By Yusuf Boluwatife
Nigeria’s President, Muhammadu Buhari has been said to be one of the most powerful Muslims in the world.
The Royal Islamic Strategic Studies Center, a non-governmental research institute, stated this in the 12th edition of its annual list of influential Muslims across the globe.
Every year, the Amman-headquartered center publishes the names of 500 of the world’s most influential Muslims. There are approximately 1.9 billion Muslims in the world today, making up to 26% of the world population or even over one-quarter of mankind.
According to the Islamic institute, people whose names are featured on the list, respective of their countries are personalities who has a sense of belonging to the “Ummah”, the worldwide Muslim community.
“Anyone who is culturally, ideologically, financially, politically or otherwise empowered to make significant change on the Muslim world will possibly make the list of top influential Muslims.”
“The selection of this people doesn’t mean we endorse their views and opinions, rather we are only measuring their influence,” it explained in a statement.
The center named Buhari 16th most powerful Muslim figure in the world. Other leaders in Nigerians that made the list include, Sultan Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar III; the Emir of Kano, Aminu Ado Bayero; business mogul and Africa’s richest man, Aliko Dangote and detained Shiite leader, El-Zakzaky
Also on the list are Liverpool strikers–Mohammed Salah, Sadio Mane, Paul Pogba, Zinedine Zidane.
Other prominent leaders featured on the list include President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, President of the Republic of Turkey. HM King Salman bin Abdul-Aziz Al-Saud, King of Saudi Arabia, Custodian of the Two holy mosques. HE Grand Ayatollah Hajj Sayyid Ali Khamenei, and Suprême Leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran, HM King Abdullah II bn Al-Hussien.
