Nurturing Faith, Building Community
Sohbet Society is a registered charity providing structured religious learning, spiritual mentoring, and community programmes for Muslims across Britain.
Our Story
Sohbet Society is a registered charity (Charity number: 1201607) providing religious learning and spiritual activities for Muslims. Sohbet is a Turkish word and means 'to talk, converse, discuss and engage with one another in a friendly, caring, warm and informal manner'. In our context, we use the word sohbet to mean to converse with one another in a study or discussion circle on the big questions of God, purpose, meaning, faith, religion, and society.
Through Sohbet Society, we provide opportunity for religious learning and spiritual growth and development for Muslims in Britain. We achieve this through a series of activities including study groups, mentoring, outreach, retreats, excursions and social action. Religious and spiritual learning is achieved through semi-structured study groups as well as practical experiences such as social action and retreats.
In all, we aim to offer a friendly, positive and constructive form of authentic religious expression and an environment for genuine spiritual experience that speaks both to the mind and heart, to the personal and social needs of the individual. We believe this nurtures a religious understanding and spiritual mindset that emphasises peaceful social relations and respect for human diversity and dignity.
Part of the Global Hizmet Movement
Sohbet Society is an active component of Hizmet, an Islamically inspired social movement that focuses on education, dialogue, and disaster and poverty relief work. It originated in Turkey in the 1970s based on the teachings and scholarship of Fethullah Gülen, an Islamic scholar and peace advocate. Today, Hizmet is active in over 160 countries worldwide.
Like other social movements, Hizmet includes formalised entities and organisations, but is largely based on informal networks and practices. The Sohbet Society is now formalising Hizmet's pre-existing informal grass-roots religious activism in the UK in order to achieve greater visibility, transparency, professionalism, and structure — so that we may be able to diversify the people who benefit from our services and to further develop our projects and services.
Sohbet Society is a proud member of VOICES, a consortium of Hizmet organisations in the UK.
Our Mission
To provide opportunities for religious learning and spiritual growth and development for Muslims in Britain — offering a friendly, positive and constructive form of authentic religious expression that speaks to both the mind and heart.
Our Vision
A Britain where every Muslim has access to structured spiritual learning, meaningful mentoring, and vibrant community — enabling them to live purposefully and contribute positively to society.
Our Core Values
Authentic Faith
Grounded in Islamic scholarship, offering a constructive and positive form of religious expression for British Muslims.
Warmth & Dialogue
Creating friendly, informal spaces for genuine conversation on faith, purpose, and community — the true spirit of sohbet.
Transparency
Full openness in our governance, finances, and decision-making as a registered UK charity.
Peaceful Coexistence
Nurturing a mindset that emphasises respect for human diversity, dignity, and peaceful social relations.
Our Impact & Transparency
We believe that transparency builds trust. As a registered charity, we are committed to clear reporting on our impact and financial accountability.
18 Governance Policies
Including safeguarding, risk management, conflict of interest, and financial controls.
Active Oversight
Independent board of trustees with clear separation between governance and management.
Financial Accountability
Transparent annual returns and accounts filed with the Charity Commission consistently on schedule.