Monthly Archives: July 2013

Abdullah Ahmad Badawi earned a B.A. in Islamic Studies from the University of Malaya, and started in the Malaysian civil service in 1964. He left the civil service as a Deputy Secretary General of the Ministry of Culture, Youth & Sports to become a politician in 1978, and rose to become a Prime Minister of Malaysia 25 years later, in October 2003.

Abdullah held various positions in government, including a Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department, a Minister of Education, a Minister of Defense, a Minister of Foreign Affairs, a Minister of Home Affairs, and a Minister of Finance. Excelling in diplomacy and international relations, as a Prime Minister, Abdullah sought to improve bilateral and multilateral cooperation, actively leading (among others) the Association of South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN), Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) and Organisation of Islamic Conference (OIC) when Malaysia assumed the chair of these international organizations.

As Prime Minister, Abdullah introduced the concept of Islam Hadhari to guide development efforts in Malaysia and the wider Islamic world. This move towards progressive Islamic civilisation seeks to make Muslims understand that progress is enjoined by Islam. It is an approach that is compatible with modernity and yet firmly rooted in the noble values and injunctions of Islam. Islam Hadhari espouses ten fundamental principles which were accepted by Muslims and non-Muslims alike.

Abdullah focused on human capital development as a key pillar of his Administration. This went beyond merely strengthening lower and higher education in Malaysia, to enhancing mindsets and infusing ethical, moral, and religious values. Science and technology were further promoted, while innovation and creativity were pushed to the fore.

As a Chairman of the OIC, Abdullah waged a war against poverty and the lack of knowledge and development in the Muslim world. Besides emphasizing the enhancement of education in OIC countries, Malaysia sought to share its experience in national economy development by initiating a series of self help projects involving OIC Members and the Islamic Development Bank with the objective of increasing capacities in several poor member countries of the OIC. The immediate purpose was to generate income and provide employment, while the longer-term intention was to assist the OIC countries upgrade their governance and development efforts.

Abdullah also sought to provide an economic face to the OIC, in a bid to enhance trade, business, and investment linkages between Member countries. The World Islamic Economic Forum (WIEF), of which Abdullah is the founder patron, continues to be a significant gathering of government and business leaders from the Muslim world and beyond. International Halal fora and trade expositions, initiated by Malaysia, are now held regularly throughout the globe to advance Halal industries, for the benefit of the larger Ummah.

Abdullah stepped down as Prime Minister on 3 April 2009. He remains committed to pursuing development, promoting progressive Islam, and enhancing understanding between the Muslim and Western worlds. He is the Chairman of the Malaysian Institute of Islamic Understanding (IKIM), and a Patron of the Institute of Advanced Islamic Studies (IAIS) in Kuala Lumpur, which he established in 2009. He is the founding patron for the World Islamic Economic Forum. He holds several government advisory roles, including Malaysia’s regional growth corridors and Malaysia Airlines. Internationally, Abdullah is a member of the InterAction Council, a board member of the BOAO Forum for Asia (BFA) and the World Muslims Foundation, and the Chair of the Commonwealth Eminent Persons Group.

This biography was written in the year the prize was awarded.

Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s grandfather died in the war with Russians and Armenians in 1916. His family moved from Batumi (now Georgia) to Rize, a coastal city on the Black Sea, where he spent his childhood. The family returned to Istanbul, where Erdogan grew up in Kasim Paşa, one of the poorest areas of Istanbul. During his elementary and intermediate school years, he sold lemonade, watermelons, and sesame buns on the streets of Istanbul in order to earn some income and assist his father. He received his high school education in Imam Hatip religious school, and obtained a degree in economics and business from Aksaray School of Economics and Commercial Sciences (now the Faculty of Economics and Administrative Sciences at Marmara University). As a youth, he played football in a local club which is currently named after him.

Prime Minister Erdogan’s political career started by joining the Welfare Party under the leadership of Necmettin Erbakan in the late 1970’s. In 1980, a military coup in Turkey banned all political parties. When parties were reinstated in 1982, Erdogan resumed his activities within the Welfare Party, which nominated him for the mayorship of Istanbul, winning a landslide victory over his opponents in 1994. During his tenure, he reversed Istanbul municipality’s debts and enhanced its economic development, raised workers wages, and provided better health and social care for the people. In 1995, he became the president of the Welfare Party’s branch in Istanbul, and was elected to the party’s Central Committee in 1996. In 1998, the Turkish Constitutional Court ruled that the Welfare Party was against the Constitution, shutting it down on grounds of threatening secularism in Turkey and banning its founder, Erbakan, from politics. Erdogan lost his job as mayor of Istanbul and became an active speaker in demonstrations held by the banned party’s supporters. He was convicted of violating Kemalism and imprisoned after reading poetry during a public demonstration, translated as: “The mosques are our barracks; the domes are our helmets; the faithful are our soldiers, and our army is the protector of our faith.” The judges also banned him from holding government posts and election to Parliament.

In 2001, Erdoğan formed the Justice and Development Party, which won the 2003 elections. This made it possible to amend the Constitution, thus enabling Erdogan to become Turkey’s Prime Minister on March 14, 2003. During his premiership, he set a remarkable example of judicious leadership in the Islamic world. His numerous accomplishments include a series of major economic, social and cultural reforms in Turkey that quickly established him as a statesman of enormous dimension, while his positions on various Islamic and global issues, particularly the rights of the Palestinian people, gained him admiration and respect throughout the Islamic world. During his premiership, Erdogan was able to lift his country from economic recession, reduce its debts, attract foreign investors and accomplish an economic growth of 7.3%. He was also able to introduce judiciary reforms and, particularly, a radical social security and health reform package whereby every one under the age of 18 will be entitled for free health care while the retirement age will be gradually increased to 65. In 2008, he introduced a law that prohibits all kinds of smoking in public areas. Erdoğan also instituted several democratic reforms, including major steps towards solving the chronic conflict with Kurds. He offered partial amnesty to Kurdish activists, allowed the use of Kurdish language in public media and restored original names of Kurdish cities and other Kurdish cultural rights.

In foreign policy, Prime Minister Erdogan succeeded in normalizing relations with Greece and signed an agreement with that country’s leaders to create a Combined Joint Operational Unit to participate in Peace Support Operations. He also took a series of successful steps towards reconciliation with Armenia and met numerous times with its President. In particular, he maintained strong diplomatic and trade relationships with Arab and Islamic countries. Erdogan also took important steps towards Turkey’s accession to the European Union.

Prime Minister Erdoğan was widely recognized nationally and internationally by numerous awards for his outstanding achievements and reforms. The European Voice Organization named him “The European of the Year in 2004” while Time magazine listed him twice as one of the “100 most influential people in the world.” In addition, he was awarded fifteen honorary doctorate degrees. While his unyielding position on various Islamic and global issues has gained him the respect of the entire Islamic nation and the rest of the world.

Nationally, Erdogan has pioneered a major campaign of economic, social, and cultural reforms that paved the way for substantial national development and placed Turkey among the world’s leading countries, economically and industrially, without compromising his ideals of democracy and justice. With the strong support of his citizens, he has also rendered an outstanding service to Islam by fiercely defending the rights and just causes of the Islamic nation, particularly the rights of the Palestinian people. At the global level, Erdogan was one of the Muslim founders of the call for understanding between civilizations, and a strong advocate of dialogue, peaceful co-existence, and international cooperation between different cultures throughout the world.

This biography was written in the year the prize was awarded.

Established by Shaikh Mahmoud Al-Sobki, the Principal Shari’a Society for Cooperation Between Quran and Sunnah Scholars is a non-governmental institution dedicated entirely to the teachings of the Holy Quran and Sunnah and to the concept that the Islamic Da’wa should be practiced purely for Allah’s sake, afar from any worldly political aspirations. Over the past century, the Society evolved into a colossal charity with around 5000 chapters throughout Egypt, in addition to more than 50 institutes for Islamic preachers and Quranic Studies (in which some 20,000 students are enrolled), over 5000 mosques and 1150 offices for memorization of the Holy Quran (attended by about 70,000 male and female students). The Society also administers a special office for the affairs of some 7000 foreign students from 68 Islamic countries who needed financial assistance during their study at aAl-Azhar Islamic University in Egypt.

The present membership of the Society exceeds 400 scholars from Al-Azhar University, in addition to 2000 male and 200 female preachers applying a wide-range of activities organized by the society, such as preaching and teaching activities, weekly and monthly seminars, countrywide Dawah missions, publications (such as Al-Tibyan magazine), and the internet.

The Shari’a Society is also involved in extensive social and humanitarian activities. One of its leading programs is the Orphan Sponsorship Project. This project provides financial, educational, and health-care assistance and follows up to more than half a million orphaned children. The Society also assisted about 254,000 widows in finding income-generating work and contributed towards marriage costs of 40,000 orphaned females. In addition to the Orphan Project, the Society also sponsors 32,000 impoverished students in Egypt through 850 offices across the country. In its endeavor to fight ignorance and illiteracy, the Society also holds adult education classes; so far, it held nearly 1700 such classes from which 12,000 students graduated. The Society also opened several bakeries that provide bread free of charge to 1200 poor families in Egypt’s countryside, and established dozens of small animal production units as gifts to help improve the living conditions of some of the most needy of these families.

The Shari’a Society also established a system of 700 incubators for the management of premature infants and two, large, state-of-the-art hospitals for treatment of cancers and burns, as well as 40 renal dialysis units, a specialized center for medical imaging and another for laser diagnosis and treatment of eye diseases, three centers for gastroscopy and treatment of esophageal varices, and several centers for handicapped individuals. In addition, the Society launches biweekly medical missions i

n which leading physicians in various specialties participate in the diagnosis and treatment of diseases in rural Egypt. All medical services and treatments are provided free of charge or at nominal charges to financially disadvantaged Muslim and non-Muslim patients.

Being a member of the International Islamic Council for Dawah and Relief, the Shari’a Society contributes actively to international relief operations in financially under-developed Muslim countries, especially in Palestine where the Society donated medicines, medical equipments, field hospitals and some 1700 tons of food, blankets, and clothes at a total cost of 200 million dollars. In addition, the Society dispatched medical missions and relief materials to some parts of the Sudan, Niger, Seychelles, Mauritania, Somalia, Ethiopia, Indonesia (during the Tsunami), Bangladesh, Kashmir, and Lebanon (during the war).

This biography was written in the year the prize was awarded.

Abdullah Bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud received formal education in Riyadh schools, and education by a group of Islamic scholars. He supplemented his early education with extensive readings in history, culture, and politics. His close involvement for a long time in the Kingdom’s affairs has gained him a profound experience in administration and politics. He commanded the National Guard in 1962, transforming it into a modern military force as well as a cultural institution involved in preservation of national heritage. He became the Second Deputy premier in 1975, and the First Deputy Premier and Crown Prince in 1980. When King Fahd died in 2005, he succeeded him to the throne.

It was well-known about the King that he was courageous and loves reading and sports, especially horseback riding. He cared for education, talented students, and the connection between authentic heritage and modernism through the yearly Al-Jenadriyah cultural and heritage festival in Riyadh, besides his evident contributions in charity and philanthropy work.

This biography was written in the year the prize was awarded.

Mintimer Shaimiev studied mechanization at Kazan Institute of Agriculture, and served as an agricultural engineer, then as a Chief Engineer and a Manager of the District Association in Menzelisk, and subsequently as an Instructor and a Deputy Head of the Agricultural Department of the Tatar Regional Committee in Kazan. In 1969, at the age of 32, he was appointed a Minister of Land Reform and Water Management of the Tatar Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic (ASSR). From that time onward, he progressed rapidly through senior political positions, becoming a First Deputy Prime Minister in 1983 and a Chairman of the Council of Ministers of Tatar ASSR in 1985. In 1990, he was elected a Chairman of the Supreme Council of the Tatar ASSR, which adopted the Declaration of State Sovereignty, and in 1991, he became the first President of the Republic of Tatarstan.

His farsightedness and judicious policies have turned that country, with its multi-ethnic and multi-religious communities, into an oasis of social understanding, peace, and tolerance. His calm and stabilizing rule has been instrumental to the progress and economic and cultural development of Tatarstan. His accomplishments in different cultural, political, and international fields have led to his re-election for two more terms as President ending in March 2010, after which he decided that he did not want to be re-nominated for President. His other positions include membership of the Russian Federation State Council and co-chairmanship of the United Russia Party.

President Shaimiev’s distinguished services to Islam and Muslims are best exemplified by his efforts to revive Islamic culture and heritage, particularly in Kazan, the capital city of his country, and to disseminate Islamic knowledge and values among Tatarstan Muslims. His accomplishments include building more than 1000 mosques, many of which had been destroyed during previous eras, including 40 mosques in Kazan where only 4 mosques were left during the communist rule. His presidency also witnessed the inception of numerous Islamic schools, societies, and printing houses for the Holy Qur’an and major Islamic books, the establishment of the first Russian Islamic University, which teaches in Russian, Tatarian, and Arabic languages, and the inauguration of the Ghol Sharif mosque, a stunning work of Islamic architecture.

President Shaimiev received numerous prestigious awards and honors both at home and internationally.

This biography was written in the year the prize was awarded.

Yousef Al-Hadji received his formal education in Kuwaiti schools while pursuing religious studies under the tutelage of prominent Islamic educators at home. After working for a few years in ARAMCO, Saudi Arabia, he served in the Kuwaiti Ministry of Health and became the Director of Purchases, then a Deputy Minister of Health. During that period, he oversaw the establishment of the first government hospital in Kuwait and subsequently opened several others.

He also played a key role in the introduction of medical services in rural areas, and was a Founding Chairman of the Kuwaiti Red Cross. He became a Minister of Endowments and Islamic Affairs from 1976-1981, during which period he pursued the establishment of the Kuwaiti House of Finance; and the College of Shari’a (Islamic Law) in Kuwait University, while launching the Encyclopedia of Islamic Jurisprudence, a highly acclaimed resource of that subject. In 1984, he co-founded the International Islamic Charitable Organization (IICO) and became its President. This is a mammoth organization that provides humanitarian aid to impoverished and destitute people throughout the world, regardless of their race, creed, or nationality. Over the years, the IICO built a large number of hospitals, schools, orphanages, mosques, wells, and farms that benefited millions of underprivileged people, particularly in Africa and Asia.

The IICO and the Kuwaiti Red Cross are, however, not the only examples of Shaikh Al-Hadji’s lifelong commitment to Islamic charity and social reform. He also founded, co-founded, and directed many other philanthropic institutions in the Islamic World and internationally. He was the Chairman of the Kuwaiti Joint Commission for Relief, the Vice-President of the Kuwaiti House of Alms and the International Islamic Council for Dawah and Relief in Cairo, and a member of the Boards of Trustees of the Organization of Islamic Daawa (Sudan), the Islamic Foundation in Leicester (UK) and the Islamic Universities in Islamabad and Chittagong (Bangladesh) and formerly in Uganda and Niger. He was also a member of the Supreme Council for Mosques of the World Islamic League in Makkah, and the Board of Directors of Dubai Islamic Bank. He wrote several articles defending Islamic charity and explaining its impact on the fight against poverty, ignorance and disease in the world. Al-Hadji’s contributions to Islamic charity and education were recognized by several other medals, prizes, and honorary degrees.

This biography was written in the year the prize was awarded.

Salih Al-Husayyin graduated from the College of Shari’a in Riyadh in 1955, and obtained a master’s degree in legal studies from the Institute of Arabic Studies in Cairo in 1960. He also studied English and French languages. Shaikh Al-Husayyin started his career in teaching before becoming legal counsel to the Ministry of Finance, then a Chairman of the Saudi Disciplinary Commission and subsequently a State Minister and a Member of the Saudi Council of Ministers. He also served as a member of the Supreme Council for “Dawah” and Guidance in Saudi Arabia. He was the President of Al-Harameen Commission (The Two Holy Mosques) and a Chairman of King Abdulaziz Center for National Dialogue.

Shaikh Al-Husayyin played a prominent role in the field of Islamic Da’wa not only by preaching Islamic values of justice, equality, and righteousness, but also by emphasizing the moderate face of Islam and encouraging tolerance and understanding between Muslims and non-Muslims. He was a dedicated philanthropist and a founder of several local and international humanitarian institutions. An ardent supporter of education, the Shaikh had also served on the Supreme Councils of several Saudi Universities. He was an active intellectual and prolific writer, who has contributed profusely over the past 20 years to a better understanding of Islamic economics particularly on matters relating to Islamic banking in the light of contemporary economic thought. He was a strong advocate of the notions “the principal function of Islamic banking is dealing with money rather than dealing in money” and that “wealth should be utilized for the benefit of all rather than a certain class of people”.

Shaikh Al-Husayyin was a man of benevolence, respected by Muslims and non-Muslims throughout the world. His immense contribution to the service of Islam was matched only by his modesty, kindness, and self-denial.

This biography was written in the year the prize was awarded.

Ahmed Ali received BA degrees in commerce and law from Cairo University, a Master’s degree in public administration, and a Ph.D. in financial management from the USA. He held senior positions in the Saudi Government before being selected in 1975 as the first president of the Islamic Development Bank (IDB). His leadership has been instrumental for the development of the bank and the realization of its mission, namely promoting economic and social progress of member states and Muslim communities at large, without compromising the principles of Islamic laws.

During Dr. Ali’s more than 30 years of presidency of IDB, the bank flourished at an unprecedented rate, an ambitious infrastructure was completed, and numerous financial institutions were established within the Bank. Recognizing the importance of science and technology in socio-economic development, the IDB also provided significant assistance in the form of scholarship programs, and collaboration with, or support of, science and technology institutions in member states and Muslim communities worldwide.

Meanwhile, the IDB expanded its objectives to include assistance of Muslims at times of destitute and alleviation of poverty in Muslim communities. One of the greatest accomplishments in this respect is Saudi Arabia’s Project for the Utilization of Sacrificial Slaughtering. A staggering figure of more than half a million sheep is slaughtered each year within a few days during Hajj season, and in the past, this entire food was virtually wasted. Through collaboration between the Saudi Government and IDB – in which Dr. Ali plays a central role –, all of these animals are now slaughtered in modern facilities near Makkah, packed according to the highest international standards and flown to poverty stricken areas throughout the Muslim world. This project not only sets a model of sustainable Islamic philanthropy but also helps maintain a healthy environment.

Dr. Ali set an example of successful Islamic banking in modern times. He is a Board member of the Saudi Fund for Development and member of Higher Education Councils of several Saudi universities. Despite his immense responsibilities, he regularly shares his unique experience with others through his articles, lectures and working papers on Islamic economics, Islamic banking, and education.

This biography was written in the year the prize was awarded.

Al-Hariri Foundation is one of the most respected philanthropic organizations in the Arab and the Islamic worlds. Established in 1979 by the late Rafiq Al-Hariri 1944-2005 of Lebanon, the Foundation has branches in France, Britain, and the U.S.A.

Al-Hariri Foundation is best known for its passionate support of education, Islamic institutions, and general social welfare in Lebanon, and for contributing substantial resources to relief efforts and reconstruction in that country in the aftermath of the Lebanese civil war.

It is a non-partisan, non-sectarian, and not-for-profit organization, originally formed in Sidon under the name of “The Islamic Institute for Culture and Higher Education” then re-named “Al-Hariri Foundation” and its Headquarters moved to Beirut, with branches in several Lebanese regions. In its endeavors to promote national unity and moderation among the Lebanese,

it has – over the past 25 years – built and financially supported schools, technical colleges, mosques, orphanages, hospitals, and facilities for the elderly and the disabled throughout Lebanon.

The Foundation’s role in the advancement of education and conservation of Islamic architecture and culture is further evidence of its commitment to the Lebanese people. The Foundation has restored and refurbished several historic buildings in Lebanon, including mosques in Baalbek, Sidon, and Sur (Tyre).

To help build human resources to meet Lebanon’s current and future needs, Al-Hariri Foundation has assisted in the education or training of nearly 35,000 Lebanese students, including some 4000 engineers, 1500 physicians and more than 835 Ph.D. students, regardless of their religion or political affiliation. Hundreds of postgraduate students supported by the Foundation have completed their studies at leading universities and colleges in the West. The Foundation has also supported some educational, social, medical, and scientific centers in other countries.

This biography was written in the year the prize was awarded.

Abdulrahman Al-Thahab received military education in Sudan, U.K., U.S.A., Egypt, and Jordan and served for more than 30 years in the Sudanese armed forces, and became a Chief Commander and a Minister of Defense in his country. At the height of a political turmoil that threatened to break down Sudan in 1985, he took control over the country for one year, during which he organized general elections and turned over power to a democratically elected government. From that time onward, he dedicated his time and energy to Islamic Da’wa and charity. His relentless pursuit of the welfare of Muslims soon established him as one of the most respected personalities in the Islamic and Arab worlds. As a Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Islamic Da’wa Organization in Khartoum, Abdulrahman Al-Thahab was credited for the glaring achievements of that organization, including the construction of hundreds of schools, charity clinics, childcare centers, orphanages, mosques, and wells in impoverished parts of the Islamic World.

Field Marshall Abdulrahman Al-Thahab was also the Deputy President of the World Council for Islamic Da’wa in Cairo, the International Islamic Organization in Kuwait, and Al-Quds International Organization, and a founding and an honorary member of several Islamic and international organizations that carried our relief operations in Bosnia, Chechnya, Azerbaijan, Palestine, and Somalia. He was also actively involved in reconciliatory efforts in Somalia and Southern Sudan and in an international peace delegation seeking to end war between Iraq and Iran.

In Sudan, Abdulrahman Al-Thahab also served as a Chairman of both the National Fund for Peace and the Board of Trustees of Kordofan University. He founded the East Nile University College and was one of the founders of Ahliyya University in Omdurman. He received an honorary doctorate from Kordofan University.

This biography was written in the year the prize was awarded.