2026_01_01_The Muslim 500 — 2026 - Center for Shared Civilizational Values

Yahya Cholil Staquf is ranked among the world’s most influential Muslim leaders for the fourth consecutive year

“His leadership positions NU as a counterweight to extremism, offering a vision of Islam rooted in tradition, inclusivity, and peace… a model of moderate religious authority for the Muslim world.”

~ The Muslim 500

AMMAN, Jordan, 1 January 2026 — For the fourth year running, the world’s premier index of Muslim power and influence, The Muslim 500, has ranked Nahdlatul Ulama Chairman KH. Yahya Cholil Staquf among the 20 most influential Muslims on earth.

At number 19, Mr. Staquf is ranked four places behind Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto (ranked number 15), and five behind Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman of Saudi Arabia, who is ranked number 14. Notably, he is judged to be more influential than Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, who governs the Arab world’s most populous state (ranked number 22).

KH. A. Mustofa Bisri, former head of the Nahdlatul Ulama Supreme Council and Chairman of the Center for Shared Civilizational Values, was selected in the report to represent Indonesia under the “scholarly” category, with the The Muslim 500 stating that “These scholars, thinkers, and educators are well-respected leaders who have made significant contributions to the study and cultivation of Islamic knowledge and Muslim culture.” This is the sixteenth consecutive year that Kyai Bisri has been named as one of the world’s most influential Muslims.

The Muslim 500 is published by The Royal Islamic Strategic Studies Centre, a research entity affiliated with the Royal Aal al-Bayt Institute for Islamic Thought, headquartered in Amman, capital of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan.

Mr. Staquf’s Muslim 500 profile may be read in full below.