10 Best Muslim Rulers and Leaders Who Changed History

Best Muslim Rulers: Islam is a religion that has over 1.6 billion followers worldwide. Muslims are present in every corner of the globe and have contributed immensely in every field. However, the Muslim world has produced some of history’s most influential and renowned leaders.

These men’s outstanding leadership abilities, sage advice, and courage have left their mark on the world.

From military commanders and political rulers to religious scholars and philosophers, the Muslim world has given rise to some of the most famous Islamic leaders of all time.

This article will look at the top 10 Muslim leaders in the world who have changed history.

Who are the Best Muslim Leaders?

In our last post, we talked about Best Muslim Commanders and Generals of All Time, but in today’s post, we look at leadership in general and analyse some of the greatest Muslim rulers.

01. Hazrat Muhammad (PBUH)

Muhammad (PBUH) was a ruler and a messenger of Allah. His leadership approach was incredibly detailed and effective. He served as a model of morality and faith. Muhammad (PBUH) is always ranked first in every list of Islamic leaders. His ability to defeat his opponents has made him the most powerful Muslim ruler in history.

Moreover, he could establish contact with other powerful Arab clans at every step. To set an example for his people, he would show mercy to them after defeating his opponents and even apart from this, there are an uncountable number of Great Manners of Prophet Muhammad That We Need to Adopt.

Best Muslim Rulers and Leaders
Door of Masjid e Nabwi (PBUH)

02. Hazart Ali (R.A)

Hazrat Ali (R.A.) is historically recognized as the greatest and bravest man in Islamic history. He participated in practically all the conflicts the fledgling Muslim community engaged in. It is well known that he played a significant role in both the Battles of Badar and Khyber.

In the early days of Islam, survival against its many opponents required military strength. Hazrat Ali (R.A) participated in most battles, which is how he acquired his combat talents. He took part in the majority of the conflicts during that time.

Even today, Hazrat Ali’s quotes are most popular after Prophet Muhammad’s as Muslims continue to learn from them.

Best Muslim Rulers and Leaders
Hazrat Ali (R.A) Quote

03. Harun Al-Rashid

It is widely known that Harun Al-Rashid was the strongest ruler of the Abbasid Dynasty. When he came to power in 786, Baghdad was the largest city outside China.

The Islamic Golden Age was in full swing during Harun’s reign, and the Dynasty was at its height. It was up to the new caliph’s vizier to keep the vast kingdom united, which stretched from Morocco to India.

His campaign against the Byzantines from 797 to 806 was his most notable military triumph. In 797, he ordered Empress Irene to pay tribute to Baghdad, but his successor, Nicephorus, objected to the arrangement. However, he was overthrown in 806 and was compelled to pay the Abbasids yearly.

Best Muslim Rulers and Leaders
Harun Al-Rashid

04. Mahmud of Ghazni

Mahmud of Ghazni is remembered for taking Constantinople. The capture of Constantinople shocked everyone in Europe because it was the Byzantine Empire’s most important metropolis.

Mahmud ringed the city to obstruct supplies and assistance from its allies. Then he bombarded the city using Ottoman technology, which was far more advanced. Giant guns, like those employed against Constantinople, helped the Ottomans establish their reputation.

The fact that Mahmud of Ghazni accomplished this at only 21 makes it all the more remarkable. The Ottoman Empire’s spread throughout Europe began when Islamic armies poured into Constantinople.

Best Muslim Rulers and Leaders
Mahmud of Ghazni

05. Tipu Sultan

During the second half of the 18th century, Tipu Sultan ruled an empire in India. Due to his reputation as the bravest man in Islamic history, Napoleon sought Tipu Sultan’s assistance in battling the British.

This was ideal for the Sultan, who had always hated the British East India Company. In the Anglo-Mysore war, he used rocket weapons against the British, but was killed in combat, so it was a complete failure.

Just before he died, he tried to assemble a large alliance of Muslim nations against the British. Despite not having any assistance, he is still regarded as one of the most powerful Islamic commanders in history.

Best Muslim Rulers and Leaders
Tipu Sultan-Legend in the West

06. Osman I

Sultan Osman 1 led a band of Muslim troops during the founding of the Ottoman Empire. The Ottoman Empire had a quick and lasting rise to power. It endured for more than six centuries before falling after the First World War.

And Osman 1 was where it all began. He was the ruler of a nomadic tribe that had decided to build a kingdom. He used many Islamic fighters to escape the advancing Mongol hoards.

Moreover, he used Byzantium’s waning influence to increase his conquests across the empire. This started a sequence of events that led to the Ottoman Empire conquering nearly all the former Byzantine territory.

Best Muslim Rulers and Leaders
Sultan Osman 1 Ghazi

07. Sultan Salahuddin Ayubi

Sultan Salahuddin Ayubi was a military ruler and a human being with extraordinary qualities. The person who withstood the crusaders’ storm for twenty years and drove them away was the hero of countless battles. He is among the greatest heroes of Islam, the world has ever seen.

Saladin was passionate about conquering Jerusalem for the Muslims. He had largely conquered the Kingdom of Jerusalem by July 1187. On July 4, 1187, he decisively defeated the Crusaders at the Battle of Hattin.

Saladin held power over practically all Crusader cities. Moreover, he wanted to conquer the city without more bloodshed, but the people of Jerusalem refused his offer of peace conditions.

Best Muslim Rulers and Leaders
Sultan Salahuddin Ayubi

08. Mehmed II

The person who ended the Byzantine Empire was Mehmed the Conqueror. Mehmed II ultimately found a strategy to conquer Constantinople, where past Sultans had failed. Of course, the Byzantines had no concept of an “empire” at that time.

Despite numerous conflicts, the Ottomans eventually took Constantinople on May 29, 1453. He developed the city into a powerful capital. By the 1520s, Constantinople was the biggest metropolis in Europe. At the Battle of Erzincan in 1473, he won a crucial victory that gave him control over Anatolia and the Balkans.

Best Muslim Rulers and Leaders
Mehmed II

09. Muhammad Bin Qasim

Muhammad Bin Qasim is one of the greatest Muslim leaders in history. When Islam spread over South and Central Asia, Muhammad Bin Qasim played a crucial role as a leader. It was quite a triumph for him to take control of several important areas in what is now Pakistan.

At fifteen, Qasim was a smart, well-educated young man. He was asked to serve under the legendary general Qutayba bin Muslim when he was sixteen. Muhammad Bin Qasim has shown an aptitude for deft combat and strategic thinking while under his command.

Muhammad Bin Qasim was not only a superb general but also a superb administrator. He built law and order and an efficient administrative system in conquered territories. Moreover, he had a tremendous deal of respect for various faiths.

He paid stipends to Hindus and Buddhists during his tenure. His initiatives left a lasting impression on the country’s underprivileged, and many converted to Islam. Moreover, numerous historians think he would have ruled over all of South Asia if given a few more years.

Muhammad Bin Qasim
Muhammad Bin Qasim

10. Nader Shah

Between 1736 and 1747, Nader Shah ruled as sultan of Persia. He is regarded as one of Iran’s most brilliant military commanders. This goes so far that many people call him the Iranian Napoleon.

He extended his country’s frontiers to cover the Middle East through several effective military campaigns. But in the end, his military prowess brought him to ruin. His empire expanded far too quickly for its economy to support, and he overspent on the war.

Best Muslim Rulers and Leaders
Nader Shah

In conclusion, these are the top 10 Muslim leaders in the world who changed history. While there are many other great Muslim leaders, these ten have impacted society the most significantly.

Their accomplishments range from expanding the Muslim world to improving the lives of Muslims. What do you think? Who would you add to the list? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

7 Comments

  1. Mauzzam Khan March 20, 2023
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