Moment preacher at London mosque encourages worshippers to beat their wives if they refuse to obey them - as it faces investigation by charity watchdog

A mosque in London with charitable status is facing an investigation after it published sermons encouraging husbands to strike their wives and condoning the execution of gay people.

Videos published on the Hackney Islamic Community Centre's YouTube channel describe gay sex as 'one of the most evil of acts', and urge men to 'discipline' their wives if they disobey them – including if they refuse to have sex.

Another lecture from the same preacher sees him praise Saudi Arabia for continuing to execute people who are accused of 'witchcraft'.

Elsewhere, a community elder at the East London mosque – also known as Masjid Daar Al-Hadeeth – describes it as an 'unfortunate reality' that many women now feel empowered to call the police if they are struck by their husbands.

Campaign group the National Secular Society (NSS) has reported the centre to the Charity Commission, warning that the views it is sharing on social media are incompatible with charitable status.

As a registered charity, the Hackney Islamic Community Centre – which describes itself as helping 'mankind' in its work to 'advance the Islamic faith' – benefits from a considerable number of tax exemptions. 

It paid no tax on £191,097 of income it received in the year to March 2025, according to its most recent published accounts. This included almost £155,000 of direct donations.

It re-registered as a charitable incorporated organisation in April this year, a change in status that separated trustees from its debt and allowed it to own property in a manner similar to a limited company, but governed entirely by charity law.

Hackney Islamic Community Centre teacher Yasin Munye described homosexuality and a wife's disobedience as 'major sins'

Megan Manson, NSS head of campaigns, described the charity's renewal as 'alarming' because it has hosted 'lectures which promote violence against women, say women cannot refuse their husbands sex, and condone the death penalty for gay men and those accused of 'witchcraft'.

'Hackney Islamic Community Centre is just one of many charities promoting misogyny, homophobia and other harmful ideologies through the charitable purpose of "the advancement of religion",' she said.

'This charitable purpose must be urgently reviewed. It is evidently facilitating the advancement of ideas which, far from benefiting the public, could fuel discrimination, division and abuse.'

Many of the most extreme views are contained in a series of video lectures delivered from the centre by Yasin Munye, an 'ustaadh' (teacher) who reads from Manthumatu al-Kaba'ir, a poem that collects what Islam recognises as 'major sins'.

He defined one of them as: 'Disobeying the husband, leaving the house without his permission, and disobeying the husband when it comes to calling her to bed, when it comes to calling her for intimacy, when she says 'no' without any excuse'.

He said: 'Advise her, and boycott her in bed, don't touch her in bed - and discipline them physically as well, by lightly hitting them to show them who is in charge.'

If she refuses, he says, husbands 'don't have to give her a house anymore', adding: 'If a person has multiple wives, then he doesn't have to stay with her; he can abandon her and stay with the other wife until she becomes obedient again.'

In the same lecture, Mr Munye called gay sex 'one of the most evil acts' and 'a crime' that sees both participants 'executed in the Sharia'.

He continued: 'Scholars, they differ on how the execution occurs. Some of them say he is executed through the sword, like every other normal execution. 

'Others say that they are thrown off of a tall building and rocks are thrown after that on top of them.'

In another video, mosque scholar Abu Sa'ad Muhammad Al-Iraqi said it was 'unfortunate' that women felt empowered to call the police if their husbands were violent

Countries including Iran, Saudi Arabia and Yemen continue to execute people for homosexuality under Sharia law.

The terror group Islamic State executed dozens of men accused of homosexuality by throwing them from tall buildings during its peak in the late 2010s.

Elsewhere, Mr Munye said the act of 'sihr', or witchcraft, is 'real', and praised the government of Saudi Arabia for continuing to execute those accused of the practice.

'Sihr (magic) is real, it is true... In Saudi Arabia, they are killed, alhamdulillah (praise be to God), bless that, because a lot of Muslim countries today you don't find this ruling applied,' he says. 

'Alhamdulillah, in that country, that punishment is still applied.'

In 2016, father-of-seven Jalal Uddin, 71, was bludgeoned to death with a hammer in a Rochdale park by Islamic State extremist Mohammed Kadir because he practiced a form of Islamic healing the terror group labelled 'black magic'.

Misogynistic views were expressed in other lectures. 

In another video, mosque scholar Abu Sa'ad Muhammad Al-Iraqi said a woman should serve her husband even if he 'mistreats' her.

'If he is not nice to you and mistreats you, there is a way: you bring your family, speak to his family, to teach him a lesson. But you have to give his right, otherwise don't be his wife,' he said.

'Women think these days, our sisters think, that you only be kind to him if he's been kind back... it doesn't work like that.'

Imam Jalal Uddin was bludgeoned to death in Rochdale in 2016 by an Islamic State fanatic who believed he was practising 'black magic'

He added: 'In another country they (women) can't do that, they won't. But it is an unfortunate reality of this country that they turn wife against husband.

'They know if you slap them once, they'll call the police for you. They don't fear Allah.'

Masjid Daar Al-Hadeeth was contacted for comment.

The Charity Commission says it has received the NSS complaint and will consider it before making a decision on whether to open a statutory inquiry.

A spokesman said: 'The Commission has clear expectations that all charities, regardless of their purpose, must operate for the public benefit and provide a safe and trusted environment for all.

'Concerns have been raised with us about alleged sermons and social media content linked to Hackney Islamic Community Centre and we have opened a regulatory compliance case to further assess these. This will determine any next steps.' 

However, the law may be on the mosque's side.

The Equality Act and Human Rights Act make provisions for the expression of religious freedom, and charity watchdogs have refused to act because teachings are 'in accordance with... religious beliefs'.

Earlier this year, Islamic preacher Ahmed Shah escaped censure after telling worshippers at Hatch End Islamic Centre that it was 'mandatory' for women to do the housework and serve their husbands. 

The Charity Commission instead said it would give 'advice and guidance' to the mosque in north London, which took the sermon down from its YouTube channel.