Restoring Trust: A Call to Address Abuse in Our Communities

Written By Mariam Sheibani

Content warning: sexual abuse, spiritual abuse.

While I was a PhD student  at the University of Chicago, I attended a training on sexual abuse in the Muslim community in April 2016. Part of the program was hearing first-hand accounts from two survivors about their experience and what it was like for them to seek help, healing, and justice after their assault. I still vividly remember the painful account of the male survivor as he described his sexual abuse at the hands of his Quran teacher as a child. I also recall the sorrowful courage of the woman describing how she discovered that her two children, both under the age of 8, had been physically assaulted, penetratively, by a “religious” extended family member. 


I have to admit that I was completely unprepared to hear their stories. Training as a scholar and academic, I spent my days reading classical texts and doing research, not hearing haunting accounts of abuse in religious Muslim circles. I wondered, if an estimated 1 in 10 children is sexually abused before the age of 18, where are the services supporting this segment of our community, and where are the resources, training programs, and preventative and accountability mechanisms needed to prevent, recognize, and responsibly address this rampant epidemic? What could be more important than protecting our children?


I have since lost count of the number of reports I’ve heard of sexual abuse of children in the Muslim community. Many of these occurred in religious families and networks, sometimes at the hands of religious teachers. The following are just a small sample of the cases known through criminal legal proceedings or investigations: Muhammad Saleem, who pled guilty to molesting several underage girls and a young woman (and still visits the madrasa where he abused), the well-documented abuse at the Darul Uloom Al Madania and Darul Uloom Canada resulting in several lawsuits, and FACE investigations reporting rape, sexual molestation, and assault of minors by several Imams and a Quran reciter. Most of us have also heard accounts, either first-hand disclosures or second-hand reports, of community members who were sexually violated as children in North America or while growing up in the Muslim world, that are too numerous to count. 

The point is that we have a widespread problem on our hands. It is estimated that 1 in 10 children, or 7-12% of children are sexually abused before the age of 18, with more victims among girls (1 in 4, or 1 in 7) than boys (1 in 20, or 1 in 25). There is every reason to believe that our community reflects this national statistic, but we await studies of sexual violence in the Muslim community to help us better understand the dynamics of child abuse in Muslim families and institutions.

The latest firestorm following the revelation of FBI investigation into allegations of sexual abuse of a minor by Wasim Sharieff, Texas Imam, Quran teacher, and Al Maghrib instructor, is only the latest case of violence in the community to come to light. The evidence documented in the FBI affidavit appears damning, but we leave it to the justice system to determine his guilt.

I’m neither an attorney nor an expert in sexual violence, and I defer to subject matter experts in their respective domains. What I aim to do in this essay is to clarify some of the core issues at stake related to religious teachings, ethics, and community accountability that have been raised in the community’s discussion of the recent allegation.

No. 1. “Sins should be concealed.”

This is a mantra to which we keep returning every time a religious leader is accused of misconduct, abuse, or even violence, often to stifle critical discussions and accountability. 

Yes, it’s true that the ‘sin concealment principle’ is an important religious principle emphasized in the Sunna: 

“A Muslim is a brother of another Muslim, so he should neither oppress her, nor hand him over to an oppressor.  Whoever fulfills the needs of his brother, Allah will fulfill his needs. Whoever relieves a Muslim of worry, Allah will relieve him of worry on the Day of Resurrection. And whoever conceals a Muslim’s sins, Allah will conceal his sins on the Day of Resurrection.” (Bukhari & Muslim)


Jurists maintain that the “private” sins of the generality of believers and religious leaders should be concealed (e.g.: eating pepperoni pizza); this is the purview of applying this hadith. However, like most religious principles, sin concealment is balanced against other principles and prioritized in relation to them. Removing harm, forbidding wrong, prosecuting crimes, and public accountability of leaders definitively take precedence over sin concealment. 

This means that sins committed by leaders that result in harm to others or undermine the moral integrity required of a community steward MUST be exposed, and immediate steps taken to remove harm and prevent its recurrence. This might include criminal or civil prosecution, firing, de-platforming, issuing public statements to the community, and whatever other steps are necessary to ensure that the harm ceases, and they are prevented from repeating the offense.

The specific steps taken are case-dependent and should be commensurate with the harm or potential of harm, and the probability of truth of the allegations judged on the basis of the available evidence. Violent crimes and violent sexual crimes against children must not only be exposed, but reported immediately to legal authorities. For perpetrators of such crimes we should leave absolutely no second chances at leadership, no absolution, and no opportunities to reoffend.

More generally, our over-expansion of and misapplication of the sin concealment principle has resulted in a culture of secrecy that protects perpetrators of abuse of different stripes and enables them to repeat their abuse in multiple locales, as has been documented in several FACE reports.

I refer you to two important research papers from the Hurma Project’s research working group that I co-convened with Dr. Ingrid Mattson:

No. 2. “Avoid discussing this. Gossip and possible slander should not be fueled and topics like this should not be discussed with commoners” and “It will ruin the image of Islam and contribute to Islamophobia.”

To legitimize the stifling of communal discussion, the circulation of warnings against an individual, and even solution-oriented debate among leaders, verses of the Quran warning against slander and rumor-mongering are invoked, such as the verse revealed on the occasion of the slander of our Mother ʿAʾisha: 

“When you rumored it with your tongues, and spoke with your mouths what you had no knowledge of, and you considered it trivial; but according to God, it is serious. When you heard it, you should have said, ‘It is not for us to repeat this. By Your glory, this is a serious slander.’” (Q. 24:15-16)

Sometimes this approach is motivated by understandable concerns that public discussion of the scandals within our faith community will be weaponized by Islamophobes.

There are several problems with this approach.

First and foremost, secrecy, concealment of abuse, and lack of transparency are root causes that facilitate perpetrators’ continued violation of others.

Second, when fact-based, trauma-informed, and subject-matter expert-led discussion is stifled, rumors and misinformation inevitably spread to fill that vacuum.

Third, warnings against abusers are absolutely necessary to remove immediate harm, educate the community, hold abusers to account, and ensure that they do not reoffend. These warnings can include: sharing of facts and evidence, expert knowledge about how abuse typically unfolds, and the testimony of trusted leaders concerning their private knowledge of a situation they have investigated. 

On the note of educational initiatives, today I’ll be taking part in a Learning Circle on Spiritual Abuse and Sexual Violence, and I invite all of you to join us for this important conversation.  

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No. 3. “Innocent until proven guilty”.

Default non-liability is an important principle of Islamic law (al-aṣl barāʾat al-dhimma). And yes, our criminal legal system does not always get things right. But whenever accusations are made, our Islamic oversight and accountability system teaches us to suspend the individual from duty while the complaint is investigated.

In her paper on Accountability in the Islamic Tradition, Dr. Mattson explores this principle and offers numerous examples of how it was theorized and applied in Islamic history.

She writes: 

“When it comes to individuals holding public positions of power and authority, the Islamic tradition is quite clear on the steps to be taken when there is an accusation of abuse of power (rather than personal wrongdoing). The principle is not, “innocent until proven guilty,” but rather, “suspended until investigated.” This is a widespread, perhaps universal administrative practice… We have many reports of ʿUmar doing this with his governors, judges and military leaders.” (Pg. 14)

An example of a misapplication of the principle of non-liability.

So while “innocent until proven guilty” directs us not to punish an individual until due process is complete, “suspension until investigation” is the interim obligation when complaints of abuse of power are made. Think of this approach as an enactment of harm removal: while inquiries are made and investigation is underway, the possibility of the accused harming others requires their temporary removal from office, to be reinstated and cleared of wrongdoing in the future should they be proven innocent.

No. 4. “Shaytan wins again! But, also, isn’t the Quran a protection?”

We believe that the Speech of Allah is a source of healing (17:83), guidance (41:44) and light (42:52). But the Quran itself puts conditions on the efficaciousness of these spiritual transformation. It warns us over and over again about those entrusted with previous revelations who were not benefited by it; they are likened to donkeys carrying books in one Quranic metaphor: 

“The example of those who were entrusted with the Torah, but then failed to uphold it, is like the donkey carrying books. Miserable is the example of the people who reject God’s revelations. God does not guide the wrongdoing people.” (62:5)

And the Prophet Muhammad (saws) warned us of those against whom the Quran will testify on the Day of Judgement (Muslim), and that two of the first people who will be entered into the fire are the scholar and the Quran reciter who used their knowledge of the religion and of the scripture for worldly gain (Muslim). 

One particularly vivid Quranic account tells us of an individual gifted with knowledge of revelation, but they ‘detach themself’ from it (insalakha in Arabic describes the way a snake sheds its skin!). 

“And relate to them the story of him to whom We delivered Our signs, but he abandoned them, so Satan followed him, and he became a deviant. Had We willed, We could have elevated him through them; but he clung to this life, following his evil desires. His metaphor is that of a dog: if you chase it, it pants; and if you leave it, it pants. Such is the metaphor of the people who deny Our signs. So tell the tale, so that they may ponder.” (Q. 7:175-76).

Instead of being elevated by the Quran, the individual is pulled down by worldly desires, follows their lusts, and becomes so perverse that satan learns from him! (“atbaʿahu al-shaytan” “shaytan followed him” could either mean that satan pursued him to further lead him astray or that satan emulated him because his perversion was worse than even what satan could conjure!) 

With these and many other similar Quranic and Sunnaic warnings, we should not be surprised when we hear of Quran teachers who do not embody what they have memorized, or even when they employ the religious capital they have to harm and abuse. These teachings signal to us that we cannot put unrestricted trust in those who impart knowledge, regardless of how beautiful their words or their recitation is; Allah gives knowledge of His revelation to both righteous upright scholars and to the perverse scholars he has decreed will be dragged first into the fire. 

No. 5. “We have isnad / idhn / a wali, so abuse can’t happen in our community.”

The exegetical tradition tells us that the verses above (Q. 7:175-76 - about the scholar who satan follows) were revealed about a great saint (wali) among the Bani Israʾil, Balʿam b. Baʿuraʾ), who had knowledge of Allah’s greatest name, whose supplication was consistently answered, and who gained the trust of Musa and was his emissary to the King of Midian. But he was lured by worldly desires to betray Musa, and was ejected from spiritual proximity to God. 

In our theology, only Prophets are infallible (maʿsūm) or divinely-protected from sin, not the awliyāʾ (saints) and righteous, and certainly not their followers. Countless spiritual authorities have stated clearly that those believed to be saints can fall into major sins, or worse, become corrupt and end their lives and disbelievers. The moment we start thinking that this can’t happen to us, or in our community, is the moment we become more prone to either being abused, being complicit in situations of abuse, or becoming abusers ourselves (may Allah protect us). 

This is an important reminder to scholarly and spiritual communities that believe they are protected from having abuse occur in their community because they have isnad / a wali or saintly Shaykh / permission to teach or guide others (idhn). Spiritual theology aside, we’ve already seen multiple cases of abuse happen in communities with all of these attributes, and abuse carried out by individuals who had solid scholarly credentials. So we cannot afford to keep clinging onto the illusion that abuse cannot occur in our community or group.

Yes, religious credentials are essential and we need to do better in assessing the credentials of teachers we listen to, invite, platform, and support. We also need to institutionalize training and credentialing of our leaders in essentials of safeguarding, family violence, sexual health that we should expect and require of them. But no individual, community, or religious current is protected from falling into spiritual abuse, and believing this to be the case sets the exact conditions for abuse to take place. 

No. 6. “Free mixing and liberal/feminist ideas are to blame.”

Much of the Muslim discussion of the recent allegation of sexual abuse of a child has pointed the finger to problems of free mixing / liberalism / feminism in the Muslim community. On this assessment, the solutions proposed are the “proper” covering of women, gender segregation in Muslim spaces, and women teaching only women and men teaching only men. 

Whatever your position on the above listed issues, experts on child abuse tell us that they are completely irrelevant to protecting children. Raising concerns like these at this time obfuscates the real issues at hand, misdirects our community, and often devolves into victim blaming, which is the act of holding a person who has been harmed responsible for their own mistreatment, rather than focusing on the actions of the one who caused the harm. This mindset often shifts attention away from the wrongdoer’s accountability, creating a culture that excuses or minimizes harmful behavior by suggesting that the victim could have or should have acted differently to avoid the harm.

The facts of the matter are that: (1) child sexual abuse occurs in the most conservative and segregated societies; (2) boys are abused in these communities as well (an estimated 1 in 20 or 1 in 25 boys before the age of 18); (3) 90% of abuse is perpetrated by someone known and trusted by the child or child’s family members.

Keeping these facts in mind, and knowing that the sexual abuse of minors is not a Muslim-specific issue but one rooted in criminality and violence, we must understand that addressing it requires expertise beyond the scope of our religious scholars. Preventing such harm calls for the knowledge and guidance of subject matter experts trained in sexual violence, whose empirically-grounded best practices can inform our safeguarding measures. It is essential that we apply these practices in line with our Islamic values, ensuring our prevention efforts are both effective and spiritually aligned.

Islamically-informed sexual health education plays a crucial role in this prevention. Through clear, age-appropriate guidance, we can teach children and families about boundaries, bodily autonomy, and recognizing inappropriate behavior, all framed within an Islamic context that emphasizes the sanctity and dignity of each person. Such education not only empowers individuals with knowledge but also fosters a community-wide culture of protection and mutual respect. By combining expert-driven safeguarding practices with our commitment to Islamic principles, we strengthen our collective responsibility to protect the vulnerable and promote a healthy, safe, and compassionate environment.

No. 7. “(Male) scholars are taking care of this.”

Unfortunately in addressing problems of spiritual abuse and sexual violence, we as a community revert to the same patterns of behavior that contributed to enabling abuse in the first place: we defer exclusively or primarily to male celebrity scholars, whom we believe will resolve all of our problems. We misunderstand the limits of religious scholarly expertise, and we dismiss  or don’t defer to subject matter experts in other domains. Religious scholars are then left to inadequately address issues in the domains of therapy, public health, sexual health, institutional administration, management, to name just a few. This is a meta problem in our community that harms everyone, including the scholars themselves. 

In addressing sexual abuse and spiritual abuse in our communities, we ALL have a role to play. Here are some suggestions for each of us to consider:

Call to Action for Religious Scholars and Institutions:

  • Commit to an ongoing effort to raise awareness and educate the community concerning the specifically religious teachings and legal principles relevant to spiritual abuse and sexual violence. 

  • Observe proper religious and ethical guidelines and hold themselves, their peers, and their institutions accountable to them. Refuse to replatform and speak alongside known predators and spiritual abusers.

  • Train in essentials of safeguarding, family violence, sexual health and abuse. But also stop at the limits of their expertise and publicly model deference, collaboration, and support for the authority of subject matter experts in other domains like sexual violence and spiritual abuse. The reliance on male scholars alone, particularly those with celebrity status, to address complex issues like spiritual abuse and sexual violence not only perpetuates a cycle of harm but also overlooks the importance of interdisciplinary collaboration. To genuinely confront these issues, religious scholars must collaborate with qualified experts in fields such as mental health, public health, sexual health, and social work in a way that respects the boundaries of scholarly expertise and enriches the community’s ability to address abuse with both religious and empirical insight.

  • To regain public trust, Muslim institutions in which perpetrators abused or with which they were associated must go beyond general denouncement of their behavior by developing new policies to prevent recurrence. These must be developed in collaboration with subject matter experts to ensure they are informed by best practices grounded in research, while remaining in harmony with Islamic principles. New policies must also be reported back to the community. 

Call to action to Subject-matter Experts working in domains of sexual health, sexual violence, abuse, safeguarding, and therapy:

  • Fulfill the communal obligation of educating scholars, leaders, and community members on how to understand and address sexual violence and abuse, including what it is and how to know it’s happening.

  • Share their expertise to lead and support our institutions in developing adequate policies (like some of those outlined above).

  • Support individuals seeking healing and/or justice from abuse in family and community contexts.

Call to Action to Every One of Us:

  • Every adult has a safeguarding duty for children they come into contact with: in their immediate and extended family, community, or workplace. Learn and implement the essentials of safeguarding, sexual health, and preventing family violence and spiritual abuse to protect yourself, your family, and your community 

  • Learn what should be deferred to religious authorities (e.g.: fatwa), what is better addressed by counselors and therapists (e.g.: suicidal ideation), and what should be reported immediately and directly to authorities (e.g.: violence and criminal behavior).

  • Do not place any religious leader on a pedestal: revere the religion and have a good opinion of its carriers, but never absolve yourself of your moral responsibility before God.

  • Do everything in your power to hold your scholars and institutions to account: donate, attend, and follow the accounts of those who are maintaining rigorous religious and ethical standards. Reject the replatforming of known predators and spiritual abusers.

  • Support the work of underfunded and underappreciated institutions seeking to fill the many gaps in our community needed to address education, investigation, and training on issues of spiritual abuse and sexual violence. Some of these are listed in the resources below. 

  • In your networks, contribute to changing the discourse in the community so that shame falls only on the perpetrator and never on the victim - especially when the victim is a child. 

A Selection of Further Resources: 

Child Sexual Abuse Prevention: 

Spiritual Abuse: 

  • The Hurma project (addresses violations of trust, harm and abuse committed by those in positions of trust, leadership, or religious authority in Muslim communities)

  • In Shaykh’s Clothing (resources dedicated to help Muslims understand and recover from spiritual abuse)

Mariam Sheibani
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