The third Prince Nayef International Prizes for Sunnah and Islamic Studies were awarded in Makkah today. More than 150 Muslim dignitaries from around the world were expected to attend the event, including Minister of Interior Prince Nayef bin Abdulaziz.

Moroccan author Abdul Razaq Harmas and Egyptian scholar Yasser Noor received the first prize in the area of Sunnah studies. Muhammad Hasanain of Egypt won the first prize for Contemporary Islamic Studies for his work entitled “The Revival of Religion.” Saudi scholar Abdul Rahman Al-Dukhayyel and Egyptian writer Muhammad Yusri Ibrahim jointly won the award for their papers on the role of religious edicts in Islam.

A panel of 12 domestic and international experts on various Islamic disciplines chose the five winners from 413 research studies.

Established in 2002, the Prince Nayef International Prize encourages scientific research in Sunnah and Islamic studies and promotes a spirit of competition among Muslim researchers around the world. It was last awarded in 2005. Winners of the prize receive a cash award of SR 500,000 [$133,718], a certificate of appreciation and a medal.