The Ministry of Awqaf has set the topic for today’s Friday sermon, October 10, titled “Correct Your Concepts.” The sermon text is as follows:

Praise be to Allah, who enlightened the hearts of the knowledgeable with the light of knowledge, adorned the minds of the diligent, and elevated the status of the pious. We praise Him appropriately for His majestic face and great authority, and we seek His help as those who have no power or strength except through Him. I bear witness that there is no god but Allah alone, with no partner. He is the First and the Last, the Evident and the Hidden, and He is All-Knowing of everything. I bear witness that our master and prophet Muhammad is His servant and messenger, sent with guidance and the religion of truth, who conveyed the message, fulfilled the trust, advised the nation, removed the distress, and left us on a clear path, whose night is like its day, and none deviates from it except the perishing.

May peace and blessings be upon him, his family, companions, and those who follow them in goodness until the Day of Judgment.

The “Correct Your Concepts” initiative launched by the Ministry of Awqaf is not just a passing slogan but a new spirit flowing through the body of the nation, a diligent effort to revive the authentic Egyptian character after years of intellectual and spiritual erosion that distorted concepts and assassinated upright behavior. The initiative engages with the daily reality of citizens, addressing their issues with a compassionate heart and insightful eye. Its vision is scientific and educational, based on a sound religious discourse, resembling a balm that heals negative phenomena, not through harshness, condemnation, or exclusion, but through awareness, mercy, and beauty. It aims to rebuild an Egyptian person aware of the tolerance of his religion and his national duty, combining discipline and mercy, correct religiosity and refined behavior, carrying the values of survival, progress, and benevolence.

Its motto is strength and firmness in facing crises, its goal is to revive itself and the universe around it, as reflected in the unique Quranic statement: {And whoever saves one [life] – it is as if he had saved mankind entirely}.

Noble people, one of the concepts that must be corrected is cheating in exams, which is betrayal, and persistence in it leads to regret and remorse. The honorable Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, said: “Whoever cheats us is not one of us.” Cheating is forbidden in all its forms, including cheating in exams. It is deceit, sin, and a crime against society. It is neither cleverness nor intelligence, nor a mere reaction to a passing situation at the end of the year, but a calamity. The cheater is bankrupt and wants to keep up with the smart ones, committing a forbidden and criminal act. So, parents, watch your children and teach them that studying and achievement are the path of the pious, and cheating is the way of the weak and miserable.

Teach your children that keeping up with scholars requires effort and diligence, not an innovative cheating method unknown to teachers. Teach them that excelling and success require more preparation; otherwise, punishment awaits the cheater. The honorable Prophet warned us against seeking knowledge with bad intentions and improper methods: “Whoever seeks knowledge to compete with scholars, argue with fools, or to show off before people, Allah will admit him to the Fire.” We, following the footsteps of the Prophet, want our youth to have beneficial knowledge and an educational method that fosters sound thinking, not distorted or illegitimate.

Dear ones, another concept that must be corrected is vandalism of public property, which is a bad behavior where conscience dies and good role models fall. Public property is the backbone of life pulsing through the veins of villages and cities. Life is stabilized through it, people’s needs are met, and security and stability are achieved. Vandalizing this property, whether through negligence, deliberate mischief, or irresponsible use, represents a direct assault on the state’s resources and a psychological and behavioral disconnection from the concept of citizenship. Maintaining public property is our true mirror reflecting to the world our level of civilization and depth of belonging. The relationship between us and our state institutions is based on mutual trust, cooperation, and working to build and preserve this nation. Preserving public property is one of the most important duties, and vandalism is corruption and mischief.

Allah says: {And when he turns away, he strives throughout the land to cause corruption therein and destroy crops and animals. And Allah does not like corruption}.

Praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds, and peace and blessings be upon the noblest of prophets and messengers, our master Muhammad, his family, and companions.

Servants of Allah, another concept that must be corrected is family disputes and the mistaken concepts within them that shake their foundations, spread evil, cause separation, increase divorce rates, which worries the wise and necessitates correcting family situations by returning to the fundamentals of relationships among family members. Allah says: {And of His signs is that He created for you from yourselves mates that you may find tranquility in them; and He placed between you affection and mercy. Indeed in that are signs for a people who give thought}. Let goodness flow in our family life like water in a garden. The honorable Prophet said: “The best of you are the best to their families, and I am the best among you to my family.” The flow of goodness in the family cuts off causes of divorce, stops disputes, and returns to the path of goodness, affection, and mercy.

Dear respected, Allah honored you with guardianship: {Men are in charge of women by [right of] what Allah has given one over the other}. Guardianship is good, not oppression; it is support, not domination or breaking. It is granted to you to be noble, good, responsible, and cooperative. Manhood is granted to be just, moderate, balanced, and patient. Yes, we need to correct the concept of guardianship and manhood.

Beloved ones, spread love in homes, for the Quranic approach guides us to a wise and just solution that requires tolerance and balance. As our Prophet advised: “A believer should not hate a believing woman; if he dislikes one of her characteristics, he will be pleased with another.” We must resort to calm honesty and restraining anger and remember that giving up small rights is an investment in our children’s happiness. Resolving family disputes is a religious and social duty, not merely a choice. Our homes should be strong fortresses raised by affection and stabilized by mercy, not battlegrounds shaking children’s stability. Let us make these homes safe havens and know that exerting effort to reconcile is the true path to salvation in this world and the hereafter.