edition (2010) 3rd Edition (2011) 4th Edition (2012) 5th Edition (2013/14) 6th Edition (2014/15) 7th Edition (2016) 8th Edition (2017) 9th Edition (2018) 10th Edition (2019) 11th Edition (2020) 12th Edition (2021) 13th Edition (2022) 14th Edition (2023) |
| Subject | Biographical dictionary |
| Genre | Non-fiction |
| Publisher | Royal Islamic Strategic Studies Centre, Createspace |
Publication date | January 16, 2009 (2009-01-16) |
| Publication place | United Kingdom |
| Media type | Online, print |
| Pages | 206 |
| ISBN | 978-9957-428-37-2 |
| OCLC | 514462119 |
| Website | themuslim500 |
The 500 Most Influential Muslims (also known asThe Muslim 500) is an annual publication first published in 2009, which ranks the most influential Muslims in the world.
The publication is compiled by theRoyal Islamic Strategic Studies Centre inAmman,Jordan.[1][2][3] The report is issued annually in cooperation withPrince Al-Waleed Bin Talal Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding atGeorgetown University in theUnited States.[2]
Qatar's emirTamim bin Hamid Al-Thani took first place in the 2022 edition. He was followed by KingSalman of Saudi Arabia, Iranian supreme leaderAli Khamenei and Turkey's presidentRecep Tayyip Erdoğan. KingAbdullah II of Jordan, Pakistani Sunni Islamic scholarTaqi Usmani, KingMohammed VI of Morocco, President of the UAEMohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Iranian Shia Islamic scholarAli al-Sistani and Pakistani Sunni Islamic scholarAurangzeb Farooqi are also among the top 9 in the top 10 in the list.[4]
Critics[who?] have noted that its top 50 list gives more weight to political leaders, who due to the nature of political systems in the 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.[citation needed]
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 asOrthodox Islam, this ideology is not politicized and largely based on consensus of correct opinion—thus including theSunni,Shi'a, andIbadi branches of practice (and their subgroups) within the fold of Islam, and not groups such as theDruze or theAhmadiyya, 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]
In 2009, the book was edited by ProfessorsJohn 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 book has given the first place to KingAbdullah bin Abdulaziz of Saudi Arabia. Second place went to Ayatollah SyedAli Khamenei, the spiritual leader of Iran. KingMohammed VI of Morocco found third place and KingAbdullah II Al-Hussain of Jordan occupied fourth place. Fifth place went to Turkey's Prime MinisterRecep Tayyip Erdoğan.[13]
The first solely religious leader is Iraq's AyatollahAli al-Sistani in seventh place.Fethullah Gülen came 13th. The heads ofHezbollah; SeyyedHassan Nasrallah listed 17th andHamasKhaled Mashal listed 34th.
The highest-ranking American (and highest-ranking convert) at 38th place was SheikhHamza Yusuf Hanson, founder of theZaytuna Institute in Berkeley, California. Right after him comes the highest-ranking European, SheikhMustafa 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 chairmanBaroness Sayeeda Warsi; the UK's first Muslim life peer,Lord Nazir Ahmed; and 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. SheikhaMunira al-Qubaysi (number 21), an educator of girls and women;Queen Rania of Jordan (number 37), who promotes global education; and SheikhaMozah bint Nasser Al Missned of Qatar (number 38), who is chairwoman of the Qatar Foundation for Education, Science and Community Development.[11]
The listing also includes an extensive Arts and Culture Section. The general Arts and Culture Section included the names of singersSalif Keita,Youssou N'Dour,Raihan,Yusuf Islam andSami Yusuf,Dawud Wharnsby; musicianA. R. Rahman (India); film starsSalman Khan,Aamir Khan andShahrukh Khan; comedianAzhar Usman and martial artistMa Yue. All theQāriʾs (Quran reciters) listed in the book are from Saudi Arabia.[13]
Foreign Policy magazine'sMarc 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 theAga Khan (Aga Khan IV, who was placed 20th) seems odd to this observer..."[17]
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. TheArab 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 theBrookings Institution said, "played the 'most constructive' role in the Arab events."[18]
Emir of Qatar SheikhHamad 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 byAl Jazeera, given financial support to protesters and political support to Libya, making him arguably the biggest enabler of the Arab Spring.[19]
In 2012, the edition was published byS. Abdallah Schleifer, Professor Emeritus and Senior FellowKamal Adham Center for Television & Digital Journalism,the American University in Cairo.
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 toMohammed 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-AzharAhmad el-Tayeb and prominent Islamic scholarYusuf al-Qaradawi who is President of Global Association of Muslim Scholars, also made it to the top 10 ranks.[10]
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 SheikhAhmed 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 GeneralAbdel 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 fromMuslim Brotherhood associated figures Mohammed Badie, Sheikh Yusuf al Qaradawi and ousted Egyptian presidentMohamed Morsi. Coup kingpin GeneralAbdel Fattah el-Sisi who was previously unlisted now ranks at 29.[23]
The US dominates the list again with 41 inclusions includingMuhammad Ali, DrMehmet Oz, Rep.Keith Ellison, Yasiin Bey (Mos Def), andFareed Zakaria. Representing the UK areMo Farah,Yusuf Islam, Riz Khan, Baroness Sayeeda Warsi, Cambridge's Timothy Winter and 18 others.[24]
In 2014, the chief editor of the list was againProfessor S Abdallah Schleifer. The top spot went back to Saudi KingAbdullah 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 were DrMuhammad Ahmed al-Tayeb, grand sheikh of Al-Azhar University and grand imam of Al-Azhar mosque, and Iran's Supreme LeaderAli Khamenei. The top nine were all political leaders and royals, including Morocco's King Mohammed VI and Turkish PresidentRecep Tayyip Erdogan.[25]
The top 50 fit into six broad categories: 12 were 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, SheikhHamza Yusuf Hanson ofZaytuna Institute listed at number 38.[12]
In 2015, the top 50 was again dominated by religious scholars and heads of state. The top five were: KingAbdullah of Jordan;Ahmed el-Tayeb, the grand sheikh of Egypt's Al-Azhar University;King Salman of Saudi Arabia; Iran's supreme leader AyatollahAli Khamenei; and KingMohammed VI of Morocco. Turkish presidentRecep Tayyip Erdogan came in at number eight, but surprisingly Syrian PresidentBashar al-Assad did not make the Top 50 this year or last, though he was still listed in the 500. The prime minister of Iraq did not make the list, but Iraq's Grand Ayatollah SayyidAli 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]
In 2017, the top five were SheikhAhmad al-Tayyeb of Egypt; KingAbdullah II of Jordan of Jordan; KingSalman of Saudi Arabia; AyatollahAli Khamenei of Iran; KingMohammed VI of Morocco.[30]
In 2018, the top five were SheikhAhmad Muhammad Al-Tayeeb of Egypt; KingSalman bin Abdul-Aziz Al-Saud of Saudi Arabia; KingAbdullah II Ibn Al-Hussein of Jordan; Ayatollah HajjSayyid Ali Khamenei of Iran; PresidentRecep Tayyip Erdoğan of Turkey.[31]
In 2019, the top five were PresidentRecep Tayyip Erdoğan of Turkey; KingSalman bin Abdul-Aziz Al-Saud of Saudi Arabia; KingAbdullah II Ibn Al-Hussein of Jordan; Ayatollah HajjSayyid Ali Khamenei of Iran; KingMohammad VI of Morocco.[32]
In 2020, the top five were Sheikh MuftiTaqi Usmani of Pakistan, PresidentRecep Tayyip Erdoğan of Turkey; KingSalman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud of Saudi Arabia; Ayatollah HajjSayyid Ali Khamenei of Iran; KingAbdullah II Ibn Al-Hussein of Jordan.
The Woman of the Year wasRashida Tlaib of the United States and the Man of the Year wasImran Khan of Pakistan.[33]
In 2021, the top five were PresidentRecep Tayyip Erdoğan president of Turkey; KingSalman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud of Saudi Arabia; Ayatollah HajjSayyid Ali Khamenei of Iran, and KingAbdullah II Ibn Al-Hussein of Jordan.
The Woman of the Year wasBilkis Bano of India and the Man of the Year wasIlham Tohti of China.[34]
In 2022, the top five were SheikhTamim bin Hamad Al-Thani of Qatar;King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud of Saudi Arabia;Ayatollah Hajj Sayyid Ali Khamenei of Iran; PresidentRecep Tayyib Erdoğan of Turkey, and KingAbdullah II of Jordan.[35]
The Woman of the Year was PresidentSamia Suluhu Hassan of Tanzania and the Man of the Year wasUğur Şahin of Germany.[36]
In 2023, the top five were Salman bin Saudi Arabia king Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques,Sayyid Ali Khamenei Supreme Leader of Iran,Sheikh Tamim bin Hamid Al-Thani Emir of Qatar, PresidentRecep Tayyib Erdoğan of Turkey, and KingAbdullah II of Jordan.[37]
The Woman of the Year wasAisha Abdurrahman Bewley and the Man of the Year wasMahmood Madani President ofJamiat Ulama-i-Hind from India.[38]
In 2024, the top five wereHabib Umar bin Hafiz, founder and dean ofDar al-MustafaIslamic seminary,King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud of Saudi Arabia,Sayyid Ali Khamenei Supreme Leader of Iran, SheikhTamim bin Hamid Al Thani, Emir of Qatar, and KingAbdullah II of Jordan.[39]
The Woman of the Year wasEdna Adan Ismail and the Man of the Year wasSyed Muhammad Naquib al-Attas.[40]
| Rank | Change | Name | Citizenship | Age | Image | Occupation | Source of Influence | Influence | School of Thought | Previous rankings: |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  10 | Umar bin Hafiz |  Yemen | (1963-05-27)27 May 1963 (age 62) |  | Founder and Dean ofDar al-MustafaIslamic seminary | Scholarly, Lineage | Preacher, Spiritual Guide | Traditional Sunni | 33 (2009) 37 (2010)  437 (2011)  36 (2012) 128 (2013/14) 828 (2014/15) 28 (2016) 25 (2017) 310 (2018) 158 (2019) 29 (2020) 19 (2021) 11 (2022) 211 (2023) |
| 2 | 1 | King Salman bin Abdul-Aziz Al-Saud |  Saudi Arabia | (1935-12-31)December 31, 1935 (age 90) |  | King of Saudi Arabia andCustodian of the Two Holy Mosques | Political & Administrative. | King with authority over 38.5 million residents of Saudi Arabia and approximately 14 million pilgrims annually. | Hanbali Sunni-Salafi | 3 (2016) 3 (2017) 2 (2018) 12 (2019) 4 (2020) 22 (2021) 22 (2022) 1 (2023) 1 |
| 3 | 1 | Grand Ayatollah Ali Khamenei |  Iran | (1939-04-19)April 19, 1939 (age 86) |  | Supreme Leader of the Republic of Iran | Political, Administrative | Supreme Leader of 82.5 million Iranians. Ayatollah of Twelver Shias worldwide. | TraditionalTwelverShi‘a, Revolutionary Shi'ism,Usuli | 2 (2009) 3 (2010) 15 (2011) 26 (2012) 13 (2013/14) 33 (2014/15) 4 (2016) 4 (2017) 4 (2018) 4 (2019) 2 (2020) 23 (2021) 13 (2022) 2 (2023) 1 |
| 4 | 1 | Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani |  Qatar | (1980-06-03)3 June 1980 (age 45) | _(cropped).jpg) | Emir of Qatar | Political | Ruler of Qatar. | Traditional Sunni | 19 (2019) 12 (2020) 711 (2021) 11 (2022) 5+3 (2023) 2 |
| 5 | | King Abdullah II of Jordan |  Jordan | (1962-01-30)January 30, 1962 (age 64) | .jpg) | King of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan | Political, Lineage | King with authority over approximately 7 million Jordanians and outreach to traditional Islam. Custodian of the Holy Sites in Jerusalem. | Traditional Sunni | 4 (2009) 4 (2010) 4 (2011) 7 (2012) 34 (2013/14) 34 (2014/15) 1 (2016) 32 (2017) 13 (2018) 13 (2019) 5 (2020) 34 (2021) 15 (2022) 15 (2023) |
| 6 | 2 | Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan |  UAE | (1961-03-11)March 11, 1961 (age 64) |  | Ruler of Abu Dhabi and President of the UAE | Administration of Religious Affairs, Philanthropy, Charity and Development, Political | Military and political leadership. | Traditional Sunni | 22 (2009) 22 (2010) 18 (2011) 415 (2012) 310 (2013/14) 59 (2014/15) 17 (2016) 212 (2017) 515 (2018) 315 (2019) 3 (2020) 127 (2021) 48 (2022) 18 (2023) |
| 7 | 3 | Recep Tayyip Erdoğan |  Turkey | (1954-02-26)February 26, 1954 (age 71) | .jpg) | President of Turkey | Political | President of over 85 million Turkish citizens | Traditional Sunni,Hanafi | 5 (2009) 2 (2010) 33 (2011) 12 (2012) 16 (2013/14) 46 (2014/15) 8 (2016) 28 (2017) 5 (2018) 31 (2019) 46 (2020) 51 (2021) 54 (2022) 34 (2023) |
| 8 | 2 | Mufti Taqi Usmani |  Pakistan | (1943-10-05)October 5, 1943 (age 82) | .jpg) | Deobandi leader | Scholar | Leading scholar of Islamic jurisprudence who is considered to be the intellectual leader of the Deobandi movement. Veteran figure of Islamic banking and finance. | Deobandi Movement | 27 (2009) 31 (2010) 432 (2011) 132 (2012) 25 (2013/14) 719 (2014/15) 622 (2016) 36 (2017) 167 (2018) 16 (2019) 11 (2020) 55 (2021) 46 (2022) 36 (2023 |
| 9 | | Ali al-Husayni al-Sistani |  Iraq | (1930-08-04)August 4, 1930 (age 95) |  | Marja' of theHawza,Najaf, Iraq | Scholarly, Lineage | Highest authority for 21 million Iraqi Shi‘a, and also internationally as religious authority to Usuli Twelver Shi‘a. | Traditional Twelver Shi‘a,Usuli | 7 (2009) 8 (2010) 110 (2011) 213 (2012) 38 (2013/14) 57 (2014/15) 19 (2016) 27 (2017) 28 (2018) 17 (2019) 18 (2020) 18 (2021) 9 (2022) 19 (2023) |