The Muslim 500 � 2011 The Muslim The 500 The Muslim 500 � 2011 The Muslim The 500 The Muslim 500The The Muslim � 2011 500———————�——————— THE 500 MOST INFLUENTIAL MUSLIMS ———————�——————— � 2 011 � � THE 500 MOST � INFLUENTIAL MUSLIMS · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · All rights reserved. No part of this book may be repro- The Muslim 500: The 500 Most Influential Muslims duced or utilised in any form or by any means, electronic 2011 (First Edition) or mechanic, inclding photocopying or recording or by any ISBN: 978-9975-428-37-2 information storage and retrieval system, without the prior · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · written permission of the publisher. Views expressed in The Muslim 500 do not necessarily re- Chief Editor: Prof. S. Abdallah Schleifer flect those of RISSC or its advisory board. Researchers: Aftab Ahmed, Samir Ahmed, Zeinab Asfour, Photo of Abdul Hakim Murad provided courtesy of Aiysha Besim Bruncaj, Sulmaan Hanif, Lamya Al-Khraisha, and Malik. Mai Al-Khraisha Image Copyrights: #29 Bazuki Muhammad / Reuters (Page Designed & typeset by: Besim Bruncaj 75); #47 Wang zhou bj / AP (Page 84) Technical consultant: Simon Hart Calligraphy and ornaments throughout the book used courtesy of Irada (http://www.IradaArts.com). Special thanks to: Dr Joseph Lumbard, Amer Hamid, Sun- dus Kelani, Mohammad Husni Naghawai, and Basim Salim. English set in Garamond Premiere Pro & Myriad Pro Printed in The Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan by National Press © 2011 The Royal Islamic Strategic Studies Center 20 Sa’ed Bino Road, Dabuq PO BOX 950361 Amman 11195, JORDAN http://www.rissc.jo II � Contents � 1 Introduction 9 The House of Islam 21 The Top 50 87 Honorable Mentions 91 The Final 450 193 Scholarly 101 Political 109 Administration of Religious Affairs 115 Preachers & Spiritual Guides 119 Philanthropy, Charity & Development 123 Social Issues 129 Business 133 Science & Technology 135 Arts & Culture 139 Qur’an Recitors 141 Media 145 Celebrities & Sports Stars 147 Radicals 149 Issues of the Day 153 Obituaries 157 Appendix 165 Glossary 169 Index III IV � The � INTRO- DUCTION 1 � 2 � Foreword � Welcome to the third annual issue of The 500 Most Influ- names will change gradually, rather than dramatically, year- ential Muslims. on-year. There are over 1.6 billion Muslims in the world today, mak- This list acts as an opportunity to shed some light on the ing up approximately 23% of the world’s population, or many challenges and pioneering triumphs that are present more than one-fifth of mankind. As well as being citizens at the very crux of shaping the Muslim community. of their respective countries, they also have a sense of be- longing to the ‘ummah’, the worldwide Muslim community. What’s New This publication sets out to ascertain the influence some Muslims have on this community, or on behalf of the com- This year’s edition includes the following features and ad- munity. Influence is: any person who has the power (be it ditions: cultural, ideological, financial, political or otherwise) to make a change that will have a significant impact on the • New size and layout Muslim World. Note that the impact can be either posi- • Essay on Arab Spring tive or negative. The influence can be of a religious scholar • Quotes from top 25 and select others directly addressing Muslims and influencing their beliefs, • Stats about the top 25 and select others ideas and behaviour, or it can be of a ruler shaping the so- • Expanded bios cio-economic factors within which people live their lives, or • Arab Spring box for top 50 (arrows indicating impact of artists forming popular culture. The first two examples of Arab Spring on their influence, not necessarily their also point to the fact that the lists, and especially the Top 50, overall shift in influence) are dominated by religious scholars and heads of state. Their • Award-winning photography dominant and lasting influence cannot be denied, especially • Expanded Honorable Mentions section the rulers, who in many cases also appoint religious schol- • New Obituaries section ars to their respective positions. This doesn’t discount the • Updated Muslim population stats influence from other sectors of society. • New maps • Expanded glossary The publication selects Muslim individuals from a range of categories of influence, 14 in total: (Scholarly, Political, Ad- We also have some exciting plans for our website (www. ministration of Religious Affairs, Preachers and Spiritual TheMuslim500.com) in the upcoming years and ask you to Teachers, Philanthropy/Charity and Development, Social sign up to our email list and keep up with the latest devel- Issues, Business, Science and Technology, Arts and Culture, opments. Qur’an Recitors, Media, Celebrities and Sports Stars, Radi- cals, and Issues of the Day). The Editors How to measure this influence is of course the most chal- lenging aspect of the publication, and the one where opin- ions diverge the most. Influence can sometimes be gauged on a quantitative basis; the number of people influenced, the amount of sales etc, but more often it is related to the qualitative and lasting effect of that influence. The achieve- ments of a lifetime are given more weight than achieve- ments within the current year. This means that our lists of 3 � Introduction � Prof. S. Abdallah Schleifer uch of the Arab portion of the Islamic King, Al-Malik, (20:114; 23:116; 59:23; 62:1); the world has undergone either significant King of the Day of Judgement (1:4); the King of the changes in its political leadership and Humankind (114:2), and the Owner of Kingship (as of publishing time) significant violence (3:26). Sovereignty is in His Hand (67:1; 2:107; 5:40; 7:158; 9:116 et al); He has no partner in Sovereign- between Muslims in Libya, Yemen and Syria in ty (17:111), and yet He gives it to whom He pleases which non-violent protests turned, for various (3:26). Kingship is moreover a gift from God (3:26) reasons, into armed struggle against those in and a grace (5:20); and it is further ‘strengthened’ authority—be they legitimate or illegitimate; by Him (38:20). He has given it to the descendents of the Prophet Abraham m(5:54). Indeed, it or were simply crushed by overpowering state first came as a result the supplication of a Prophet violence; as in the case of Bahrain. (Samuel )e(2:224–247; see also 38:35) in order that Children of Israel might defend themselves. It came with the Sakinah (God’s Peace) as Divine Sign The prevailing criteria for ‘Most Influential’ has reflected confirming it (2:248). At least two Prophets (David the influence of Muslims asMuslims be they in Muslim and Solomon ) were kings (38:20; 25:15–17), countries or Muslim-minority communities, large (India) and God confirms in the Qur’an the hereditary or small (Europe and the Americas) though this is some- principle in monarchy (27:16). Moreover, another what less so in this year’s listings compared to 2010 and our Prophet (Joseph ) served a king as his Chief first edition, in 2009. Nevertheless prominence in political Minister (‘al-aziz’—12:88), and he himself thus had and religious affairs (particularly when political legitimacy ‘something of monarchy’ (12:101). Moreover, it is overlaps with religious factors) remains, but the actual list- extremely significant to note that the (good) king ings in these categories have been affected by the dramatic of Egypt whom Joseph served is always called events referred to as ‘The Arab Spring’. ‘king’, ‘al-malik’ (12:43 et al) in the Holy Qur’an, Our listings do tend towards a more traditional under- whereas the (evil) king of Egypt who rejected Moses standing of Islam than either Islamists (politically engaged s(2:49 et al.) is always called ‘Pharaoh’, ‘fir’awn’. fundamentalists) or modernists would have it (see: The House of Islam for the editors’ understanding of Traditional Similarly, in the Seerah [the biography of the Islam), which means that considerations of what consti- Prophet Muhammad ], the Prophet Muhammad tutes legitimate political rule does, to a degree, impact our sent his cousin Ja’far to seek to the ‘just king’ of ordering of the most influential in the political and reli- Abyssinia (see: Tafsir Al-Tabari, vol.9, p.249 on 8:39, gious domains, but not exclusively so. And because of the and Tafsir Ibn Kathir, vol. 2, p.311 on 8:39). The importance of ‘The Arab Spring’ in all its convoluted mani- Prophet Muhammad also confirmed the king- festations, our introduction to this year’s listings is inescap- ship of all those kings who entered Islam (such as ably far more ‘political’ in concern than would ordinarily Himyar in the Yemen, Oman, and Bahrain), and be the case. even predicted that monarchy would be in his The traditional Islamic political philosophy of monarchy tribe, the Quraysh (106:1–3): ‘Kingship is from is summarised by Ghazi bin Muhammad as follows: within Quraysh ….’ (Narrated by Al-Tirmithi in Kitab al-Manaqib, Bab Fadl al-Yameen, no. 3936.) ‘Traditional, Orthodox Islam has always endorsed Indeed, the first four Caliphs—the Prophet’s monarchy as such. In the Holy Qur’an, God is the successors—were all kinsmen of the Prophet , in various degrees, from Quraysh (the Prophet 4 having no sons, nor brothers, nor nephews), in monarchy was thought of as the best—and perhaps addition to being either his fathers-in-law (Abu only conceivable—form of government because it Bakr and ‘Umar) or his sons-in-law (‘Uthman and can best deliver justice and adherence to God’s laws. ‘Ali, the latter being, in addition his paternal first Islamic Monarchy, moreover, whilst not democratic cousin). In fact, the central point of contention be- as such in the modern sense of ultimate power be- tween Islam’s two great denominations (Sunni and ing derived and delivered through universal suf- Shi’a) is whether all Quraysh or only the Prophet’s frage, nevertheless makes participative consultation own descendents through his daughter the Lady (shura) of experts, the learned and the wise (16:43; Fatimah and his cousin ‘Ali should succeed him.