Posts in category: Service to Islam

The university began with the Faculty of Sharia and Islamic Studies and gradually expanded until it reached twenty-two colleges, and three specialized centers.

The number of students now at the university has reached fifteen thousand and one hundred and ninety-one law students. The students’ body is 50 % Africans, 25% Asians and European, and 25% Sudanese.

The University is considered as the largest Sunni religious institution in sub-Saharan Africa. The university has fifteen colleges outside Sudan in Africa, China, and Turkey. In order to expand the scope of knowledge, culture, and advocacy, the University has established the Radio Africa station and the Al-Alamiya satellite channel.

The International African University has become a prominent foundation for Islamic sciences in the African continent. It has brought together most Muslim scholars in seminars and conferences and has become a role model for Islamic colleges and universities in Nigeria, Tanzania, Uganda, and Kenya.

The University got a medal of achievement from the Republic of Sudan and the award for the scientific miracles in the Qur’an and the Sunnah in the science fields from Al-Azhar and several other awards.

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

Irwandi Jaswir majored in Food Technology and Human Nutrition at Bogor Agriculture University (IPB), Indonesia, and received his bachelor’s degree in 1993. He conferred a Master’s of Science in Food Science and Biotechnology in 1996, and a Ph.D. in Food Chemistry and Biochemistry in 2000 at Universiti Putra Malaysia. In the years 1998 to 1999, Universiti Putra Malaysia granted him the opportunity to participate in the Ph.D. exchange program at the Department of Food, Nutrition and Health of the University of British Columbia (UBC), Canada. He continued his pursuit of knowledge at a Diploma in Islamic Revealed Knowledge at the International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM) in 2003. Then, he obtained a fellowship in Lipid Biochemistry at the National Food Research Institute in Tsukuba, Japan, 2006-2008.

With his present appointment as the Deputy Dean for Academic, Research, and Publication at INHART at the International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM), Professor Jaswir was appointed various administrative and academic positions, including, a Secretary of IIUM Council of Professors from 2014 to present, a Senior Professor of Food Chemistry and Biochemistry at IIUM from 2015 to present, and the Chairman of the Korean-INHART Halal Certification Authority in Korea from 2016 to present.

Professor Irwandi Jaswir’s contributions to the Islamic World has uniquely carved an edge in the development of scientific knowledge by establishing and developing a new discipline termed “Halal Science”. This cutting-edge research reveals a significant relationship between Halal and Haram in Islamic jurisprudences and science. Through this new discipline, he is in a position to incorporate Halal Science as a tool to complement the opinions held by Fiqh scholars.

Professor Jaswir dedication to scientific research is shown in the publication of over 120 articles in scientific journals, 30 Book Chapters, completed over 30 research projects, and presented more than 250 papers in International Conferences. He is a member of the Editorial Board of many reputable scientific journals. Professor Jaswir’s achievement and dedication in the scientific research of Halal Science culminated with receiving 60 international awards and honors.

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

Salman Bin Abdulaziz grew up in Riyadh and received his early tutelage at the hands of many religious scholars and shaikhs. At the same time, he benefited from the close attention and guidance of King Abdulaziz, the founder of Saudi Arabia, who provided to his children a personally monitored education. He received a formal education at Riyadh-based Princes’ School, where he studied religion and modern sciences. He also completed the reading of the holy Qur’an, an achievement celebrated by his school in 1945.

King Salman was appointed in 1954 as a Deputy Governor of Riyadh Region when he was just nineteen years of age. In 1955, a Royal Decree was issued appointing him Governor of Riyadh Region. In 2011, he was decreed as a Minister of Defense; and in 2012, a Royal Decree was issued appointing him a Crown Prince, a Deputy Premier, and a Defense Minister. In 2015, the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman Bin Abdulaziz, was proclaimed King of Saudi Arabia.

King Salman Bin Abdulaziz accords tremendous consideration to humanitarian and cultural issues both inside and outside Saudi Arabia, and sponsored numerous cultural projects. Among the institutions and cultural/social societies, which he chairs, are the Board of Directors of King Abdulaziz Foundation for Research and Archives and King Fahad National Library. He has also chaired the High Commission for Development of Riyadh and the High Executive Committee for the Development of Dir’iya. He is also an Honorary President of the Charitable Society for Memorization of the Holy Quran in Riyadh Region. Besides, King Salman headed several humanitarian societies and commissions whose activities extend beyond Saudi Arabia. These include the Donations Committee for Distressed Inhabitants of Suez in 1956, the Principal Committee for Donations to Algeria in 1956, the Public Donations Committee for Jordanian Martyrs’ Families in 1967, the Public Relief Committee for Pakistani Sufferers during the India-Pakistan war in 1973, the Popular Committee for Supporting the War Effort in Egypt in 1973, and the Popular Committee for Supporting the War Effort in Syria in 1973.

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

Saleh Bin Homaid completed his high school education in Makkah Al-Mukarramah in and graduated in 1972 from the College of Sharia in Umm Al-Qura University in Makkah, where he continued his post-graduate studies and obtained a Master’s degree in Islamic Fiqh (Jurisprudence) and its Principles, and a Doctorate degree in Fiqh Sharia and its Principles in 1976 and 1981, respectively.

Then, he joined the academic staff of Umm Al-Qura University for a number of years during which he became a Chairman of the Islamic Economy Department, a Director of the Higher Islamic Studies Center, a Vice Dean of the Sharia College for Post-Graduate Studies, and the Dean of the College.

His Eminence Shaikh Bin Homaid was appointed as a Vice President of the Affairs of the Two Holy Mosques and a member of the Consultative (Shourah) Council. In 2000, he was appointed as a President General of the Affairs of the Two Holy Mosques and President of the Consultative Council the following year. He was also appointed as a President of the Supreme council of Justice from 2009 to 2012, and thereafter as an Advisor at the Royal Court. He is also the Grand Imam of the Holy Mosque in Makkah, a Member of the Commission of Senior Religious Scholars, the President of the Jeddah-based International Islamic Fiqh Academy of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, a Member of the Supreme Council of Mosques of the Islamic World League, the Sharia Committee of the International Islamic Relief Commission, and the Higher Authority for the Development of Makkah, in addition to serving as a teacher at the High Institute for Justice and a teacher and Mufti at the Holy Mosque in Makkah.

Some of his Eminence Shaikh Bin Homaid’s publication in service to Islam are: Mafhoom Al-Hikmah Fi Al-Da’wah, Risalah Fi Al-Athan, Al-Ta’awoun Bain Al-Dua’at, Al-Ria’yah Al-Ejtima’yah Fi Al-Islam, and Al-Haq Fi Al-Fiqh Al-Islami.

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

Zakir Naik attended St. Peter’s High School in Mumbai and the Kishinchand Chellaram College before joining Topiwala National Medical College and Nair Hospital and the University of Mumbai, attaining his bachelor’s degree in Medicine and Surgery (MBBS). He is a renowned non-Arabic Islamic scholar, public orator, and an acclaimed authority on comparative religion. Dr. Zakir Naik is the President of the Islamic Research Foundation in India.

Dr. Naik’s dedicated efforts in the field of Islamic Dawah (Call) date back to 1991, when he established and led the Islamic Research Foundation (IRF) of India. He then founded the Islamic International School in Mumbai and the United Islamic Aid, which provides scholarship to poor and destitute Muslim youth. Another significant achievement of Dr. Naik was establishing Al-Salam television channel (Peace TV), the only channel in the world specialized in comparative religion. Naik’s vast religious knowledge is not limited to one faith but to several other religions. He has even established a specialized organization for comparative religious studies and organized several training courses for scholars of this field worldwide.

Many of Dr. Naik’s lectures and debates are recorded and widely distributed in video and DVD media, booklets, and online. His talks are also broadcast on cable networks in Mumbai’s Muslim areas, and on the Peace TV channel. Topics he speaks on include: “Islam and Modern Science”, “Islam and Christianity”, and “Islam and secularism”. Many of his speeches and debates have also focused on correcting misconceptions about Islam in the minds of some Muslim youth. He exerted strenuous efforts to counter anti-Islamic sentiment in the Western media following the September 11, 2001 attacks in the United States. Not only did he emphasize that Islam is a religion of reason and logic, but also that the Holy Quran contains hundreds of verses relating to science. His passionate defense of Islam has contributed to the conversion of about 34,000 Americans to Islam from September 2001 to July 2002.

Dr. Naik’s remarkable accomplishments have been recognized by prestigious awards and honors. In 2004, he was awarded an honorary doctorate degree (Doctor of Humane Letters) by the University of the Gambia. In 2013, the Malaysian Head of State presented him with the Distinguished International Personality Award. In the same year, he received the Al-Sharjah Award for Voluntary Work from the Ruler of Al-Sharjah, and the 2013 Islamic Personality Award for World Peace from the Ruler of Dubai. In 2014, the President of Gambia awarded him the Insignia of the Commander of the National Order of the Republic of Gambia.

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

Ahmed Lemu received his early education at the Quranic School in 1932, followed by the elementary school in 1939, then the intermediate school (currently the Government College) in Lemu, from which he obtained his intermediate school certificate in 1948. Thereafter, he joined the School of Sharia Law (currently the School of Arabic Studies) in Lemu from which he obtained Middle in 1950 and High in 1952 Teachers’ Certificates (Level Two) in Arabic Language, Islamic Studies, Shari’a Jurisdiction, and General Education. In 1954, he went to the United Kingdom to study  at London University’s School of African and Oriental Studies. He obtained the certificate of General Education (Advanced Level) in History, Arabic, Hausa, and Persian Languages in 1961, and a Bachelor’s Degree (Honors) in African and Oriental Studies in 1964.

Dr. Shaikh Ahmed Lemu served in the field of education for more than half a century, during which he undertook various teaching and educational responsibilities. He started as a teacher of Arabic language, English language and Islamic studies at the Government Secondary School in Bida between 1953 and 1960. In 1960, he became a senior teacher of Arabic Language, Islamic Studies, and Education, and a supervisor at the School of Arabic Studies in Kano, then a Director of the school and a Deputy Director of Government Secondary Education in 1965. He became a Dean of the Arabic Teachers’ College in 1966, a Senior Inspector of Education in 1970, and a Chief Inspector of Education for Sokoto State in North West Nigeria between 1971 and 1973. He also served as a Technical Director in 1974-1975 and a Director of Educational Planning in 1975-1976 in the State. In 2009, he was appointed as a Consultant at Fountain University in Osogbo, Nigeria.

In addition to his major role in teaching and education, Dr. Shaikh Ahmed Lemu has also served in the Judiciary, first as a Sharia judge at the Court of Appeals in the States of Sokoto and Niger in 1976–1977, then as a Chief Sharia Judge at the Court of Appeals in Niger State in 1976–1991. Dr. Shaikh Ahmed Lemu has also made significant contributions towards official efforts pertaining to security, reconciliation, and dialogue during security challenges in Northern Nigeria. He was a member of the Nigerian Council of Religions, a Presidential Council for Youth Development, a Presidential Experts Committee for National Security, and various other national committees and councils.

His Eminence Dr. Shaikh Ahmed Lemu was a renowned Islamic scholar, known and respected by West African Muslims and throughout the Islamic world. He was a composed intellectual, a devout Muslim and an advocate of moderation, justice, and open-mindedness. He was also a strong supporter of women’s rights. His relentless efforts to advance Islamic education, development and Dawah (call to Islam) are evident from his publications, countless lectures, seminars, and classes, and active participation in national, regional, and international Islamic conferences and events. He was a member of several international Islamic organizations worldwide, and an author and editor of many books and school references which aim, along with his lecturers and classes, to promote and re-enforce the proper understanding of Islam and expand knowledge of the Islamic creed. He was also known for his deep involvement in Islamic humanitarian activities. He was the Founder and President of the Islamic Education Trust in Nigeria, and a member of several other humanitarian societies and endowments that serve Muslims in his country.

Dr. Shaikh Ahmed Lemu’s immense contributions have earned him several prizes and accolades, including, among others, the Prize of Merit from the Government of Niger State in 1991; the Nigerian National Order by former Nigerian President Abdulsalami AbuBakrr in 1999 and former Nigerian President Obasanjo in 2001; an Honorary Doctorate Degree from Uthman Danfodiyo University in 1996; an Honorary Doctorate Degree from Osogbo University in 2011, and an Honorary Doctorate Degree from Al-Hilal University in 2013.

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

Raed Salah completed his primary, middle, and high school education in Umm Al-Faham before moving to the Islamic University in Galilee, from which he received a bachelor’s degree in Islamic Sharia. He descends from a Palestinian family that refused to leave its homeland following the occupation of Palestine in 1948. He is the Chairman of the Islamic Movement in the occupied Palestinian territories of 1948, the Supreme Council for Islamic Da’wa, and Al-Aqsa Society for Restoration of Revered Islamic Shrines and the Islamic Relief Foundation. A highly respected Islamic personality, Shaikh Salah remains a relentless fighter against aggression towards Palestinians and their Holy shrines.

Shaikh Raed Salah emerged as an Islamic activist from an early age and worked in the field of Islamic Dawah since his years in high school. He was one of the founding members of the Islamic Movement in Occupied Palestine during the 1970’s and an editor of Al-Sirat Al-Islami (Islamic Path) magazine. He was elected three times as a Chairman of Umm Al-Faham municipality before deciding to devote his entire time to his other responsibilities, particularly restoration and protection of Al-Aqsa mosque.

Shaikh Salah struggled unyieldingly to protect Islamic shrines from attempts to demolish or use them for other purposes. In August 2000, he was elected as a Chairman of Al-Aqsa Society for Restoration of Revered Islamic Shrines, which played a major role in defending mosques throughout Palestine and in exposing and challenging the construction of a tunnel under Al-Aqsa mosque. He also succeeded in averting Israeli plans to take over the mosque’s affairs from Muslims and organized the massive “Al-Buragh march” in which he led tens of thousands of worshippers to pray in the mosque. He also succeeded with his colleagues in restoring the Marawani praying quarters and opening its gates for worshippers, and in refurbishing, cleaning, and lighting the old Aqsa and constructing more ablution areas and restrooms for worshippers. He revived the historical “stairs classes,” especially Tuesday class in Al-Aqsa mosque, which is attended by about 5000 Muslims weekly. He contributed to the establishment of “Al-Aqsa Child Fund”, which fosters about 16000 Palestinian children. Besides, he organizes the annual event “Bait Al-Maqdis is in Danger” during the Holy month of Ramadan in which thousands of Palestinians in the occupied land participate. He also assists in organizing Al-Aqsa Scientific and Cultural Competition and in producing documentary films and books on Al-Aqsa mosque and the threats it is facing.

It was not surprising that Shaikh Salah’s activities as a Chairman of the Islamic Movement in Palestine have subjected him to considerable harassment by the occupying forces including arrests, assassination attempts, and periods of imprisonment. However, none of this dissuaded him from continuing his struggle in defending Al-Aqsa Mosque and other Islamic shrines in his country. In 2010, he also participated in the Turkish Freedom Flotilla carrying humanitarian aid in an attempt to break the maritime blockade on Gaza Strip. Israeli warships raided them, killing 16 and injuring more than 36 unarmed participants and took Shaikh Salah and others to the Port of Ashdod.

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

Sulaiman Al-Rajhi moved from Al-Bukayriyah in Al-Qassim to Riyadh as a child with his father and started working at the age of nine. After a few years of undertaking peripheral jobs, he joined his elder brother’s business in changing money for pilgrims taking camel caravans across the desert to Makkah to perform Hajj. In the mid 1950’s, he moved to Jeddah, where he started his own business in currency exchange with pilgrims. He was unprecedentedly successful in his business, and his wealth and investments grew and expanded vastly through the years. He is currently the principal stakeholder and the Chairman of Al-Rajhi bank, a mammoth Saudi company and the largest Islamic bank in the world. Besides, he owns large corporations investing in agriculture, animal production, industry, and construction. Today, his wealth is estimated at 7.7 billion dollars, making him the 120th richest person in the world according to Forbes magazine.

Shaikh Al-Rajhi is renowned for his strict adherence to Islamic principles in all his dealings and business activities, as well as his personal life. Despite his vast wealth, he leads a simple life. He is one of the world’s leading philanthropists, building mosques and homes for the poor, and supporting local and international charitable organizations. In 2011, he endowed more than 50% of his entire wealth for humanitarian purposes (and the rest for his family), and established a special foundation to monitor this endowment, maintain it, and ensure that it is spent on its intended purposes. Apart from his leading role in establishing the world’s largest and most venerable Islamic banking institution operating in accordance with Islamic teachings, Shaikh Al-Rajhi continues to contribute to humanitarian efforts to fight poverty. His humanitarian foundation also built a non-profit University in his hometown, Al-Bukayriyah, as a nucleus for a university soon to be announced. There are currently three health sciences colleges, as well as other academic institutions for developing Arabic and Islamic studies curricula in different languages and for teaching Arabic language to non-Arabic speakers, in addition to a charity hospital and a center for learning financial skills. Plans are currently underway to build a College of Economics and the Al-Rajhi Financial Center, as well as three large mosques in Hail, Makkah, and Al-Madinah, which, like his mosque in Riyadh, are built to accommodate thousands of worshippers and provide them with places for prayers, education, and seclusion. Shaikh Al-Rajhi hopes that these mosques will eventually be converted into universities. Through investment in major projects, Shaikh Sulaiman Al-Rajhi aims at providing food security and services to industry, construction and other sectors in his country. He also nurtures Quranic studies and provides Quranic memorization groups with financial support and prizes, in addition to printing hundreds of thousands of copies of the Holy Quran for free distribution worldwide, particularly in Africa. Shaikh Al-Rajhi also contributes to the development of Muslim communities through investment in those communities and strengthening of commercial relations with the Islamic world. Al-Rajhi Foundation will also pay attention to the development of highway services, such as gas stations and rest areas. Despite his age and extensive responsibilities, Shaikh Al-Rajhi still devotes some of his time for holding lectures and meetings with Saudi Muslim youth, explaining to them his remarkable personal experience, and urging them to indulge in private business.

In 2000, Shaikh Sulaiman Al-Rajhi was awarded the King Abdulaziz medal.

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

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.