Safeguarding Children from Abuse: Fulfilling our Islamic Responsibility

A collaborative course with Angelica Lindsey-Ali, Dr, Mariam Sheibani, and Sameera Qureshi

Course Description

Safeguarding Muslim children from abuse is our Islamic responsibility. Fulfilling it requires a collaborative effort grounded in both spiritual and practical guidance. Safeguarding Children from Abuse: Fulfilling our Islamic Responsibility is a four-week course designed to equip parents, community leaders, scholars, and imams to prevent, recognize, and respond to child abuse in its various forms.

Using both Islamic principles and evidence-based practices, this course provides actionable strategies for fostering safer environments in homes, communities, and institutions. Participants will explore critical issues such as common misconceptions around modesty and shame, sin concealment, and cultural conflation that hinder child protection efforts.

By the end of this course, you will walk away with the ability to:

  • Understand the forms, causes, and dynamics around child abuse in the Muslim community.

  • Respond to religious misconceptions that hinder effective prevention and response to child abuse.

  • Prevent and address abuse by applying an Islamic and evidence-based framework that balances values of accountability, compassion, and justice.

  • Implement best practices, safety education, and protective strategies to protect children from abuse in your family and community spaces.


COURSE DETAILS

Dates: Sunday April 20th, 27th, May 4th and 11th

Time: 8am PST / 11am EST / 4pm BST for 90 minutes each week

Location: Online/Zoom (webinar format)

Access: This course will have its own private community on Circle. For those who cannot attend each session live, you will have access to the recordings for 90 days. Course materials and resources will be yours to keep.

Pricing: Early bird access $200 USD (until Friday April 11th); Regular access $250 USD (from April 12th onwards). One-time or two monthly payment options are available.


Course Learning Objectives

Session 1 (April 20th) : Understanding Abuse — How and Why?

  1. Identify the different forms of abuse that can affect children — including emotional, physical, spiritual, financial, and sexual abuse — and dispel common myths using evidence-based facts and statistics, particularly regarding child sexual abuse.

  2. Examine Islamic teachings on the obligation to protect children, including the concepts of amanah, communal vs. individual responsibility, and how religious texts (e.g., hadith on discipline) are often misused to justify harm; distinguish between cultural practices and Islamic guidance (ma'ruf) in child upbringing.

  3. Recognize common grooming and manipulation tactics used by perpetrators, including spiritual manipulation and child-on-child harm, and understand the psychological, spiritual, and developmental impacts abuse has on children.

Session 2 (April 27th): Preventing Abuse

  1. Explore Islamic principles of haya, modesty, and amanah in the context of child protection, clarifying how misuse of these values — along with cultural myths — can prevent proactive education and safety.

  2. Understand a soulful, age-appropriate model of sexual health education for Muslim children (ages 0–7, 7–14, 14+) and how it supports prevention through natural learning moments rather than fear-based or shame-driven “talks.”

  3. Examine the internal barriers parents and communities face — including shame, fear, and religious misconceptions — and reflect on how individual, parental, and communal responsibilities align with Islamic teachings to create safer environments for children.

Session 3 (May 4): Responding to Abuse

  1. Explore Islamic principles of justice, accountability, and sin concealment in the context of abuse, including how religious concepts such as forgiveness, privacy, and trust are often misapplied in ways that silence victims and protect perpetrators.

  2. Identify signs of potential child abuse and understand how to respond compassionately and responsibly when a child discloses abuse — whether as a parent, community member, or leader — including knowledge of mandated reporting and its implications for Muslim institutions.

  3. Learn how to care for and support a child who has experienced abuse, including steps for spiritual and emotional grounding, seeking professional help, and tending to a parent or caregiver’s own healing journey.

Session 4 (May 11): Implementation / Next Steps

  1. Apply the course material in both home and community settings by assessing your child’s needs, engaging in body safety education, and using tools such as conversation starters and role-play to build confidence and clarity.

  2. Distinguish between cultural norms and Islamic guidance when it comes to physical affection, consent, gender norms, and family boundaries — particularly with elders or extended relatives who may resist child safety practices.

  3. Develop an actionable plan to integrate soulful, developmentally appropriate sexual health education that reflects the values of ma’ruf, consent, and prophetic example — countering silence with wisdom, and shame with soulful connection.

Meet the Experts

  • Angelica Lindsey-Ali

    THE VILLAGE AUNTIE

    Angelica Lindsey-Ali is a certified sexual health educator and wellness coach with over 20 years of experience in providing education and support. Popularly known as The Village Auntie, Lindsey-Ali provides one-to-one coaching and women-only workshops on sex, intimacy, and womanhood from an African and Islamic perspective.

  • Dr. Mariam Sheibani

    SCHOLAR | PROFESSOR | COMMUNITY BUILDER

    Dr. Mariam Sheibani is an Assistant Professor of Islamic Thought at Brandeis University and a globally-recognized scholar. She completed a PhD in Islamic Thought from the University of Chicago, postdoc training at Harvard Law School, and has studied the classical religious sciences with Muslim scholars for over two decades. Dr. Sheibani is a community educator who equips people to think through critical issues, co-construct solutions to shared challenges, and offer practical tools for cultivating a God-centered and meaningful spiritual life. Learn more at https://www.mariamsheibani.com.

  • Sameera Qureshi

    ISLAMIC PSYCHOLOGY PRACTITIONER | OCCUPATIONAL THERAPIST

    Sameera Qureshi, MS OTR, is an Occupational Therapist and Islamic Psychology Practitioner specializing in soulful sexual health education, therapy, and training for Muslims. As the founder of Sexual Health for Muslims, her work integrates Islamic traditions of the soul into holistic and practical sexual health frameworks for Muslims and the professionals who serve them. Sameera’s 16-year career has spanned across Islamic schools, communities, and institutions, in North America and internationally through her platform’s global reach.

Enrollment is Open!