(RNS) — Imam Wisam Sharieff, an online Quranic instructor for the educational nonprofit AlMaghrib Institute, has been accused in a criminal complaint filed by the FBI of conspiracy to produce child pornography.
FBI special agent Eric Salvador reported details of the allegations in a sworn affidavit documented in Birmingham, Alabama, dated Oct. 29, alleging that a woman who was an online student of Sharieff’s said the instructor told her “that achieving an orgasm would help her spiritually and allow her to communicate with Allah better,” according to the affidavit.
The woman reportedly sent Sharieff videos of herself and her minor daughter “performing sexual acts on themselves” so he “could guide them and let them know how far they were progressing on their quest to become closer to Allah.” If true, the acts would constitute a federal crime.
The affidavit says that electronic devices and sexual toys were seized from the woman’s residence, and that officers discovered a private chat on Telegram, an encrypted instant messaging app, that indicated Sharieff sent explicit videos of himself. It also revealed that the mother sent explicit videos of her child viewing adult pornography, according to the affadavit.
The chat also reportedly included messages from Sharieff encouraging the mother to trust him with her secrets, and inquiring when he can “work on the Quran” with her child.
Sharieff was reported to the Alabama Department of Human Resources by a person who identified herself as Sharieff’s wife on Oct. 15.
Sharieff has not publicly issued any statements since the complaint was filed, and attempts to reach him have not been answered.
In a Friday (Nov. 1) post on the social media platform X, the AlMaghrib Institute said it had been notified of “a serious violation of AlMaghrib Institute policy by Wisam Sharieff.” The post went on to say the institute had determined the action was in violation of its code of conduct and had terminated Sharieff’s employment contract.
Sharieff, who lives in Texas, is known for creating the AlMaghrib Institute’s Quran Revolution program, a popular curriculum for learning Quran recitation that claims to have helped thousands. He is also founder of Advocating Quranic Lifestyle, which offers to teach students about “personal development through Quranic lifestyle — recitation, prayer, and supplication — to empower the mind, body, and soul.”
According to archived versions of his website, Sharieff studied for three years at the Islamic Institute of Education, a boarding school for students grades 6-12 in Elgin, Illinois, under Mufti Abdullah Saleem, the school’s founder. In 2016, Saleem was convicted of sexually abusing both a former student and a former employee of the school.
In a public statement on Monday, the AlMaghrib Institute said it was “horrified” by the allegations, which it called “jarring and sickening.” The statement clarified that the alleged communications between Sharieff and the woman were conducted via private chat, not on AlMaghrib’s educational platform, and that the child was not a student at the institute.
The statement also noted that it has “zero tolerance” for romantic relationships between instructors and students and that as soon as it received notice of possible conduct code violations, the institute undertook its own investigation. Though the institute “did not have access to law enforcement’s investigation,” it concluded that Sharieff violated institute rules and terminated him.
“Our nation’s justice system will now deal with Wisam Sharieff, and we ask Allah to bring solace to the victims and to bring healing to our community,” the statement said. “Allah’s religion is not reliant on any one individual, and the Quran Revolution program will continue with our students as scheduled.”
MuslimMatters, an online news outlet that had previously interviewed Sharieff and published transcripts of his lectures, published a statement Tuesday saying the outlet “severed all association” with him. MuslimMatters called the allegations a “severe violation” of ethical principles in the Quran and offered a list of resources on reporting and preventing abuse.
The Asiyah Women’s Center, an emergency center for domestic violence victims that serves Muslims, hosted a therapist-led Zoom event Monday night for community members to grieve together in light of the allegations. Sarah Sultan, an AlMaghrib instructor, reminded readers on Instagram that the “heinous actions and failings” of one individual don’t have the power to supersede their faith in Allah.
Other experts weighed in as well. In a Facebook post, Abu Eesa, a senior instructor with the AlMaghrib Institute, credited the organization for taking the allegations seriously and addressing them publicly. “I hope that this will set an example in the future to such bodies to not hesitate to act quickly and effectively and not care for public sentiment but instead care for the Deen of Allah and their responsibility to it.”
Ingrid Mattson, a leading Muslim scholar and a former president of the Islamic Society of North America, posted a thread on X noting that while spiritual abuse is shocking, it should no longer be surprising: “We have heard too many tragic reports about the abuse of children by those entrusted with raising them and those teaching them their faith. It is irresponsible to stay in a state of willful ignorance of these realities.”
This story has been updated.