Resident Scholar (Alim)Sheikh Mustafa Akhound
Sheikh Mustafa Akhound serves as the Resident Scholar (Alim) at the Imam Ali Center, acting as the center's active spiritual director and safeguarding its core founding mission. As the local resident authority, he leads daily and Friday (Jumu'ah) prayers, delivers regular sermons, and officiates major religious observances, including Ramadan and Eid programs. Grounded in traditional seminary leadership, Sheikh Mustafa provides compassionate pastoral care—offering family counseling, officiating marriage ceremonies (Nikah), and guiding youth through dedicated spiritual mentorship. In his leadership role, he oversees all institutional partnerships and public programs to ensure the center steadfastly preserves its core values while serving the broader Northern Virginia community.
Assistant Resident ScholarSheikh Mohammad Baghernejad
Sheikh Mohammad Baghernejad serves as Assistant Resident Scholar at the Imam Ali Center in Springfield, Virginia, where he shapes the academic vision and leads the institutional curriculum. Holding primary authority over educational standards, textbook selections, and instructional frameworks, he oversees programming across youth weekend schools, Quranic studies, and adult academic seminars. In addition to his mentorship of teaching staff and curation of community workshops, Sheikh Baghernejad fulfills assistant resident scholar duties, stepping in to lead prayers, deliver sermons, and provide ongoing spiritual leadership. Beyond his work at the center, he brings extensive administrative experience as the CEO of Imam Sadiq Academy (imamsadiq.ac), bridging traditional Islamic scholarship with modern educational management.
