64-year-old Jalal Uddin, who was a Quran reader at the Jalalia Jaame Mosque in Rochdale of north-west England, was found by passers-by in a children's park with serious head injuries on February 18.
He was taken to a hospital where he succumbed to his injuries.
The accused, Mohammed Hussain Syeedy, has been charged with murder and conspiracy to commit the murder of the cleric after the post-mortem concluded that the cause of the death was a head injury.
A 17-year-old boy who was previously arrested on suspicion of the murder is on bail until April 20.
The cleric's son in a statement said, "Jalal Uddin was a loved and integral part of the community. He was a soft spoken, gentle soul who wouldn't hesitate to help those in need. He was a simple man, but respected by all for his kind and caring nature.