Muhammad Alshareef, the founder of AlMaghrib Institute, passed away on Thursday, July 21, 2022.
The AlMaghrib Institute was one of Houston, Texas’s most important centers for Islamic Studies. The institute was founded 20 years ago, a year after the terrible 9/11 attacks when the knowledge of Islam was minimal and not as easy to study or teach.
Both Alshareef and the institute faced much discrimination. Still, the man pushed through, and since then, his work has impacted several hundred thousand students worldwide with seminars and programs on various topics related to Islam. Because of his tireless work for Islam and the institute, Alshareef was known as a leader and a teacher.
Alshareef founded DiscoverU in 2006, a Muslim life mastery course with various programs to help people become better Muslims.
Alshareef had an influence that extended far and wide across the country. He was primarily seen as one of the most essential and famous leaders of the Islamic community in the USA.
Muhammad Alshareef Wife, Was He Married?
As a private person, Muhammad Alshareef never disclosed his marital status, but many sources claim he did not have a wife.
A man who had dedicated himself to Islam, it is more than likely that Alshareef did not have time to find a partner. After creating the AlMaghrib Institute right after 9/11, Alshareef and the institute have come under fire and have been involved in various controversies.
Simply due to the nature of the institute and its place in America, it has come under much scrutiny.
This scrutiny and controversy come from the following acts: the sales of recordings by Anwar al-Awaki, a rumored member of Al-Qaeda, and the assumption that many students of the institute were found to be involved in terrorist actions, such as Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, who attempted to detonate a plastic explosive in December 2009.
Daniel Maldonado, an Islamic convert, was convicted of training Al-Qaeda militia in Somalia; and Tarek Mehanna, a pharmacist, was convicted of conspiracy.
On the other side, Alshareef has faced his fair share of criticism from fellow Muslims for being liberal and apolitical.
As a result of both external and internal scrutiny, the institute AlMaghrib attempted to change its image many times. Alshareef was banned from entering Denmark.
However, despite all the controversies, Alshareef never wavered in his beliefs and worked to make space for Islam in Northern America.
How Did Muhammad Alshareef Die?
According to the official statement on Muhammad Alshareef’s Twitter page, the Islamic leader passed away unexpectedly.
The page provided no other details, though they clearly stated that Alshareef did not have any pre-existing conditions and that the man was perfectly healthy.
However, they ended their statement by saying that life is not promised, and Alshareef took advantage of his time on Earth as much as he could.
Following the news of his passing, Twitter exploded with fans grieving for the great leader. Many could not believe the news of his death, but for the most part, the sentiment was of gratitude than sadness, as Alshareef’s fans were thankful for all he did for them and Islam.
Alshareef is survived by his family and the hundreds of thousands of people he helped and inspired through the AlMaghrib Institute and DiscoverU. The world mourns Alshareeb.
Muhammad Alshareef Family Bio
Muhammad Alshareef was born in 1975 in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, to Islamic parents who emigrated from Egypt.
His parents began teaching him the Quran when he was a toddler, which sparked his curiosity and led to him memorizing the holy book at a young age. He studied at Madinah University, where he graduated with honors in 1999 after six years of analysis.
A couple of years after his graduation, Alshareef created the AlMaghrib Institute.