Shehbaz, Munir Share Top Spot on Muslim 500 List

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Chief of Defence Forces Field Marshal Asim Munir have shared the top spot in the latest edition of the Muslim 500 list, the annual ranking of the world’s most influential Muslims. The two Pakistani leaders sit at number one alongside the Saudi king and crown prince and the Turkish president.

The list is compiled by the Royal Islamic Strategic Studies Centre (RISSC), a research institute based in Amman, Jordan. It has published “The 500 Most Influential Muslims” every year since 2009.

This is the first time the list has placed more than one name at the top. The edition links the shared first place to the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement between Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkiye.

“While this unified top spot features five individuals, it is actually divided into three shared entries that represent a massive shift in how Muslim nations are working together to protect one another. The main reason for this historic decision is the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement,” the edition said.

It added: “This mutual-defence pact unites the immense wealth of Saudi Arabia, the advanced tech and manufacturing of Turkiye, and the powerful military strength of Pakistan into a collective alliance.” The edition described the pact as modelled on a “one for all, all for one” approach to security.

Who else made the top of the Muslim 500 list

The five people at the top form three shared entries. Pakistan’s entry pairs the prime minister with the chief of defence forces. Saudi Arabia’s entry pairs King Salman with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. Turkiye’s entry is President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Below them, Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei is fourth, Jordan’s King Abdullah II fifth, Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani sixth and Pakistani scholar Sheikh Muhammad Taqi Usmani seventh. UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al-Nahyan is 12th and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi is 22nd.

Maulana Tariq Jamil is 32nd, Mohamed Salah 39th, Mahmoud Abbas 45th, Ahmed Al-Sharaa 46th and Zohran Mamdani 49th. Former prime minister Imran Khan appears among the honourable mentions in politics, alongside Hamas chief Khalil Al-Hayya and London Mayor Sadiq Khan.

Why the Makkah pact matters for Pakistan

The shared top spot puts Pakistan’s civil and military leadership at the centre of the year’s most watched Muslim ranking, tied directly to the defence pact binding the three countries in mutual defence.

For Pakistan, the listing carries a wider message. The report noted that Pakistan had handled “an intricate set of economic stabilisation challenges, regional security pressures, and major-power diplomatic balancing acts”, while keeping open channels with both Riyadh and Tehran.

The pact itself has moved quickly from signing to law. Turkiye has published the law ratifying the Makkah defence pact, and President Erdogan has said the pact strengthened Turkiye’s ties with Pakistan. The three countries are also due to meet in Islamabad this month to take the alliance forward. Pakistan’s military has said it is ready to act in Saudi Arabia’s defence if needed.

Man and Woman of the Year

Each year, the RISSC also names a Man of the Year and a Woman of the Year. This year, Palestinian paediatrician Dr Hussam Abu Safiya is the Man of the Year. The report describes him as “a doctor who refused to abandon his patients, buried his son and returned to the wards”. He has spent more than six hundred days in Israeli custody without charge or trial, and documented attacks on medical facilities in Gaza.

Fatemeh Zahra Sheikhabadi is the Woman of the Year. She survived the attack on her school in Minab, then addressed the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, urging leaders to “hear the voices of the children of Minab”.

Frequently asked questions

What is the Muslim 500 list?

It is an annual ranking by the Royal Islamic Strategic Studies Centre in Amman, Jordan, published since 2009.

Who tops the latest list?

Shehbaz Sharif and Asim Munir for Pakistan, King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman for Saudi Arabia, and President Recep Tayyip Erdogan for Turkiye share the top spot.

Why did the list share the top spot this year?

The edition links the decision to the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement between Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkiye, calling it a historic shift in how Muslim nations work together on security.

Which other Pakistanis are on the list?

Scholar Sheikh Muhammad Taqi Usmani is seventh and Maulana Tariq Jamil is 32nd. Former prime minister Imran Khan is listed among the honourable mentions in politics.

Who are the Man and Woman of the Year?

Palestinian paediatrician Dr Hussam Abu Safiya is Man of the Year, and Minab school attack survivor Fatemeh Zahra Sheikhabadi is Woman of the Year.