There are so many fake, self-proclaimed Somali sheikhs running rampant in our community. These fake sheikhs are con artists and scam people of their hard-earned money. They often prey on vulnerable members of our community, particularly women who have gone through a traumatic experience or are encountering severe hardships. Most of them have a history of abuse and sexual assault. These sheikhs are unqualified and don't possess credentials to teach the Quran or Islamic studies.
Sadly, in our community, just about anyone can proclaim to be a sheikh without demonstrating their qualifications, rigorous training, and comprehensive knowledge. Memorizing the entire Quran doesn't qualify you as a scholar. If that's the case, then children as young as 6 can be sheikhs and scholars. There needs to be some sort of regulatory framework for Somali sheikhs.
There was this one Somali sister in my community who requested a Somali sheikh to do Quran Saar on her to alleviate some hardship she was experiencing. The sheikh requested $500 and even demanded she feed him a nice dinner. The moral audacity, lol. Many of these poor sisters were scammed and even abused by these sheikhs.
Sadly, in our community, just about anyone can proclaim to be a sheikh without demonstrating their qualifications, rigorous training, and comprehensive knowledge. Memorizing the entire Quran doesn't qualify you as a scholar. If that's the case, then children as young as 6 can be sheikhs and scholars. There needs to be some sort of regulatory framework for Somali sheikhs.
There was this one Somali sister in my community who requested a Somali sheikh to do Quran Saar on her to alleviate some hardship she was experiencing. The sheikh requested $500 and even demanded she feed him a nice dinner. The moral audacity, lol. Many of these poor sisters were scammed and even abused by these sheikhs.
