DawudTalut
Peace be upon you.
Peace be on you.
[23:2]Surely, success does come to the believers,
[23:3]Who are humble in their Prayers.
Hazrat Khalifatul Messiah V (may Allah be his Helper) said that In the first verse, by saying ‘qad aflahal momenoon’, Allah the Exalted has granted the glad tidings of success to believers. Various conditions of such believers are mentioned in next to above verses. Success come to those believers who live life according to these conditions. The first condition or property mentioned in above verses, which a believer should have, is ‘fi salatehim khashey-oon’ i.e. they exercise ‘khushu’ in their Prayers. Commonly the word ‘Khashey’ is translated as those who cry and show throbbing in their Salaat / Prayer. But it has other meanings too. Till fulfillment of all meanings, the state of real excellence is not developed in a believer. According to lexicons, the meanings are:
To adopt extreme humbleness
To be and do effort to make the own self very low
To reduce the self to nothing
To keep the eyes lower
To keep the voice low
Thus in this one word, a large picture of a real believer’s Salaat and worship is drawn who will try to adopt these qualities to seek pleasure of Allah the Exalted, he will also be paying attention to pay rights of creation of Allah the Exalted as He commanded. These Prayers will correct his worldly matters, he will try to be according to the words of Hazrat Promised Messiah (on whom be peace):
Be lower than everyone in your thinking
Perhaps by this, entry will be in house of meeting
By doing so he will get rid from clutches of ego and self and correct his worldly matters too. He will caste eyes lower not only in Salaat but exercise it with modesty in usual daily matters and hence will be saved from ills of society. By gaining understanding to lower voice in worships, he will also be keeping it low in daily dealings by avoiding yelling and brawl.
Thus a believer is able to avoid many evils related to daily life due to Salaat and worships.
Allah says people who offer such Salaat and worships get ‘falah’. One translation of ‘falah’ is success. But it has vast meaning in lexicons:
Eases, abundance, fortunate, desire fulfilled, security, permanent goodness and happiness and getting bounties of life.
So there are various benefits, beyond imagination, for those who do virtues for the pleasure of Allah the Exalted and the first step is to exercise ‘khushu’ (humbleness and other meanings) in Salaat and to do worship.
As far as mere humbleness is concerned, sometime worldly people show quite humbleness and cry when their worldly interests get affected. They even get ready to become most belittle. Seeing their state sometimes makes others emotional. But in fact, their condition is for personal interest, show off or under temporary impulse, not for the sake of pleasure of God the Exalted.
The one who seeks pleasure of God the Exalted is far away from these apparent things.
About the apparent condition of worldly people or those who cry, Hazrat Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) said that he has seen many such faqir [who pretend to be saint-like] and others that at the time of reading of sad verse of poetry or seeing sad scene or listening a sad story their tears start to fall so quickly as some clouds so quickly drop their thick droplets that they do not give time to people who sleep in open to take their beddings inside without it being wet. But I bear witness with my personal testimony that many times I found such people very tricky and more to earthly people, I have found some such ill natured, trustless and evil doer from every angle, that by seeing their habit of crying and throbbing and quality of humbleness, I feel disgust to show such weeping and pathos in gathering.
Thus there are people who are quick to shed tears. It is temporary passion. When there are personal interests, they may commit oppression with no mercy. They commit evils which God do not like, they offer Salaat and worships for show off. Such people do not fall in category:
[23:2]Surely, success does come to the believers,
There is a narrative about an elder [told by Hazrat Khalifatul Messiah II (r.a.) with reference to Hazrat Khalifatul Messiah I (r.a.)] that he regularly offered Prayers / Salaat in mosque praise from people. But God the Exalted put idea in the hearts of people such that everyone considered him hypocrite. [God wanted to do good with him due to any of his previous virtue]. One day the elder thought that so much time has passed and no one has called me virtuous, if I had offered worship purely for God the Exalted He would have pleased with me. This thought came to him with such intensity that he immediately went to a jungle (for seclusion) , cried, prayed, repented and made promise: O God now I shall offer worship just for your pleasure….. When he came back, God the Exalted put the thought in the hearts of people that this person is very virtuous but who knows why he is defamed by people! ……Young and elders began to praise him. The elder thanked God: O God I Prayed for your pleasure only for one day, as the result people began to praise me.
As soon as he realized and began to offer worship to purely please Allah the Exalted, He became pleased with him. Now he did not have desire of fame but people began to praise him which he could not get despite desire. Situation reversed……Second result is that God the Exalted considers one’s previous virtues and provides means for reform for someone. When people called that elder hypocrite he realized the need of his reform…….God the Exalted did not want people wrongly the person him to save him from getting wrong impression…… Eventually he was counted in those who get ‘falah’.
So it depends on Allah the Exalted being Al-Rahman [The Gracious, Who blesses even without asking] if Allah the Exalted wants He can reform someone who had done good virtues in past, like this, and saves the one from bad ending.…. But Allah the Exalted has given guarantee of ‘falah’ to those believers who try to get blessings from His Raheemiyyat [from divine attribute Al-Raheem: The One Who is repeatedly merciful, Who blesses after asking].
The first requirement to get benefit from Divine Attribute Al-Raheem is to practice ‘khusu’ [humbleness and other meanings given above] for the sake of Allah the Exalted, in Salaat and other worships…. Hazrat Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) has explained this subject by making an analogy with various periods of human creation. The part related to:
[23:3]Who are humble in their Prayers.
is being presented. It explains that to be able to offer sustainable virtue or worships, one has to remain connected with Divine Attribute Al-Raheem. One should consider one’s worship are means provided by His grace so that one should remain connected with Him.
Quote:
The Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) writes: The first stage of a believer's spiritual state is that humility, weeping and tender-heartedness which a believer experiences during Salat and remembrance of Allah. That is, to generate in oneself a spirit of supplication, poignancy, humility, extreme humbleness, meekness of soul, ardour and warmth. To assume a state of fear while turning to the Glorious God as this verse states: 'Surely, success comes to the believers, Who are humble in their Prayers.' (23: 2-3). That is, successful are the believers who are humble in their Salat and during remembrance of Allah and who are engaged in remembrance of their Lord with poignancy, tender-heartedness, ardour and heart-felt passion.'
The Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) also wrote: 'People who reflect over the Holy Qur'an may understand that state of humility during Salat is like seminal fluid for one's spiritual state. And just like seminal fluid, but in a spiritual sense, it has latent within it all the powers, qualities and features to make a perfect human form. Just as seminal fluid is in a precarious state until it reaches the womb (uterus) similarly this rudimentary spiritual state, that is humility, is not out of danger unless it connects to the Ever Merciful (Raheem) God. It should be remembered that when God Almighty's beneficence is granted without any effort, it is by virtue of the Divine quality of Rahmaniyyat. For example God created heavens and earth for man or He created man, all this manifested by virtue of the grace of Rahmaiyyat. However, when a grace is bestowed owing to some practice, worship, spiritual exercise and endeavour, it is a beneficence of Raheemiyyat. This has always been the way of Allah for mankind. As long as man adopts state of humility in Salat and during remembrance of Allah he prepares himself for the grace of Raheemiyyat. The difference between seminal fluid and the first stage of the spiritual state is that seminal fluid is dependent on being attracted by the womb and this state is dependent on the pull of Raheem God. Just as it is possible for seminal fluid to be wasted before being drawn to the womb it is also possible for the first stage of the spiritual state, that is, humility, to be ruined before being connected to Raheem God.
Many people weep and cry during Salat while they are in the early spiritual stages. They exhibit strange mannerisms and passion in their love of God but because they do not forge a connection with the Source of Grace, that is Raheem God, and they are not drawn to Him owing to His special manifestation, all their pathos and state of humility is baseless and at times they slip and stumble so much so that they regress beyond their initial spiritual stage. This is an amazing, interesting similarity that just as seminal fluid is the first stage of physical state and unless it is drawn to the womb it is nothing in itself, likewise humility is the initial stage of spiritual state and unless it is helped by Raheem God and is drawn to Him, humility is nothing in itself.
This is why you will find thousands of people who once derived pleasure in some part of their life in remembrance of Allah and during Salat, they had trance-like experiences and they wept but then some evil got hold of them that once they were drawn to selfish matters they lost all the spirituality due to their passion for worldly desires. It is a grave cause for concern that often state of humility is lost before being connected to Raheemiyyat and is ruined before pull of Raheem God can work on it.' (Baraheen e Ahmadiyya, Part V. pp. 188 – 190)
[Quote from alislam.org]
Thus no one can make claim that his worships has reached to the highest standard of ‘khushu’. Khushu is comprised of all parts mentioned earlier in its meanings. When these parts are practiced with full humbleness, the divine attribute Al-Raheem brings fruit for it. As in the above example explained by Hazrat Promised Messiah (a.s.), one does not know when Al-Raheem God will accept and bring fruit. Thus a continuous effort is needed. It is like the time for fertilization which is not apparent that when fetus will begin to develop. And as sometimes defects develop in fetus, a times ‘khushu’ bear fruit then hidden doubt is developed in person; he become arrogant. It is like those who accept Prophets then deny them due to arrogance and they abandon virtues. Their connection with God the Exalted remains as long as they remain connected with His Prophet. When this connection is broken man falls in the well of disgrace and unrighteousness. In hearts, there should always be fear of Allah the Exalted, and there should be effort to get blessing of His Raheemiyyat, and one should always seek His blessings, and there should be effort to make real connection with Allah the Exalted. One should not get proud of doing little effort or with acceptance of one or two prayers or seeing few true dreams. Allah the Exalted has no where said that acceptance of your couple of prayers and seeing few true dreams will count you in those who get ‘falah’.
Those who get nearness of Allah the Exalted and get ‘falah’ -- despite being extremely humble, despite avoiding vain things, despite spending in the path of Allah the Exalted, despite guarding their chastity, despite fulfilling their promises, despite paying rights of their worships, despite paying rights of their Salaat and saving them – yet they say O Allah wrap us in the sheet of Your blessings; we are nothing without it.
Thus it is blessing of Allah the Exalted which gives acceptance to a person’s continuous effort which he does to absorb His Raheemiyyat. The person is accepted by Allah’s blessing and his end is best. A real believer should always keep in view that Allah, no doubt, has said that “Surely, ‘falah’ / success does come to the believers.” who do such and such acts But to make this falah part of his life, a believer should not consider every progress and every blessing from Allah the Exalted as result of his effort. After every progress, he should think he has done nothing. If this sense is developed, progress will be continued, otherwise like a undeveloped wasted sperm in few weeks from womb, our act (due to any misdeed) can be wasted (and does) after becoming useless after a temporary absorption of Allah’s grace. We should be attentive for our end so that , by the grace of Allah the Exalted. by absorbing His Raheemiyyat, our each act should bear a child [metaphor for result] which is complete in all respect, we should be counted among those who whose meekness and lowliness increases too as they progress in offering worship. If Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) – we cannot imagine the beauty of his offering of worships – says that I would go to paradise by the grace of Allah the Exalted then how anyone else’s deed can take him to paradise or Allah the Exalted will remain pleased with him. Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) – despite all these things that he was granted the assurance, he came to reform the world, and there none whose act was like his, he too strengthened his ‘khushu’ such that he did not realized that his feet swelled during offering of Nawafil. To absorb blessing of Allah the Exalted, everyone should continuously keep in view his meekness and fear of Allah the Exalted.
There should be a clear difference in a true believer’s Salaat from the beginning to end. If he possessed any part of ego or arrogance in him before start of Salaat, by the end of Salaat his heart should be clean of these things. Likewise are other worships. The end of each worship should mean the end of believer’s arrogance, and to adopt meekness. Daily dealing with each other should contain meekness of heart for the sake to seek pleasure of Allah the Exalted.
Thus worships should make us to continuously bow so that Raheemiyyat [Repeated mercy, mercy for seekers] of Allah the Exalted always give fresh, healthy, growing fruits. May each day let us identify our weakness and help us to increase blessings of Allah the Exalted. May He enable us to say Istighfar [cover, forgiveness, help] always. Our each virtue (if it is virtue near Allah) become the mean to get pleasure of Allah the Exalted Exalted. May each of us be among those who get ‘falah’ in the eyes of Allah the Exalted. [Aameen]
Reference: Based on Friday sermon (April 10 , 2015, UK) by Hazrat Khalifatul Messiah V (may Allah help him with His Mighty Help) – alislam.org, mta.tv
[23:2]Surely, success does come to the believers,
[23:3]Who are humble in their Prayers.
Hazrat Khalifatul Messiah V (may Allah be his Helper) said that In the first verse, by saying ‘qad aflahal momenoon’, Allah the Exalted has granted the glad tidings of success to believers. Various conditions of such believers are mentioned in next to above verses. Success come to those believers who live life according to these conditions. The first condition or property mentioned in above verses, which a believer should have, is ‘fi salatehim khashey-oon’ i.e. they exercise ‘khushu’ in their Prayers. Commonly the word ‘Khashey’ is translated as those who cry and show throbbing in their Salaat / Prayer. But it has other meanings too. Till fulfillment of all meanings, the state of real excellence is not developed in a believer. According to lexicons, the meanings are:
To adopt extreme humbleness
To be and do effort to make the own self very low
To reduce the self to nothing
To keep the eyes lower
To keep the voice low
Thus in this one word, a large picture of a real believer’s Salaat and worship is drawn who will try to adopt these qualities to seek pleasure of Allah the Exalted, he will also be paying attention to pay rights of creation of Allah the Exalted as He commanded. These Prayers will correct his worldly matters, he will try to be according to the words of Hazrat Promised Messiah (on whom be peace):
Be lower than everyone in your thinking
Perhaps by this, entry will be in house of meeting
By doing so he will get rid from clutches of ego and self and correct his worldly matters too. He will caste eyes lower not only in Salaat but exercise it with modesty in usual daily matters and hence will be saved from ills of society. By gaining understanding to lower voice in worships, he will also be keeping it low in daily dealings by avoiding yelling and brawl.
Thus a believer is able to avoid many evils related to daily life due to Salaat and worships.
Allah says people who offer such Salaat and worships get ‘falah’. One translation of ‘falah’ is success. But it has vast meaning in lexicons:
Eases, abundance, fortunate, desire fulfilled, security, permanent goodness and happiness and getting bounties of life.
So there are various benefits, beyond imagination, for those who do virtues for the pleasure of Allah the Exalted and the first step is to exercise ‘khushu’ (humbleness and other meanings) in Salaat and to do worship.
As far as mere humbleness is concerned, sometime worldly people show quite humbleness and cry when their worldly interests get affected. They even get ready to become most belittle. Seeing their state sometimes makes others emotional. But in fact, their condition is for personal interest, show off or under temporary impulse, not for the sake of pleasure of God the Exalted.
The one who seeks pleasure of God the Exalted is far away from these apparent things.
About the apparent condition of worldly people or those who cry, Hazrat Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) said that he has seen many such faqir [who pretend to be saint-like] and others that at the time of reading of sad verse of poetry or seeing sad scene or listening a sad story their tears start to fall so quickly as some clouds so quickly drop their thick droplets that they do not give time to people who sleep in open to take their beddings inside without it being wet. But I bear witness with my personal testimony that many times I found such people very tricky and more to earthly people, I have found some such ill natured, trustless and evil doer from every angle, that by seeing their habit of crying and throbbing and quality of humbleness, I feel disgust to show such weeping and pathos in gathering.
Thus there are people who are quick to shed tears. It is temporary passion. When there are personal interests, they may commit oppression with no mercy. They commit evils which God do not like, they offer Salaat and worships for show off. Such people do not fall in category:
[23:2]Surely, success does come to the believers,
There is a narrative about an elder [told by Hazrat Khalifatul Messiah II (r.a.) with reference to Hazrat Khalifatul Messiah I (r.a.)] that he regularly offered Prayers / Salaat in mosque praise from people. But God the Exalted put idea in the hearts of people such that everyone considered him hypocrite. [God wanted to do good with him due to any of his previous virtue]. One day the elder thought that so much time has passed and no one has called me virtuous, if I had offered worship purely for God the Exalted He would have pleased with me. This thought came to him with such intensity that he immediately went to a jungle (for seclusion) , cried, prayed, repented and made promise: O God now I shall offer worship just for your pleasure….. When he came back, God the Exalted put the thought in the hearts of people that this person is very virtuous but who knows why he is defamed by people! ……Young and elders began to praise him. The elder thanked God: O God I Prayed for your pleasure only for one day, as the result people began to praise me.
As soon as he realized and began to offer worship to purely please Allah the Exalted, He became pleased with him. Now he did not have desire of fame but people began to praise him which he could not get despite desire. Situation reversed……Second result is that God the Exalted considers one’s previous virtues and provides means for reform for someone. When people called that elder hypocrite he realized the need of his reform…….God the Exalted did not want people wrongly the person him to save him from getting wrong impression…… Eventually he was counted in those who get ‘falah’.
So it depends on Allah the Exalted being Al-Rahman [The Gracious, Who blesses even without asking] if Allah the Exalted wants He can reform someone who had done good virtues in past, like this, and saves the one from bad ending.…. But Allah the Exalted has given guarantee of ‘falah’ to those believers who try to get blessings from His Raheemiyyat [from divine attribute Al-Raheem: The One Who is repeatedly merciful, Who blesses after asking].
The first requirement to get benefit from Divine Attribute Al-Raheem is to practice ‘khusu’ [humbleness and other meanings given above] for the sake of Allah the Exalted, in Salaat and other worships…. Hazrat Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) has explained this subject by making an analogy with various periods of human creation. The part related to:
[23:3]Who are humble in their Prayers.
is being presented. It explains that to be able to offer sustainable virtue or worships, one has to remain connected with Divine Attribute Al-Raheem. One should consider one’s worship are means provided by His grace so that one should remain connected with Him.
Quote:
The Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) writes: The first stage of a believer's spiritual state is that humility, weeping and tender-heartedness which a believer experiences during Salat and remembrance of Allah. That is, to generate in oneself a spirit of supplication, poignancy, humility, extreme humbleness, meekness of soul, ardour and warmth. To assume a state of fear while turning to the Glorious God as this verse states: 'Surely, success comes to the believers, Who are humble in their Prayers.' (23: 2-3). That is, successful are the believers who are humble in their Salat and during remembrance of Allah and who are engaged in remembrance of their Lord with poignancy, tender-heartedness, ardour and heart-felt passion.'
The Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) also wrote: 'People who reflect over the Holy Qur'an may understand that state of humility during Salat is like seminal fluid for one's spiritual state. And just like seminal fluid, but in a spiritual sense, it has latent within it all the powers, qualities and features to make a perfect human form. Just as seminal fluid is in a precarious state until it reaches the womb (uterus) similarly this rudimentary spiritual state, that is humility, is not out of danger unless it connects to the Ever Merciful (Raheem) God. It should be remembered that when God Almighty's beneficence is granted without any effort, it is by virtue of the Divine quality of Rahmaniyyat. For example God created heavens and earth for man or He created man, all this manifested by virtue of the grace of Rahmaiyyat. However, when a grace is bestowed owing to some practice, worship, spiritual exercise and endeavour, it is a beneficence of Raheemiyyat. This has always been the way of Allah for mankind. As long as man adopts state of humility in Salat and during remembrance of Allah he prepares himself for the grace of Raheemiyyat. The difference between seminal fluid and the first stage of the spiritual state is that seminal fluid is dependent on being attracted by the womb and this state is dependent on the pull of Raheem God. Just as it is possible for seminal fluid to be wasted before being drawn to the womb it is also possible for the first stage of the spiritual state, that is, humility, to be ruined before being connected to Raheem God.
Many people weep and cry during Salat while they are in the early spiritual stages. They exhibit strange mannerisms and passion in their love of God but because they do not forge a connection with the Source of Grace, that is Raheem God, and they are not drawn to Him owing to His special manifestation, all their pathos and state of humility is baseless and at times they slip and stumble so much so that they regress beyond their initial spiritual stage. This is an amazing, interesting similarity that just as seminal fluid is the first stage of physical state and unless it is drawn to the womb it is nothing in itself, likewise humility is the initial stage of spiritual state and unless it is helped by Raheem God and is drawn to Him, humility is nothing in itself.
This is why you will find thousands of people who once derived pleasure in some part of their life in remembrance of Allah and during Salat, they had trance-like experiences and they wept but then some evil got hold of them that once they were drawn to selfish matters they lost all the spirituality due to their passion for worldly desires. It is a grave cause for concern that often state of humility is lost before being connected to Raheemiyyat and is ruined before pull of Raheem God can work on it.' (Baraheen e Ahmadiyya, Part V. pp. 188 – 190)
[Quote from alislam.org]
Thus no one can make claim that his worships has reached to the highest standard of ‘khushu’. Khushu is comprised of all parts mentioned earlier in its meanings. When these parts are practiced with full humbleness, the divine attribute Al-Raheem brings fruit for it. As in the above example explained by Hazrat Promised Messiah (a.s.), one does not know when Al-Raheem God will accept and bring fruit. Thus a continuous effort is needed. It is like the time for fertilization which is not apparent that when fetus will begin to develop. And as sometimes defects develop in fetus, a times ‘khushu’ bear fruit then hidden doubt is developed in person; he become arrogant. It is like those who accept Prophets then deny them due to arrogance and they abandon virtues. Their connection with God the Exalted remains as long as they remain connected with His Prophet. When this connection is broken man falls in the well of disgrace and unrighteousness. In hearts, there should always be fear of Allah the Exalted, and there should be effort to get blessing of His Raheemiyyat, and one should always seek His blessings, and there should be effort to make real connection with Allah the Exalted. One should not get proud of doing little effort or with acceptance of one or two prayers or seeing few true dreams. Allah the Exalted has no where said that acceptance of your couple of prayers and seeing few true dreams will count you in those who get ‘falah’.
Those who get nearness of Allah the Exalted and get ‘falah’ -- despite being extremely humble, despite avoiding vain things, despite spending in the path of Allah the Exalted, despite guarding their chastity, despite fulfilling their promises, despite paying rights of their worships, despite paying rights of their Salaat and saving them – yet they say O Allah wrap us in the sheet of Your blessings; we are nothing without it.
Thus it is blessing of Allah the Exalted which gives acceptance to a person’s continuous effort which he does to absorb His Raheemiyyat. The person is accepted by Allah’s blessing and his end is best. A real believer should always keep in view that Allah, no doubt, has said that “Surely, ‘falah’ / success does come to the believers.” who do such and such acts But to make this falah part of his life, a believer should not consider every progress and every blessing from Allah the Exalted as result of his effort. After every progress, he should think he has done nothing. If this sense is developed, progress will be continued, otherwise like a undeveloped wasted sperm in few weeks from womb, our act (due to any misdeed) can be wasted (and does) after becoming useless after a temporary absorption of Allah’s grace. We should be attentive for our end so that , by the grace of Allah the Exalted. by absorbing His Raheemiyyat, our each act should bear a child [metaphor for result] which is complete in all respect, we should be counted among those who whose meekness and lowliness increases too as they progress in offering worship. If Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) – we cannot imagine the beauty of his offering of worships – says that I would go to paradise by the grace of Allah the Exalted then how anyone else’s deed can take him to paradise or Allah the Exalted will remain pleased with him. Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) – despite all these things that he was granted the assurance, he came to reform the world, and there none whose act was like his, he too strengthened his ‘khushu’ such that he did not realized that his feet swelled during offering of Nawafil. To absorb blessing of Allah the Exalted, everyone should continuously keep in view his meekness and fear of Allah the Exalted.
There should be a clear difference in a true believer’s Salaat from the beginning to end. If he possessed any part of ego or arrogance in him before start of Salaat, by the end of Salaat his heart should be clean of these things. Likewise are other worships. The end of each worship should mean the end of believer’s arrogance, and to adopt meekness. Daily dealing with each other should contain meekness of heart for the sake to seek pleasure of Allah the Exalted.
Thus worships should make us to continuously bow so that Raheemiyyat [Repeated mercy, mercy for seekers] of Allah the Exalted always give fresh, healthy, growing fruits. May each day let us identify our weakness and help us to increase blessings of Allah the Exalted. May He enable us to say Istighfar [cover, forgiveness, help] always. Our each virtue (if it is virtue near Allah) become the mean to get pleasure of Allah the Exalted Exalted. May each of us be among those who get ‘falah’ in the eyes of Allah the Exalted. [Aameen]
Reference: Based on Friday sermon (April 10 , 2015, UK) by Hazrat Khalifatul Messiah V (may Allah help him with His Mighty Help) – alislam.org, mta.tv
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