The "World Prize of the President of the Republic for Islamic Studies" is awarded annually by the President of the Tunisian Republic to a natural or legal person distinguished internationally for bringing out and consolidating the shining image of the Islamic religion and its tolerant principles based on moderation, solidarity and mutual aid, for the purpose of enhancing interpretative thinking (Ijtihad) which has faith in dialogue and openness and rejects withdrawal and intolerance.

The "World Prize of the President of the Republic for Islamic Studies" is awarded by decree and on the proposal of a commission chaired by the Minister of religious affairs. It consists of a diploma signed by the President of the Republic, a medal and an award of thirty thousand (30.000) Tunisian Dinars.
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Selection
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The prize is awarded to a natural or legal person distinguished internationally for briging out the shining image of the Islamic religion and its tolerant principles and righteous values and for enhancing interpretative thinking (Ijtihad) which has faith in dialogue and openness and rejects withdrawal and intolerance. The prize is awarded once only to the same person and in the same field of research.
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Criteria of Admissibility
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1/ The study must be original and published previously. It must consist of no less than 250 pages, medium size, written in Arabic or another international language. Its first edition must have been published less than two years before the date of submission, no later than June 30, 2009 .
2/ Academic dissertations, critical editions of manuscripts and research work having been awarded another prize will not be accepted.
3/ The study must be submitted in fifteen (15) copies.
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Candidacies
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Candidates for the "World prize of the President of the Republic for Islamic studies" must:

- Submit an application accompanied by a Curriculum vitae - or background information in the case of a legal person - laying special emphasis on their scholarly activities, publications and extent of their contribution to enhancing Ijtihad.

- Send their entry dossier by registered or international mail no later than June 30, 2009:
The Minister of religious affairs, 76 bis, Avenue Bab Bnet, 1019 (La Kasbah) Tunis/Tunisia, or through Tunisian embassies abroad.

The prize will be announced during the month of Ramadan 1430 H/2009.

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Previous award-winners
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-The sixth World Award of the President of the Republic for Islamic Studies, was bestowed by President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, on 26, september 2008 to Dr. Rawnak Hassen Hosni, professor at the University of Heriot and at the University of Durham, Great Britain and to Professor Daniel Newman, professor at the Modern Languages and Cultures school at the University of Durham.

-The fifth World Award of the President of the Republic for Islamic Studies was bestowed by President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, on 08, october 2007, to Dr. Rekaia Taha Jaber Al Alouani, professor at the department of Arab language and Islamic Studies at the University of Bahreïn.

-The fourth World Award of the President of the Republic for Islamic Studies, was bestowed by President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, on 19 October 2006 to Mr. Mohammed H'ssine Fantar, on behalf of the Ben Ali Chair for the dialogue between civilization and religions.

- The third World Award of the President of the Republic for Islamic Studies , on october 31, 2005 was bestowed by President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, to Mr. Yahia Sergio Pallavinci,vice-president of the Italian Islamic Religious Community, and Imam of the Mosque of Milano", for his survey entitled "Islam in Europe : Reflexions on Italian Imam".

- The second world Award of the President of the Republic for Islamic Studies was bestowed by President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, on 09 November, 2004, to cheikh Habib Belkhouja.

- The first World Award of the President of the Republic for Islamic Studies was bestowed by President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, on November 21, 2003, to Mr Mahmoud Hamdi Zaqzouq, Egyptian minister of waqf.