the 500 most influential muslims - The Royal Islamic Strategic ...

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MAULANA MAHMOOD MADANI
Secretary General of Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind, India
Maulana Mahmood Madani, a leading Islamic scholar and
politician in India, has gained influence for his forthright
condemnations of terrorism and unfaltering support of the
Indian Muslim community.
Religio-Political Heavyweight
Madani has served as secretary general of the Jamiat Ulemae-Hind,
or Organization of Indian Scholars—one of the most
prominent Islamic organizations in India. Madani has been
outspoken in his opposition to the misuse of the term jihad
as a tool of terrorism in India. Following fatal bomb blasts in 2008, he and others of the Darul
Uloom Deoband institution hosted events condemning terrorism as inherently un-Islamic.
Defender of the Faith
As a respected political leader and Islamic scholar of India, Madani represented the Jamiat
Ulema-e-Hind and the esteemed community of scholars at Deoband when he addressed the
Pakistani government, and Pakistani High Commissioner Shahid Malik in particular, in an open
letter regarding his remarks in December 2008 at the UN Security Council about terrorism
stemming from 'mullas in Deoband'. As a firm opponent of terrorism, he is steadfast in his
advocacy of non-violence.
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SHEIKH HABIB 'ALI ZAIN AL ABIDEEN AL JIFRI
Director General of the Tabah Foundation, UAE
Tracing back his lineage to the family of 'Ali, the fourth
Caliph of Islam and cousin of the Prophet Muhammad,
Sheikh Habib 'Ali Zain al Abideen Al Jifri is a leading Islamic
scholar and prominent speaker across the Muslim
world. He is Director General of the Tabah Foundation
in the UAE, member of the board of Dar al Mustafa in
Yemen, member of the Royal Aal al Bayt Institute for Islamic
Thought in Jordan, and affiliated with various other
international Islamic organizations.
Country: India
Date of Birth: Not Available
Source of Influence: Scholarly,
Political, Administrative
Influence: 10 million Muslims
are members of Madani's
Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind
School of Thought: Traditional
Sunni, Deobandi
Country: United Arab Emirates
Date of Birth: 16 April 1971
Source of Influence: Scholarly,
Lineage, Philanthropy
Influence: Globally influential
through his teaching endeavors
in Yemen and across the world
School of Thought: Traditional
Sunni, Shafi'i, Ash'ari, Ba'Alawi
Sufi
Sufi Guide
As a Ba'Alawi Sufi, al Jifri is part of a tradition that has been based in Yemen for approximately
800 years and traces back to the Prophet Muhammad. He is influential as a Sufi spiritual guide
in the Muslim world, and Dar al Mustafa is an influential Islamic educational institution in
Yemen.
Educator
Al Jifri founded the privately-funded philanthropic organization Tabah Foundation for Islamic
Studies and Research in Abu Dhabi, a young non-profit institution that aspires to become a
formidable source of reputable work in Islamic research and thought.
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