the publication highlights people who are influential as muslims. that is people whose influence is derived from their practice of islam or from the fact that they are muslim. nominations are evaluated on the basis of the influence that particular muslims have had within the muslim community and the manner in which their influence has benefited the muslim community, both within the islamic world and in terms of representing islam to non-muslims. "influential" for the purposes of the book is defined as "any person who has the power (be it cultural, ideological, financial, political or otherwise) to make a change that will have a significant impact on the muslim world".