Our Imam

He is a student of the late Imam W. Deen Mohammed. Imam Shareef served as Imam in 5 U.S. cities and seven military locations worldwide. His Majesty Mohammed VI, the King of Morocco, awarded Imam Shareef the Kingdom’s highest Royal Medal and honor for his outstanding interfaith leadership. He was the first Imam with military service to open a session of the U.S. Congress. He received the U.S. Presidential Lifetime Achievement Award from the 46th President of the U.S. Joe Biden. He was selected as the Muslim representative to speak and introduce President Biden and was honored to be recognized for his service by President Obama, both at the White House.

He is featured in the 73rd Edition of Marquis Who’s Who in America. His strategic vision led to the acquisition and development of nearly $50 million dollar housing and business Islamic legacy project in the Nation’s Capital honoring the first distinguished Muslim woman in America’s history, Sister Clara Muhammad. He has contributed to several books, written several articles, and appeared in several media broadcasts and publications such as CNN, Fox, CBS, NBC, ABC, PBS, Voice of America, AlJazeerah, Reuters, The Economist, Newsweek, Washington Post, Foreign Policy Magazine, World Religion News, Forbes, New Haven Register, Religion News Service, National Catholic Reporter, the Catholic Register, The National News, the U.S.
Embassy in Chad, and more.

He’s traveled for interfaith peacebuilding, countering/preventing extremism, Islam in America, and religious freedom forums in the countries of Denmark, S. Korea, Nigeria, Saudi Arabia, Italy, Turkey, South America, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, United Arab Emirates, Indonesia, Germany, Philippines, S. Africa, and N. Ireland.  He has also traveled to the Middle East several times for orientation and engagement on the Israeli-Palestinian Situation.

He was sponsored by the U.S. Department of State and the Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs to speak in, travel across, and meet with various leaders in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. He offered the opening prayer on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial for the 50th Anniversary of Dr. King’s March on Washington; a key speaker at former President George H.W. Bush’s Points of Light Conference’s Faith Summit; Spoke at the South African Embassy celebration of Nelson Mandela’s life; led historic delegation to and addressed over 500,000 in South Africa; Hosted Press Conference/Panel for then
Presidential Candidate, Senator Bernie Sanders at the Nation’s Mosque to address religious bigotry.

He Spoke at Sojourner Douglass College memorial honoring human rights
activist, Coretta Scott King. Co-initiated the U.S. Military commissioning its first Islamic Chaplain in 1993. He participated in signing the Abuja Peace Declaration in Nigeria and the Bukhara Declaration in Uzbekistan. Co-organized, spoke and led the historic Islamic congregational prayer at the Washington National Cathedral. Addressed the ills of Human Trafficking on Capitol Hill.

He Hosted the “Unlikely Alliance”, “God Needs No Defense” Forum in partnership with the World Evangelical Alliance (One of world’s largest Christian organizations) and Indonesia’s Nahdlatul Ulama (the world’s largest Muslim Organization). Member of the D.C. Mayor’s Interfaith Council; served as President and Chairman of the Interfaith Conference organization. He is the President of the Resolution Hub for Peace; Appointed to the DHS Faith-Based Security Advisory Committee.

He is the Recipient of the IWDM Global Ambassador for Peace Award; the IWDM Commitment to Service Award, Imam of the Year, the NAACP Roy Wilkins Leadership Award, and is heavily decorated with military honors.

Imam Shareef and his wife, Tahirah, have six children (3 by adoption), and they have fostered several children over the years.