Tinubu, Sultan of Sokoto, Sheik Zakzaky make prestigious list of 500 most influential Muslims

The annual publication of the Royal Islamic Strategic Studies Centre, Amman, Jordan, has listed President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Sultan of Sokoto and president-general of the Nigeria Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA), Muhammadu Sa’ad Abubakar III; Emir of Kano, Aminu Ado Bayero, and 12 other Nigerian Muslims among the ‘500 most influential Muslims’ in the world.

President Tinubu’s Islamic faith and whether he was a practising Muslim or not were subjects of discussion in the build-up to the 2023 general election in Nigeria.

The 15th edition of the list featured Director of Dar al-Mustafa in Yemen, Shaykh Habib ‘Umar bin Muhammad bin Salim bin Hafiz, as the world’s most influential Muslim leader followed by the King of Saudi Arabia, Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, as the second most influential Muslim while the Supreme Leader of Islamic Republic of Iran, Grand Ayatollah Hajj Sayyid Ali Khamenei, is number three.

The National Missioner and Chief Imam of Ansar Ud-Deen Society of Nigeria, Sheikh Abdur-Rahman Ahmad, who has prominently featured in the list since 2016 when he joined the league, was also listed.

This is just as it puts the World’s Muslim population at 2,074,718,394.

The publication highlights people who are influential as Muslims and how they have been able to, through their influence, benefit the community both within the Islamic world and in terms of representing Islam to non-Muslims.

Apart from Sultan of Sokoto and Ibrahim Saleh Al-Hussaini, the head of the Supreme Council for Fatwa and Islamic Affairs in Nigeria, who were listed in the first 50, emerging numbers 18 and 45 respectively, other 450 were categorised under Scholarly; Administration of Religious Affairs; Preachers and Religious Guides; Social Issues; Business and Philanthropy, Charity and Development, among others.

In Nigeria, President Tinubu, who is a new entrant, was listed under the political leaders’ category while businessman and President of Dangote Group of Companies, Aliko Dangote, the only Nigerian listed in the Business Category, emerged number 162 most influential Muslim leader.

Other Nigerians listed in the publication are 14th Emir of Kano and the Grand Khalifa of the Tijjaniyah Order, Muhammadu Sanusi II; Secretary General of NSCIA and Registrar of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), Prof. Ishaq Olanrewaju Oloyede; Ado Bayero and Sheikh Ahmad, who were listed in the category of administration of religious affairs.

The leader of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria (IMN), Sheikh Ibraheem Zakzaky, was listed in the scholarly category.

Others listed are Sheikh Dahir Usman Bauchi; Imam Muhammad Ashafa; HE Ibrahim Saleh Al-Hussaini; Sheikh Yakubu Musa Katsina and Sheikh Professor Ibrahim Ahmad Maqari.