ISLAMABAD — Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Field Marshal Asim Munir have been jointly ranked No. 1 in the 2027 edition of The 500 Most Influential Muslims, sharing the top spot with Saudi King Salman, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. The annual list is compiled by the Royal Islamic Strategic Studies Centre (RISSC), a research institute in Amman, Jordan, and has been published since 2009.
This is the first time the list has placed more than one name at the very top. Why the Top Spot Was Shared According to the RISSC, the main reason for the historic decision is the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement between Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Türkiye. The pact was signed on August 7, 2026, and activated at an emergency summit in Riyadh.
The alliance combines Saudi Arabia’s wealth, Türkiye’s technology and manufacturing, and Pakistan’s military strength under a “one for all, all for one” approach to security that has “completely reshaped regional politics.” Six Pakistanis in Top 50 Pakistan has six names in the top 50 this year. Besides the PM and the Field Marshal, Mufti Taqi Usmani is ranked 7th, Maulana Tariq Jamil 32nd, Tablighi Jamaat Amir Maulana Nazar ur-Rehman 41st and Sheikh Muhammad Ilyas Attar Qadiri 44th. Former Prime Minister Imran Khan is listed among the honourable mentions in the political category.
Other Top Names Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei is ranked 4th, followed by Jordan’s King Abdullah II at 5th and Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani at 6th. UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al-Nahyan is 12th, footballer Mohamed Salah is 39th and New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani is 49th. Field Marshal Munir was also among the most influential Muslims in the world in last year’s edition.