Asaalaamu ‘alaikum wa rahmatAllahi wa barakatu Imam al-Bukhari,
I have loved learning about you these past years, specifically this year. I learned about you through a class I am taking at my local masjid and an all-women’s institute called Ribaat. I was always told if you see a hadith by Al-Bukhari, you trust it, and learning the reason why, I am completely in awe of you.
From the travels you did to acquire knowledge to the thought you put in to recording it in your books, you dedicated your life for the sake of Allah and left us treasures! This day and age, most of us have so much knowledge, and it is at our fingertips, but we do not know what to do with it. Some do not know how to learn, it seems, and some are just occupied in worldly things so much so that it scares me for them.
Learning of the type of man you were, from your honesty to your sacrifices, I wish I could meet someone like you today. Someone with your ethics, love, and dedication to Allah. Better yet, someone like you, that is family to me somehow, who I can feel free to ask and learn from.
I want to thank you for all the work you put in to authenticating hadith for us. You put so much thought into your work and research, and left behind a legacy that has benefited the ummah more than you realize.
Hadiths are such jewels for me. I try to memorize them. I pray I can be like you, and if I am ever tested that I will know them like I know my hands. I have been also wanting to memorize and learn the Quran. I want to get to the point where I know Allah swt more than I know my kids, as I know He knows me more than I know myself.
I pray I can do something as great as you did for our ummah. I am ashamed to say that at 44 years of age, I probably know what you knew at a teenage level. If you were here, I would ask you to include me in your dua. If you were here, I would have been blessed to be your live student, but for now I will be your student through your work and the legacy you left behind.
May Allah reward you and have you meet the Prophet ﷺ, who you worked so hard to bring to us through his teachings. I love you for the sake of Allah and hope our paths cross in Jannat ul-Firdaus, Ameen.
One of your many students you have yet to meet,
Your Sister in Islam
Student, Ribaat Academic Institute, Written for Advanced Seminar: Muslim Men Scholars with Dr. Jumana ElSamna