Egypt’s Minister of Endowments Mohamed Mokhtar has limited the Friday sermon to 10 minutes.
He said during a televised interview on Saturday, that the longest Friday sermon delivered by Prophet Mohamed was within 8-10 minutes. Mokhtar explained that setting the 10-minute limit will ensure better performance.
He stressed that those who wish to acquire more religious knowledge can attend the daily lessons, which are organized daily.
He also added that lesson sessions in mosques will be organized intensively during the coming period and that the lessons were previously only once a day, but the major mosques will witness two lessons, one in the afternoon and the other after the evening prayer, according to the organized schedule.
He pointed out that the rest of the mosques will witness three lessons in the afternoon and three after the evening prayer, in addition to the lessons of female preachers after the noon prayer.
He explained that the Holy Qur’an memorization headquarters for women who are memorizers approved by the ministry will be opened after the noon prayer.
He pointed out that the Quranic headquarters were previously reserved for imams and memorizers only, but that they will be opened twice a week, one for imams and the other for the audience of mosque-goers.
Gomaa described the square of the Imam Hussein Mosque as having become dusty and a sign in the architecture of Aal al-Bayt mosques.
He said that what is currently happening in the Sayeda Zainab Mosque is no less than what was done in the Imam Hussein Mosque, explaining that the mosque is open from ten in the morning until after the evening prayer.
He added that the square will be opened as an outlet during the summer until 12 o’clock (midnight), and explained the choice of this date without leaving it open until the morning: “People want to return to their homes and sleep and be able to wake up to work in the morning and do their work.”
He pointed out that the ministry is keen to achieve harmony between the spiritual and devotional dimension and the citizens’ performance of their work.
