The 500 Most Influential Muslims - The Royal Islamic Strategic ...

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Scholarly
IRAQ
fayadh, his eminence grand ayatollah mohammad ishaq
Grand Ayatollah Fayadh, originally from Afghanistan, is one of the four marjas of the Hawza
Seminary in Najaf, Iraq—one of the two most important seats of learning in Twelver Shi’ism.
Fayadh is known for his quietist approach to politics and is well-respected especially amongst the
Shi’a population of South Asia. It has been speculated that Fayadh is the frontrunner to succeed
Grand Ayatollah Ali al Sistani at the highest position of political and patriarchal leadership in Iraq.
hakim, his eminence grand ayatollah mohammed said
Grand Ayatollah Hakim is one of the four marjas of the Hawza Seminary in Najaf, Iraq, and
accordingly is one of Iraq’s most important Shi’a clerics. His family is very prominent in Iraq,
holding key positions in Shi’a social and religious organizations and also in government. Hakim
leads around 5 percent of the Iraqi Shi’a population. His influence stems partly from his relationship
to Grand Ayatollah Mohsen al Hakim, a former religious leader of the Twelver Shi’a in Iraq.
al najafi, dr al sheikh ali bashir [new]
Sheikh al Najafi is the son of Grand Ayatollah Bashir al Najafi and a leading Shi’a scholar in Iraq.
He often represents the Hawza Seminary at international conferences and serves as the spokesman
of the Grand Ayatollahs, who traditionally refrain from addressing the media individually.
al najafi, his eminence grand ayatollah bashir
Grand Ayatollah Bashir al Najafi is one of the four marjas of the Hawza Seminary in Najaf, Iraq,
and one of Iraq’s most powerful Shi’a clerics. As a marja of the Hawza in Najaf, Iraq’s premier Shi’a
institution, Najafi holds a position of immense authority. Najafi, originally from Pakistan, holds
less sway amongst Iraq’s population than the other marjas but has significant clout in South Asia.
al sadr, his eminence ayatollah al faqih seyyed hussein ismail
Ayatollah al Faqih Seyyed Hussein Ismail al Sadr is the most senior Shi’a cleric in Baghdad, Iraq.
He heads the Ayatollah Seyyed Hussain Ismail al Sadr Foundation Trust, which runs humanitarian,
development, and peace and reconciliation projects in Iraq. His role as a social leader and
humanitarian has increased significantly during the recent hostilities in Iraq.
JORDAN
khasawneh, his eminence sheikh abdul karim [new]
Sheikh Khasawneh was appointed by royal decree to the post of grand mufti of the Hashemite
Kingdom of Jordan in February 2010, upon the resignation of the former grand mufti, Sheikh Dr
Nuh Ali Salman al Qudah. Sheikh Khasawneh is the former mufti of the Jordanian Armed Forces.
al qudah, his eminence sheikh dr nuh ali salman
Sheikh al Qudah is the former grand mufti of Jordan and maintains influence in legal and religious
circles. He has held other notable positions in the past including Chief Islamic Justice of Jordan. He
is also formerly a religious leader in the Jordanian army with the rank of Major General in 1992.
LEBANON
Qabbani, His Eminence Dr Mohammad Rashid
Mohammad Rashid Qabbani is the grand mufti of Lebanon and hence the country’s leading Sunni
scholar. Qabbani speaks out regularly against sectarianism and violence.
MOROCCO
abdul-rahman, prof. dr taha
Abdul-Rahman is a Moroccan philosopher famous for his work in trying to create an ethical
humanistic modernism on the basis of the ethics and values of Islam. He has taught logic in
Muhammad V University for over 30 years. Abdul-Rahman has won the Moroccan Book Prize
twice, and was awarded the ISESCO Prize for Islamic Philosophy in 2006. He is the president of
the Wisdom Circle of Thinkers, Morocco, and a member of the International Union of Muslim
Scholars.