Alhamdulillah! Even today, Islamic schools in the Ummah of Muhammad (PBUH) are those lamps where the fragrance of the Quran and Sunnah spreads, and where the gatherings of Khatm-e-Bukhari Sharif bring peace to souls. These are the scenes that make the heart bow down, that religion is still alive, faith is still breathing.
But alas, somewhere in the midst of this light, a haze descends. That haze, in which there is knowledge, but the fragrance of modesty fades. It has been observed that some female scholars, on the occasion of the sacred completion of Bukhari Sharif, wear garlands on their hands, place their hands on the book of Bukhari, take pictures, and spread them on social media. As if knowledge is not an adornment, adornment has been made knowledge.
O inheritors of religious knowledge!
Look back, in the pages of the book from which you took knowledge, you also read this saying of the Holy Prophet (PBUH):
Al-Haya'u Shu'batun minal Iman
(Al-Bukhari: 9)
Translation: Modesty is a branch of faith.
Then where did that modesty go?
Which made woman honorable, which made Fatima Zahra (RA) the leader of Paradise, which made Aisha Siddiqa (RA) a symbol of knowledge and dignity. Has that same modesty departed from the hands of today's female scholars?
Remember! A woman's hand, a woman's gaze, a woman's manner are all included in the veil. Those hands that rest on Bukhari Sharif, look good in the sincerity of worship, not in the frame of a picture.
O daughters of knowledge! Your knowledge has not been given to you for fame, but to reform the hearts of the Ummah. You are the trees in whose shade generations thrive. There is dignity in your gait, gentleness in your tongue, honor in your veil, and survival of Islam in your character.
When you make Al-Haya'u Shu'batun minal Iman your motto, then those generations will grow up from your hands in whose hearts the love of the Prophet (PBUH) will be surging. Otherwise, if knowledge is devoid of modesty, it is not light, but fire. Which first burns itself, then the society.
Today the Ummah is in decline. Because knowledge has become separate from action, worship has become devoid of sincerity, and modesty has been sacrificed to fashion. The respect of madrassas does not increase only by teaching, but by showing a glimpse of the life of Mustafa (PBUH).
O sisters who are the custodians of knowledge! If there is the fragrance of Bukhari Sharif in your fingers, then there should also be the light of piety on your face. From your style, the Ummah should remember the simplicity of Syeda Fatima (RA), from your manner of speaking, the wisdom of Aisha (RA) should be reflected, from your actions, the dignity of Khadija (RA) should be visible.
Whether it is Khatm Bukhari, Khatm Ghousia, or Dars-e-Quran, the purpose of every gathering should be the welfare of the Ummah, not show off or applause. If even one heart repents from sin from your gathering, then that is your greatest status.
This is the time to save the sanctity of knowledge. This is the time to adorn the status of women with the crown of modesty. This is the time to give the Ummah the same message that emanates from every chapter of Bukhari Sharif. That knowledge without modesty is like a body without a soul.
So rise up! Make your veil your pride, make your simplicity your ornament, and make your knowledge a means of reforming the Ummah. Then your gatherings will not remain mere events, but they will become madrasas that change the destiny of the Ummah.
May Allah Almighty grant us modesty with knowledge, sincerity instead of fame, and inner light instead of outward adornment.
Ameen, O Lord of the Worlds.