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The 100 Greatest Muslims
Everett Jenkins' 2022 Version
1. The Prophet Muhammad
Muhammad ibn Abdullah was an Arab religious, social, and political leader and the founder of the world religion of Islam. According to Islamic doctrine, Muhammad was a prophet, divinely inspired to preach and confirm the monotheistic teachings of Adam, Abraham, Moses, Jesus, and other prophets. He is believed to be the final prophet of God in all the main branches of Islam, though the modern Ahmadiyya movement diverges from this belief. Muhammad united Arabia into a single Muslim polity, with the Qur'an as well as his teachings and practices forming the basis of Islamic religious belief.
Muhammad was born around 570 CC in Mecca. He was the son of Abdullah ibn Abd al-Muttalib and Amina bint Wahb. His father Abdullah was the son of Quraysh tribal leader Abd al-Muttalib ibn Hashim, and he died a few months before Muhammad's birth. His mother Amina died when he was six, leaving Muhammad an orphan. He was raised under the care of his grandfather, Abd al-Muttalib, and paternal uncle, Abu Talib. In later years, he would periodically seclude himself in a mountain cave named Hira for several nights of prayer. When he was 40, Muhammad reported being visited by Gabriel in the cave and receiving his first revelations from God. In 613, Muhammad started preaching these revelations publicly, proclaiming that "God is One", that complete "submission" (islam) to God is the right way of life (din), and that he was a prophet and messenger of God.
Muhammad's followers were initially few in number, and experienced hostility from Meccan polytheists for 13 years. To escape ongoing persecution, Muhammad sent some of his followers to Abyssinia in 615, before he and his followers migrated from Mecca to Medina (then known as Yathrib) later in 622. This event, the Hijra, marks the beginning of the Islamic calendar, also known as the Hijri Calendar. In Medina, Muhammad united the tribes under the Constitution of Medina. In December 629, after eight years of intermittent fighting with Meccan tribes, Muhammad gathered an army of 10,000 Muslim converts and marched on the city of Mecca. The conquest went largely uncontested and Muhammad seized the city with little bloodshed.
In 632, a few months after returning from the Farewell Pilgrimage, Muhammad fell ill and died. By the time of his death, most of the Arabian Peninsula had converted to Islam.
The revelations (each known as Ayah – literally, "Sign [of God]") that Muhammad reported receiving until his death form the verses of the Qur'an, regarded by Muslims as the verbatim "Word of God" on which the religion is based. Besides the Qur'an, Muhammad's teachings and practices (sunnah), found in the hadith and sira (biography) literature, are also upheld and used as sources of Islamic law (sharia).
2. Umar ibn al-Khattab
Umar ibn al-Khattab was a devoted companion of Muhammad and was the initiator of the administrative mechanisms which made the Islamic empire possible. Throughout Muhammad’s Medinan career, ‘Umar seems to have been in complete harmony with the policies of both the Prophet and Abu Bakr, the first caliph, with whom he shared the honor of being father-in-law of Muhammad. No military exploits were credited to him, but he was involved in the revelation of portions of the Qur’an {see Sura 2:125; 33:53; and 66:6}.
After the death of Abu Bakr, ‘Umar ibn al-Khattab was recognized as the latter’s successor by the majority of the Companions, there being dissatisfaction only on the side of the party of ‘Ali and of the “Helpers,” who had already suffered defeat when Abu Bakr became caliph two years earlier. At the death of Abu Bakr, there seems to have been no formal designation of ‘Umar as successor, but his rule received almost unanimous acceptance, the only opposition deriving from supporters of Ali. Once in office, he assumed the title Commander of the Faithful, and dared to dismiss Khalid ibn al-Walid, early Islam’s most successful general. Khalid ibn al-Walid had challenged the authority of ‘Umar.
During the great expansion of Muslim conquests, which had already begun, ‘Umar never lost control of his generals. He dismissed Khalid ibn al-Walid and treated ‘Amr ibn al-‘As with tact. He also made use of the powerful family of the Umayyads. All the political institutions by which the Muslim state was later to be ruled had their origin in his caliphate.
‘Umar instituted a system of checks on provincial administrators by dividing the authority between the military and civil commander and the fiscal officer. He established the pension register and the office of judge, regulated worship in the mosques, and established a number of military centers, which later developed into famous Islamic cities.
The regulations for the non-Muslim subjects, the institution of a register of those having right to military pensions, the founding of military centers out of which were to grow the future great cities of Islam, and the creation of the office of judge (qadi), were all the work of ‘Umar ibn Khattab. Religious ordinances, such as the prayer of Ramadan and the obligatory pilgrimage, as well as civic and penal ordinances, such as the era of the hijra, the punishment of drunkenness, and stoning as a punishment for adultery, go back to him.
‘Umar is said to have substituted in 640 the title of “Commander of the Believers” (in Arabic, amir al-mu’minin) for that of khalifa –“deputy.” He fell in 644 by the dagger of Abu Lu’lu’a. As a motive for the murder, hadith gives the very heavy tax against which the slave had appealed in vain to the caliph.
‘Umar was assassinated by the disgruntled slave, Abu Lu’lu’a, before providing for a successor. Despite rumors, there is no indication of a conspiracy to kill him. However, the histories are unanimous that ‘Umar was more feared than liked, particularly because he expected all to adhere to his own severe ascetic standards.
‘Umar really was the second founder of Islam, but the Shi‘a have never concealed their antipathy to him because he was the first to thwart the claims of ‘Ali.
3. Ali ibn Abi Talib
As a child, Muhammad took care of 'Ali. After Muhammad's invitation to his close relatives, 'Ali became one of the first believers in Islam at the age of about 9 to 11. 'Ali then publicly accepted Muhammad's invitation on Yawn al-Inzar and Muhammad called him his brother, guardian and successor.
'Ali helped Muhammad emigrate on the night of Laylat al-Mabit, by sleeping in his place. After migrating to Medina and establishing a brotherhood pact between the Muslims, Muhammad chose 'Ali as his brother. In Medina, 'Ali was the flag bearer in most of the wars and became famous for his bravery.
The issue of 'Ali's right to the post-Muhammad caliphate caused a major rift between Muslims and divided them into Shia and Sunni groups. On his return from the Farewell Pilgrimage, at Ghadir Khumm, Muhammad uttered the phrase, "Whoever I am his Mawla, this Ali is his Mawla." But the meaning of Mawla was disputed by Shias and Sunnis. On this basis, the Shias believe in the establishment of the Imamate and caliphate regarding Ali, but the Sunnis interpret the word mawla as friendship and love.
While 'Ali was preparing Muhammad's body for burial, a group of Muslims met at Saqifah and pledged allegiance to Abu Bakr. 'Ali pledged allegiance to Abu Bakr after six months, but did not take part in the subsequent wars and political activity, except for the election of the third caliph Uthman. However, 'Ali advised the three caliphs on religious, judicial, and political matters whenever they wanted.
After Uthman was killed, 'Ali was elected as the next Caliph, which coincided with the first civil wars between Muslims. Ali faced two separate opposition forces: a group led by Aisha, Talha, and Zubayr in Mecca, who wanted to convene a council to determine the caliphate; and another group led by Mu'awiya in the Levant, who demanded revenge for Uthman's blood. 'Ali defeated the first group in the Battle of the Camel. However, in the end, the Battle of Siffin with Mu'awiya was militarily ineffective, and led to an arbitration which ended politically against 'Ali. Then, in the year 38 AH (658-659 CC), 'Ali fought with the Kharijites - who considered 'Ali's acceptance of arbitration as heresy, and revolted against him. 'Ali fought the Kharijites in Nahrawan and defeated them. However, 'Ali was eventually killed in the mosque of Kufa by the sword of one of the Kharijites, Ibn Muljam Moradi. 'Ali was buried outside the city of Kufa. Later, 'Ali's shrine and the city of Najaf were built around his tomb.
Despite the impact of religious differences on Muslim historiography, sources agree that 'Ali strictly observed religious duties and avoided worldly possessions. Some writers accused him of a lack of political skill and flexibility. 'Ali tended not to want to involve himself in the game of political deception which deprived him of success in life, but, in the eyes of his admirers, he became an example of the piety of the primary un-corrupted Islam, as well as the chivalry of pre-Islamic Arabia. Several books are dedicated to the hadiths, sermons, and prayers narrated by him, the most famous of which is Nahj al-Balagha.
4. Abu Bakr al-Siddiq
5. Uthman ibn Affan
6. Aisha bint Abu Bakr
7. Khadija bint Khuwaylid
8. Khalid ibn al-Walid
9. Husain ibn Ali
10. Abu Hurayra
11. Fatimah bint Muhammad
12. Bilal ibn Rabah
13. Al-Bukhari
14. Abu Hanifah
15. Abu'l-Hasan al-Ash'ari
16. Saladin
17. Abu Hamid al-Ghazali
18. Abu Abdullah ibn al-Shafi'i
19. Al-Khwarazmi
20. Ahmad ibn Hanbal
21. Ibn Khaldun
22. Malik ibn Anas
23. Umar ibn Abd al-Aziz
24. Abdul Qadir Gilani
25. Ibn Sina
26. Ibn Taymiyyah
27. Nizam al-Mulk
28. Al-Kindi
29. Muawiyah ibn Abi Sufyan
30. Jalal al-Din Rumi
31. Harun al-Rashid
32. Abd ar-Rahman I
33. Tariq ibn Ziyad
34. Mehmed II
35. Al-Biruni
36. Suleyman the Magnificent
37. Ja'far al-Sadiq
38. Abd ar-Rahman II
39. Ziryab
40. Ibn Ishaq
41. Al-Ma'mun
42. Ibn Rushd
43. Timur
44. Akbar the Great
45. Al-Farabi
46. Al-Tabari
47. Ibn Battuta
48. Jabir ibn Hayyan
49. Mimar Sinan
50. Abu Bakr Muhammad ibn Zakariyya' al-Razi
51. Hasan al-Basri
52. Ibn al-Haytham
53. Muslim ibn al-Hajjaj
54. Mahmud of Ghazna
55. Muhammad ibn al-Qasim
56. Musa ibn Nusayr
57. Shah Jahan
58. Al-Mas'udi
59. Al-Zahrawi
60. Ibn Arabi
61. 'Omar al-Khayyam
62. Jamal al-Din al-Afghani
63. Ibn Abd-al Wahhab
64. Rabi'a al-Adawiyyah
65. 'Abd al-Malik ibn Marwan
66. Al-Hallaj
67. Shahrastani
68. Khwaja Baha' al-Din Naqshband
69. Ibn Hazm
70. Al-Tusi
71. Shah Rukh
72. Gowhar Shad
73. Fakhr al-Din al-Razi
74. Firdausi
75. Zheng He
76. Mumtaz Mahal
77. Mu'in al-Din Chishti
78. Nur al-Din Zangi
79. Shaykh Ahmad Sirhindi
80. Malik Ambar
81. Awrangzeb Alamgir
82. Ibn Tufayl
83. Muhammad Ilyas
84. Sayyid Qutb
85. Yahya al-Nawawi
86. Muhammad Abduh
87. Muhammad Iqbal
88. Abul Hasan al-Shadhili
89. Shah Waliullah
90. Shamyl of Daghestan
91. Abul A'la Mawdudi
92. Shihab al-Din Suhrawardi
93. Shaykh Sa'di of Shiraz
94. Sayyid Ahmad Khan
95. The Mahdi of Sudan
96. Al-Muranabbi
97. Uthman Dan Fodio'
98. Mulla Sadra
99. Ali al-Rida
100. Fatima bint Musa
Others worthy of consideration:
Abdul Qadeer Khan, Hasan al-Banna, Ibn Saud, Malcolm X, Muhammad Ali, Muhammad Ali Jinnah, Muhammad Yunus, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, Osama Bin Laden, Ruhollah Khomeini, Sa'id Nursi,
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Pre-2020 Version
(Based on Muhammad Mojlum Khan's 2008 The Muslim 100)
1. The Prophet Muhammad
2. Umar ibn al-Khattab
3. Ali ibn Abi Talib
4. Abu Bakr al-Siddiq
5. Uthman ibn Affan
6. Aisha bint Abu Bakr
7. Khadija bint Khuwaylid
8. Khalid ibn al-Walid
9. Husain ibn Ali
10. Abu Hurayra
11. Fatimah bint Muhammad
12. Bilal ibn Rabah
13. Al-Bukhari
14. Abu Hanifah
15. Abu'l-Hasan al-Ash'ari
16. Saladin
17. Abu Hamid al-Ghazali
18. Abu Abdullah ibn al-Shafi'i
19. Al-Khwarazmi
20. Ahmad ibn Hanbal
21. Ibn Khaldun
22. Malik ibn Anas
23. Umar ibn Abd al-Aziz
24. Abdul Qadir Gilani
25. Ibn Sina
26. Ibn Taymiyyah
27. Nizam al-Mulk
28. Al-Kindi
29. Muawiyah ibn Abi Sufyan
30. Jalal al-Din Rumi
31. Harun al-Rashid
32. Abd ar-Rahman I
33. Tariq ibn Ziyad
34. Mehmed II
35. Al-Biruni
36. Suleyman the Magnificent
37. Ja'far al-Sadiq
38. Abd ar-Rahman II
39. Ibn Ishaq
40. Al-Ma'mun
41. Ibn Rushd
42. Timur
43. Akbar the Great
44. Al-Farabi
45. Al-Tabari
46. Ibn Battuta
47. Jabir ibn Hayyan
48. Mimar Sinan
49. Abu Bakr al-Razi
50. Hasan al-Basri
51. Ibn al-Haytham
52. Muslim ibn al-Hajjaj
53. Mahmud of Ghazna
54. Muhammad ibn al-Qasim
55. Musa ibn Nusayr
56. Shah Jahan
57. Abul Hasan al-Mas'udi
58. Abul Qasim al-Zahrawi
59. Ibn Arabi
60. Umar Khayyam
61. Jamal al-Din al-Afghani
62. Ibn Abd-al Wahhab
63. Rabi'a al-Adawiyyah
64. Abd al-Malik ibn Marwan
65. Al-Hallaj
66. Hasan al-Banna
67. Khwajah Naqshband
68. Ibn Hazm al-Andalusi
69. Nasir al-Din al-Tusi
70. Muhammad Ali Jinnah
71. Fakhr al-Din al-Razi
72. Abd al-Aziz ibn Saud'
73. Mustafa Kemal Ataturk
74. Firdawsi of Persia
75. Mu'in al-Din Chishti
76. Nur al-Din Zangi
77. Shaykh Ahmad Sirhindi
78. Ayatollah Khomeini
79. Awrangzeb Alamgir
80. Ibn Tufayl
81. Muhammad Ilyas
82. Sayyid Qutb
83. Yahya al-Nawawi
84. Muhammad Abduh
85. Muhammad Iqbal
86. Abul Hasan al-Shadhili
87. Shah Waliullah
88. Shamyl of Daghestan
89. Abul A'la Mawdudi
90. Shihab al-Din Suhrawardi
91. Muhammad Yunus
92. Shaykh Sa'di of Shiraz
93. Sayyid Ahmad Khan
94. The Mahdi of Sudan
95. Al-Muranabbi
96. Uthman Dan Fodio'
97. Mulla Sadra
98. Malcolm X
99. Sa'id Nursi
100. Muhammad Ali
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