His Majesty King Abdullah on Tuesday received the 2018 Templeton Prize at a ceremony held at the Washington National Cathedral, in the presence of ambassadors, Jordanian and US government officials, and Washington political, religious, media, and society leaders.

“Today, I am truly humbled to be recognised by all of you. But let me say, everything you honour me for simply carries onward what Jordanians have always done, and how Jordanians have always lived—in mutual kindness, harmony, and brotherhood. And so, I accept this extraordinary prize, not on my own behalf, but on behalf of all Jordanians,” King Abdullah said in remarks at the ceremony.

The John Templeton Foundation, based in West Conshohocken, Pennsylvania, in recognising His Majesty’s efforts, said the King has done more to seek religious harmony within Islam and between Islam and other religions than any other living political leader.

“His Majesty King Abdullah II is a person shaped by temporal and political responsibilities, yet one who holds the conviction that religious belief and the free exercise of religion are among humankind’s most important callings,” said Heather Templeton Dill, president of the John Templeton Foundation.

United Nations Secretary General António Guterres, attended the ceremony and offered his remarks and congratulations, describing His Majesty as “the outstanding statesman, the messenger for peace” and “a very dear friend”.

“In this world where we see, unfortunately, proliferating both hatred and chaos, there are a few pillars of wisdom and compassion, and one of the most solid of these pillars is the awardee of this year’s Templeton Prize,” the secretary general said.

“King Abdullah’s promotion of peace within Islam, and between Muslims and people of other beliefs, has contributed to global peace and progress in many ways in our worlds,” he added.

The United Nations chief also noted His Majesty’s Hashemite heritage, stressing that “this outstanding family in recent times has been the Custodians of both Muslim and Christian religious sites in Jerusalem. And the King has continued this tradition in many ways.”

Acknowledging Jordan’s huge refugee burden and its generosity “in a world where—unfortunately—refugees are, so many times, forgotten or even ostracised”, Secretary General Guterres recounted his frequent visits to Jordan and meetings with the King as UN High Commissioner for Refugees.

“You have been an extraordinary symbol of generosity and solidarity in today’s world, and this is something I would never forget… and I know that your generosity was inspired both by your Muslim faith and by your solidarity with all fellow women and men,” the UN chief said, addressing His Majesty.

Also speaking at the ceremony, Shaykh Hamza Yusuf, founder of Zaytuna College in Berkeley, California, America’s first accredited Muslim liberal arts college, and Professor Miroslav Volf, Founder and Director of the Yale Center for Faith and Culture, presented their views on the importance and the influence of the King’s initiatives, such as the Amman Message, A Common Word, and the World Interfaith Harmony week.

“It is time to do all we can to maximise the good in our world, and bring people together in understanding. But it begins with the struggle, the jihad, within ourselves to be the best we can be. And it’s been said that all it takes for evil to prevail is for good people to do nothing. But together, God willing, we can achieve something important; we can create the future of coexistence that humanity so desperately needs. Let us keep up the struggle,” His Majesty said at the ceremony.

In awarding the Templeton Prize to the King, the Foundation has emphasised his unwavering commitment to protecting Islamic and Christian holy sites in Jerusalem, and his leadership that has guaranteed safe haven for several waves of refugees.

“When we talk about hope and coexistence, no issue is more important than Jerusalem. More than half of the world’s people belong to religions that hold Jerusalem as a holy city—Islam, Christianity and Judaism. For Muslims, Jerusalem stands along with Mecca and Medina as one of Islam’s three holiest places. And a special duty binds me and all Jordanians as Hashemite Custodian of Jerusalem’s Islamic and Christian holy sites,” His Majesty said.

The prize ceremony featured performances inspired by Jordanian and global cultural heritage.

The Templeton Prize, valued at 1.1 million British pounds, is one of the world's largest annual individual awards and honours a person who has made an exceptional contribution to affirming life’s spiritual dimension, whether through insight, discovery, or practical works.

His Majesty said a portion of the Templeton Prize “will help renovate and restore religious sites in Jerusalem, including the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. The entire remaining sum is also being donated to humanitarian, interfaith, and intra-faith initiatives, in Jordan and around the world.”

Established in 1972 by the late global investor and philanthropist Sir John Templeton, the Prize has been previously awarded to 47 recipients, including Mother Teresa, who received the inaugural award in 1973, the Dalai Lama (2012), and Desmond Tutu (2013).