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

4
HIS MAJESTY KING ABDULLAH II BIN AL HUSSEIN
King of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan
King Abdullah II of Jordan has influence in Jordan and
around the world due to his lineage in the Hashemite
family, his custodianship of Jerusalem and activism
on various fronts—from freedom of the press and
reformed domestic policy to international diplomacy.
He is noted for having developed Jordan's free market
economy, arts and culture scene, as well as addressing
issues of homelessness and poverty in his reign as
King.
Country: Jordan
Date of Birth: 30 January 1962
Source of Influence: Political,
Lineage
Influence: Approximately 6.2
million Jordanians and outreach to
Traditional Islam
School of Thought: Traditional
Sunni
Prophetic Lineage
King Abdullah II is a member of the Hashemite family and the 42nd generation direct
descendant of the Prophet Muhammad through the lineage of the Prophet's grandson al
Hasan. The Hashemites, or Bani Hashem, link back to the tribe of Quraish. Hashem was
the name of the Prophet's great-grandfather. King Abdullah II is thus a member of the
Ahl al Bayt (the family of the Prophet Muhammad).
Ruling Dynasty
The Hashemite family ruled Mecca from 1201 CE to 1925 CE and other branches of the
family have ruled Mecca from 500 CE, when Qusayy, the grandfather of Hashem, became
Mecca's first King. His dynasty is the oldest ruling dynasty in the Islamic world, and the
second-oldest in the world, after that of Japan.
Custodian of Holy Sites in Jerusalem
As custodian of the Muslim holy sites in the city of Jerusalem, King Abdullah maintains
a unique prestige in the region.
Islamic Outreach
King Abdullah has proven influence at the forefront of a global intrafaith movement,
through the creation of the Amman Message, a call for greater intra-religions tolerance
and unity in Islam that was endorsed by representatives from all major Muslim groups
in 2004. He is also credited with the Royal Aal al Bayt Institute for Islamic Thought's
most authoritative website on Qur’an and tafsir or Qur’anic exegesis (Al-Tafsir.com).
An extensive resource for Islamic scholarship, Al-Tafsir.com includes Arabic texts from
over 90 commentaries of the Qur’an, Hadith texts, among other tools for research of the
Qur’anic sciences, with daily hits in the thousands. He is also noted for founding the new
World Islamic Sciences and Education University in Jordan (www.wise.edu.jo).
He is also lauded as an interfaith leader for the 2007 initiative, A Common Word—a
groundbreaking initiative in Christian-Muslim engagement (www.acommonword.
com).
Peace Activist
King Abdullah is the leading player in the dialogue for peace in Israel-Palestine. He has
constantly and openly called for a discussion on the negotiations toward a two-state
solution in the region since his ascension to the throne in 1999.
28