the 500 most influential muslims - The Royal Islamic Strategic ...
the 500 most influential muslims - The Royal Islamic Strategic ...
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his Majesty sultan haji hassanal bolkiah<br />
Mu'izzaddin waddaulah<br />
Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam<br />
<strong>The</strong> Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei<br />
Darussalam, His Majesty Haji Hassanal Bolkiah<br />
Mu'izzaddin Waddaulah is one of <strong>the</strong> richest men in<br />
<strong>the</strong> world. He is <strong>the</strong> 29th Sultan of one of <strong>the</strong> oldest<br />
dynasties in existence today. Brunei is a country with<br />
a population of approximately 398,000 on <strong>the</strong> north<br />
coast of <strong>the</strong> island of Borneo in Sou<strong>the</strong>ast Asia.<br />
House of Bolkiah<br />
His Majesty Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah<br />
Mu'izzaddin Waddaulah descends from <strong>the</strong> House<br />
of Bolkiah, which traces back to Sultan Bolkiah, <strong>the</strong><br />
fifth Sultan of Brunei (who ruled from 1485-1524<br />
CE). <strong>The</strong> House of Bolkiah is <strong>the</strong> longest reigning Sunni Muslim <strong>Royal</strong> House in Brunei.<br />
Modernizer<br />
Early in his sultanate, Sultan Bolkiah launched <strong>the</strong> country into a more active role on <strong>the</strong><br />
global stage by aligning Brunei with <strong>the</strong> Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN).<br />
Recently, he has used ASEAN as a vehicle for streng<strong>the</strong>ning relations between Brunei and<br />
<strong>the</strong> region's o<strong>the</strong>r countries—through youth and cultural exchange programs as well as<br />
dialogue on environmental and economic development. Sultan Bolkiah is also credited<br />
with bringing <strong>the</strong> country in to be a member state of <strong>the</strong> United Nations.<br />
Administrative Influence<br />
Sultan Bolkiah has been lauded for attempts at slowly democratizing <strong>the</strong> country's<br />
governance, while at <strong>the</strong> same time consolidating royal authority. Beginning in <strong>the</strong> early<br />
nineties Sultan Bolkiah began trying to streng<strong>the</strong>n <strong>the</strong> role of Islam through <strong>the</strong> notion of<br />
Melayu Islam Beraja (or Malay <strong>Islamic</strong> Monarchy). Dating back to 100 CE and established<br />
in <strong>the</strong> 5th century, Melayu Islam Beraja links Malay identity, Islam, and <strong>the</strong> monarchy as an<br />
official ideology. Sultan Bolkiah announced <strong>the</strong> change in philosophy on 1 January 1984,<br />
on Brunei's day of independence. Although a small percentage of Brunei's population<br />
adheres to religions o<strong>the</strong>r than Islam, <strong>the</strong> official ideology is tolerant and inclusive of<br />
non-Muslims. <strong>The</strong> Sultan is also an important donor to <strong>the</strong> Organization of <strong>the</strong> <strong>Islamic</strong><br />
Conference.<br />
68<br />
Country: Brunei Darussalam<br />
Date of Birth: 15 July 1946<br />
Source of Influence: Political,<br />
Administrative<br />
Influence: Leader of<br />
approximately 398,000 citizens of<br />
Brunei<br />
School of Thought: Traditional<br />
Sunni, Shafi'i