مُحَمَّدٌ رَّسُوۡلُ اللہِ ؕ وَ الَّذِیۡنَ مَعَہٗۤ اَشِدَّآءُ عَلَی الْکُفَّارِ رُحَمَآءُ بَیۡنَہُمْ تَرٰىہُمْ رُکَّعًا سُجَّدًا یَّبْتَغُوۡنَ فَضْلًا مِّنَ اللہِ وَ رِضْوٰنًا ۫ سِیۡمَاہُمْ فِیۡ وُجُوۡہِہِمْ مِّنْ اَثَرِ السُّجُوۡدِؕ ذٰلِکَ مَثَلُہُمْ فِی التَّوْرٰىۃِ ۚۖۛ وَ مَثَلُہُمْ فِی الْاِنۡجِیۡلِ ۚ۟ۛ کَزَرْعٍ اَخْرَجَ شَطْاَہٗ فَاٰزَرَہٗ فَاسْتَغْلَظَ فَاسْتَوٰی عَلٰی سُوۡقِہٖ یُعْجِبُ الزُّرَّاعَ لِیَغِیۡظَ بِہِمُ الْکُفَّارَؕ وَعَدَ اللہُ الَّذِیۡنَ اٰمَنُوۡا وَ عَمِلُوا الصّٰلِحٰتِ مِنْہُمۡ مَّغْفِرَۃً وَّ اَجْرًا عَظِیۡمًا ﴿۲۹﴾٪
Mohammad is the Messenger of Allah and those with him are hard against the infidels and tender among themselves, you will see them bowing and prostrating themselves in prayer seeking grace of Allah and His pleasure. Their mark is on their faces from the traces of prostrations. This description of them is in Taurah and their description is in Enjeel. As a cultivated field which puts forth its sprout, then strengthened it, then it becomes thick, then stood straight upon its stem, it looks pleasant to the cultivators that through them the hearts of the infidels may burn. Allah has promised unto those of them who are believers and do good, forgiveness and a great reward.
(Al-Fat’h 48, Verse 29)
Mufassiroon (scholars who specialize in the faculty of explaining the intricate meaning of Quranic verses, also known as exegesis) say that the phrase “Walladheena Ma’ahu” (And those with him) refers to the blessed personality of Sayyiduna Abu Bakr – may Allah be pleased with him.
One may think that it was the case of every Sahabi that were with RasoolAllah – may Allah send peace and blessings upon him, then why now Sayyiduna Abu Bakr becomes the Tafseer of Walladheena Ma’ahu?
The answer is very simple… the Mufassiroon say that although every Sahabi was close to RasoolAllah – may Allah send peace and blessings upon him – but the closeness Sayyiduna had with him, no other Sahabi enjoyed the same.
Imam Ibn ‘Asakir narrates the Hadeeth on the authority of Sayyiduna Anas – may Allah be pleased with him:
Hadeeth
The Holy Prophet – may Allah send peace and belssings upon him – has stated:
It is obligatory upon my entire Ummah to love Sayyiduna Abu Bakr and they must all be grateful to him.
(Al-Sawa’iq al-Muhriqah p. 197)
His Full Name & Lineage:
‘Abdullah – son of – ‘Uthman… He belonged to Bani Tameem ibn Murrah tribe of the Quraish.
Titles:
Siddeeq
‘Ateeq
Occupation:
He began his career following into the tribal trade, and his business was in the clothing industry. He was one of the successful businessmen of his time.
Personality:
He possessed good morals and ethics (Akhlaq).
He was soft-hearted, soft-spoken, intelligent, a wise thinker.
He never worshipped an idol.
He always isolated himself from the malpractices of the people, such as, partaking in the customs of the time of ignorance etc.
He never drank a single drop of alcohol.
He was a people’s person and a very honest businessman.
He was an expert of the science of lineage. He knew the lineages of all tribes of Quraish by heart.
His Acceptance of Islam:
واخرج ابْن عَسَاكِر فِي تَارِيخ دمشق۔۔۔
عَن كَعْب قَالَ كَانَ إِسْلَام ابي بكر الصّديق سَببه بِوَحْي من السَّمَاء وَذَلِكَ انه كَانَ تَاجِرًا بِالشَّام فَرَأى رُؤْيا
فَقَصَّهَا على بحيراء الراهب
فَقَالَ لَهُ من أَيْن
أَنْت قَالَ من مَكَّة
قَالَ من أَيهَا
قَالَ من قُرَيْش
قَالَ فأيش أَنْت
قَالَ تَاجر
قَالَ صدق الله رُؤْيَاك فَإِنَّهُ يبْعَث نَبِي من قَوْمك تكون وزيره فِي حَيَاته وخليفته بعد مَوته
فأسرها أَبُو بكر حَتَّى بعث النَّبِي صلى الله عَلَيْهِ وَسلم فَجَاءَهُ فَقَالَ يَا مُحَمَّد مَا الدَّلِيل على مَا تَدعِي
قَالَ الرُّؤْيَا الَّتِي رَأَيْت بِالشَّام
فعانقه وَقبل مَا بَين عَيْنَيْهِ وَقَالَ أشهد انك رَسُول اللہ
Sayyiduna Ka’b – may Allah be pleased with him – narrated:
The reason for Sayyiduna Abu Bakr’s Islam was a heavenly inspiration. It was when he was a on his business trip to Al-Sham and he – may Allah send peace and blessings upon him – saw a dream.
He revealed his dream to Baheera/Buhaira the monk.
He asked him, “Where are you from?”
He replied, “From Makkah.”
He then asked, “From which tribe?”
“Quraish,” he replied.
He asked, “What is your livelihood?”
He replied, “I’m a merchant.”
(He said after getting the answers of his questions) May Allah bring your dream to reality! For He will appoint a Prophet from amongst your nation and you will be his minister in his lifetime and his successor after his demise.
Sayyiduna Abu Bakr – may Allah be pleased with him – kept it a secret until the Holy Prophet – may Allah send peace and blessings upon him – was appointed as a Prophet. He approached the beloved Nabi and said, “O Muhammad, what is the proof of your claim (of being the Prophet and calling towards Islam)?”
He replied, “It’s the dream you had seen in Al-Shaam.”
He then hugged him and kissed his blessed forehead and said, “Indeed you are the Messenger of Allah!”
(Al-Khasais al-Kubra p. 80 with reference to Tareekh Dimashq of Imam Ibn Asakir)
Abu Bakr’s Love for Rasoolullah
It is mentioned that in the beginning of Islam, the Muslims used to keep their faith private and secret. However, when the number of Muslims reached thirty nine, at the insistent of Hadrat Sayyiduna Abu Bakr – may Allah be pleased with him, the Holy Prophet – may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him – announced to the Muslims that they could publicly display their faith.
One day, the Holy Prophet – may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him – took all the Muslims to the Haram Shareef and Hadrat Sayyiduna Abu Bakr – may Allah be pleased with him – began to deliver the khutbah. When the disbelievers saw this, they attacked the blessed companion and he was beaten so badly that his face could not be recognised. They continued to hit Hadrat Sayyiduna Abu Bakr – may Allah be pleased with him – until he fell unconscious. When members of his clan heard about this, they rushed towards the Haram Shareef and carried his body to his house. He remained unconscious the entire day. When Hadrat Sayyiduna Abu Bakr – may Allah be pleased with him – regained a little conscious, the first thing he asked was about the state and condition of the Holy Prophet – may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him-.
He also made it clear that he will not eat or drink anything until he does not meet the Holy Prophet – may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him. When it was dark, his blessed mother took him to Daar Arqam and when he saw the Holy Prophet – may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him, they both embraced each other warmly. Hadrat Sayyiduna Abu Bakr – may Allah be pleased with him – was weeping and requested the Holy Prophet – may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him – to convey the message of Islam to his mother. The blessed lady then immediately accepted Islam. The same time, Hadrat Sayyiduna Ameer Hamza – may Allah be pleased with him – accepted Islam and three days later, Hadrat Sayyiduna ‘Umar – may Allah be pleased with him – also accepted Islam.
(Al Bidaayah; Hayaat As Sahaabah)
Aqeedah of Sayyiduna Abu Bakr about Me’raj & His Title Siddeeq:
In the morning of the night of Me’raj, when the Holy Prophet – may Allah send peace and blessings upon him – mentioned his journey of Me’raj, the kuffar became infuriated as soon as he mentioned his journey to Masjidul Aqsa. They falsified him right away without leaving a chance for him to say any further. They started objecting one after the other. Some asked about the signs of Bait al-Maqdis while others asked about the state of the caravan arriving from Syria. Some even inquired about the stations on the way. They even began to ridicule him.
Some people screamed the loudest that there can be no greater lie than this.
Abu Jahl approached Sayyiduna Abu Bakr – may Allah be pleased with him – and said to him, “Today, your Prophet said that he had undertaken a journey to Bait al-Maqdis in a short period of night and returned although it is over a month’s journey. How is this possible? It is absolute false and a blatant lie.”
Sayyiduna Abu Bakr replied in a serious tone, “If my Prophet has said so then I testify it with all my heart and bear witness with my tongue that every word of his is truth. Therefore, his Me’raj is also Haqq.
رُوِيَ أَنَّهُ عَلَيْهِ الصَّلَاةُ وَالسَّلَامُ لَمَّا ذَكَرَ قِصَّةَ الْمِعْرَاجِ كَذَّبَهُ الْكُلُّ وَذَهَبُوا إِلَى أَبِي بَكْرٍ وَقَالُوا لَهُ: إِنَّ صَاحِبَكَ يَقُولُ كَذَا وَكَذَا فَقَالَ أَبُو بَكْرٍ: إِنْ كَانَ قَدْ قَالَ ذَلِكَ فَهُوَ صَادِقٌ، ثُمَّ جَاءَ إِلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ فَذَكَرَ الرَّسُولُ لَهُ تِلْكَ التَّفَاصِيلَ، فَكُلَّمَا ذَكَرَ شَيْئًا قَالَ أَبُو بَكْرٍ صَدَقْتَ فَلَمَّا تَمَّمَ الْكَلَامَ قَالَ أَبُو بَكْرٍ: أَشْهَدُ أَنَّكَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ حَقًّا، فَقَالَ لَهُ الرَّسُولُ: وَأَنَا أَشْهَدُ أَنَّكَ الصَّدِّيقُ حَقًّا
It is narrated that when the Holy Prophet – may Allah send peace and blessings upon him – mentioned the incident of Me’raj, everyone (kuffar) called him a liar and went to Sayyiduna Abu Bakr – may Allah be pleased with him – and said, “Your friend says such and such.”
Sayyiduna Abu Bakr replied, “If he said it then he is speaking the truth.”
He then came to RasoolAllah – may Allah send peace and blessings upon him. The Holy Prophet – may Allah send peace and blessings upon him – told him about the event in detail.
Whenever he mentioned anything, Sayyiduna Abu Bakr would say, “You have spoken the truth.”
When he completed the discussion, Sayyiduna Abu Bakr said, “I testify that indeed you are definitely the Messenger of Allah.
The Holy Prophet – may Allah send peace and blessings him – then said, “And I testify that you are indeed al-Siddeeq (the truthful).”
The First to Enter Paradise:
The Holy Prophet – may Allah send peace and blessings upon him – stated:
Sayyiduna Jibreel – peace be upon him – came to me, held my hand and showed me the door of Paradise through which my Ummah will enter.
Sayyiduna Abu Bakr – may Allah be pleased with him – said, “All I wish is to stay with you, so that I can see it.”
He replied, “O Abu Bakr, you will be the first in my Ummah to enter the Paradise.”
(Abu Dawood, Hakim)
360 Degrees of All Virtues:
The Holy Prophet – may Allah send peace and blessings upon him – has stated:
There are 360 virtuous qualities. When Allah Almighty ordains good for any of his servants, He bestows upon him one of those virtues through which he enters Paradise.
Sayyiduna Abu Bakr – may Allah be pleased with him – asked, “Do I have any of those virtues, ya RasoolAllah?”
He replied, “Yes, you have all those virtues in you.”
(Imam Ibn Abi al-Dunya, Ibn Asakir)
Three beloved Things to Sayyiduna Abu Bakr:
- Looking at the Mubarak face of RasoolAllah – may Allah send peace and blessings upon him.
- Spending his wealth at the feet of RasoolAllah – may Allah send peace and blessings upon him.
- To serve RasoolAllah – may Allah send peace and blessings upon him.
(Tafseer Rooh al-Bayan Vol. 6, p. 264)
The Station of Sayyiduna Abu Bakr Siddeeq:
Sayyiduna Abdullah ibn ‘Abbas – may Allah be pleased with them – narrates:
I saw the Holy Prophet – may Allah send peace and blessings upon him – standing with Sayyiduna ‘Ali – may Allah be pleased with him. Sayyiduna Abu Bakr – may Allah be pleased with him – had just arrived and the Holy Prophet – may Allah send peace and blessings upon him – advanced and shook hands with him and then hugged him and kissed him. He said to Sayyiduna ‘Ali – may Allah be pleased with him, “O Abul Hasan, the station of Abu Bakr in my court is the same as it is mine in the court of Allah Almighty.”
(Al-Riyadh al-Nadherah Vol. 1, p. 185)
Best in Both Worlds:
Sayyiduna Abu Darda – may Allah be pleased with him – narrates:
The Holy Prophet – may Allah send peace and blessings upon him – saw me walking in front of Sayyiduna Abu Bakr – may Allah send peace and blessings upon him – and told me, “O Abu Darda, how could you walk in front of the one who is better than you both in the world and in the hereafter? The sun has never witnessed anyone greater than Abu Bakr after the Prophets and Messengers of Allah with its rising and setting (for as long as the universe is in existence).
(Hilyat al-Awliya Vol. 3, p. 373)
One Moment of Sayyiduna Abu Bakr’s Life is Far More Superior to Thousands of Moments of the Believers of Aale Fir’aun:
Sayyiduna Ali – may Allah be pleased with him – narrated:
One day, the idol-worshippers attacked the Holy Prophet – may Allah send peace and blessings upon him – and dragged him saying, “Aren’t you the one who goes about preaching the Oneness of Allah?”
I swear by Allah that there was none besides Abu Bakr who had the courage to stand up to them. He moved forward and beat them up and chased them away. He said to them, “Shame on people like you who hurt the one who says he worships to only One Lord!”
After narrating this Sayyiduna Ali – may Allah be pleased with him – cried so much that his beard was wet with tears.
He then said, “Tell me who is better; the believers of Aale Fir’aun or Sayyiduna Abu Bakr?”
People kept quiet on his question.
Sayyiduna Ali – may Allah be pleased with him – then said, “O people, why don’t you answer me? I swear by Allah! One moment of Abu Bakr’s life was far better than the thousand moments of Aale Fir’aun’s! Because they used to hide their Iman due to fear but Sayyiduna Abu Bakr openly proclaimed his Iman.”
(Tareekh al-Khulafa p. 100)
The Adab of Sayyiduna Abu Bakr in the Court of RasoolAllah:
Imam Tabrani recorded this Hadeeth in his Awsat on the authority of Sayyiduna Ibn ‘Umar – may Allah be pleased with them, and Imam Suyooti in Tareekh al-Khulafa:
After becoming the Khalifah, Sayyiduna Abu Bakr Siddeeq – may Allah be pleased with him – never sat on the step of the Mimbar where RasoolAllah – may Allah send peace and blessings upon him – used to sit. This action of his was in honour of the Beloved Prophet – may Allah send peace and blessings upon him.
The Sermon of Khilaafah Delivered by: Hazrat Abu Bakr Siddeeq – may Allah be pleased with him
When Hazrat Abu Bakr Siddeeq was elected as the chairperson of the Khilaafah he delivered the following sermon to the public:
My brothers and loved ones!
I have been elected as your Khalifah. Although I was not better than you even then I have been elected as your leader, but my leadership is not like that of Qaisar and Kisra (kings) that none can interrupt in my decisions. Bear in mind that the strong among you is weak in my view until I give the right to the weak from him and the weak of you is strong in my view until I strive for his right, and one more thing, never lag behind from making Jihaad and do not abandon this spirit. Remember, a nation that abandons Jihaad, becomes disgraced in the world. And truthfulness and righteousness are a trust and lying and wrongdoing is unfaithfulness. It’s obligatory upon you to follow me for as long as I remain obedient to Allah and His Messenger, and when you do not find me as such then reject my followership with no hesitation, for then there will be no obligation upon you to follow me. It is your duty to guide me on the straight path.
(Tareekhe Islam p. 130)
Lesson:
Hazrat Abu Bakr – may Allah be pleased with him – was elected as the Khalifah by the consensual agreement of the Muslims and the only objective he had was to establish the command of Allah and His Messenger – may Allah send peace and blessings upon him. There was no worldly greed, and he considered himself as a slave of Allah and His Messenger and had given the people freedom not to follow the Khalifah in the anti-Shariah actions.
His Asking Salary as a Khalifah:
Imam Suyooti writes the following Hadeeth in his Tareekh al-Khulafa:
After becoming Khalifah, when the matter of his salary was being discussed, he proposed that he should be paid the same wage as a common labourer of Madinah Munawwarah is paid.
Five Beloved Practices of Hazrat Sayyiduna Abu Bakr Siddeeque – May Allah Be Pleased With Him
Once, Hazrat Ali – may Allah be pleased with him – asked Hazrat Abu Bakr Siddeeq – may Allah be pleased with him, “Tell me, what has elevated you to such a high status?”
Hazrat Abu Bakr – may Allah be pleased with him replied, “It is due to practicing five things:
- I found there are two types of people:
- Who are after the world
- Who strive for the hereafter
I have strived to connect to Allah Almighty.
- From the time I have become Muslim I have not eaten a full stomach meal, for the flavour of knowledge of truth has left for me no appetite for the worldly foods.
- I have not drunk water to capacity since I have become Muslim for I have been satisfied with the drink of Allah’s love.
- Whenever I have a choice between a worldly priority and the one of the hereafter, I gave preference to the latter and did not care about the worldly task.
- I had been in the company of the Holy Prophet – may Allah send peace and blessings upon him – and this companionship was very great.
(Nuzhatul Majaalis, Vol. 2, p. 304)
Lesson:
It is for this reason that Hazrat Sayyiduna Abu Bakr Siddeeq – may Allah be pleased with him – is the greatest ‘Aarif of Allah in the Ummah, the most pious and the beloved companion of the Holy Prophet – may Allah send peace and blessings upon him, his Noble Household and all his Companions.
His Heart was At Peace at the Time of Death:
وقال سعيد بن زائد: قَرَأَ رَجُلٌ عِنْدَ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ يَا أَيَّتُهَا النَّفْسُ الْمُطْمَئِنَّةُ، فَقَالَ أَبُو بَكْرٍ: مَا أَحْسَنَ هَذَا يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ! فَقَالَ النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: [أَنْ الملك سيقولها لَكَ يَا أَبَا بَكْرٍ [.
Sayyiduna Sa’eed ibn Zaaid – may Allah be pleased with him – said:
A man recited this verse by the Holy Prophet – may Allah send peace and blessings upon him. Sayyiduna Abu Bakr – may Allah be pleased with him – said, “How beautiful it is, O Allah’s Messenger.” The beloved Prophet – may Allah send peace and blessings upon him – then said to him, “The angel will soon say that to you, O Abu Bakr.”
(Tafsir Qurtubi)
Reason of his Demise:
Sayyiduna Ibn ‘Umar – may Allah be pleased with them – narrates:
The cause of his death was the sorrow of the separation from the beloved Prophet – may Allah send peace and blessings upon him – after his demise. It made him weaker and weaker day by day until one day he gave up all hope of living and joined his beloved.
(Al-Sawa’iq al-Muhriqah p. 234)
Abu Bakr buried next to the Holy Prophet
Hadrat Sayyiduna Ali – may Allah be pleased with him – narrates that, “When the time came for Hadrat Sayyiduna Abu Bakr – may Allah be pleased with him – to pass away, he then mentioned to me, ‘O Ali, when I pass away, you must give me Ghusal with the same blessed hands with which you gave Ghusal to the Holy Prophet – may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him. You must then place fragrance on me and take me to the same room in which the Holy Prophet – may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him – is buried. You should then seek permission for me to be buried there as well. If you see the door opening, then you should bury me there. Otherwise, you must bury me in the graveyard of the Muslims which is the Jannatul Baqi until Allah Almighty calls people to account.’ (In other words, until the appearance of the Day of Judgement).
Hadrat Sayyiduna Ali – may Allah be pleased with him – continues, “I then performed the Ghusal and covered him with the kafan. I was the first person to stand at the door of the beloved Prophet – may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him – and seek permission. I asked in the following way, ‘O Prophet of Allah! This is Abu Bakr Siddique who seeks permission to be buried.’
Hadrat Sayyiduna Ali – may Allah be pleased with him – then narrates further, ‘I then saw the door open on its own and also heard the words, ‘Allow the Habeeb to be with the Habeeb because the Habeeb is ardently anxious to meet the Habeeb.’
(Taarikh Madina wa Dimishq by Ibn Asaakir. Lisaanul Mizaan by Imam ibn Hajr Asqalani. Al Khasaa’is Al Kubra by Imam Suyutwi. Jaami’ul Ahadith by Imam Suyutwi. Kanzul Ummaal by Imam Ali Mutaqqi. Hadraatul Quddus by Imam Badrudeen Sirhindi etc.)
Hadrat Sayyiduna Jabir bin Abdullah Ansari – may Allah be pleased with him – narrates, “We took the blessed body of Hadrat Sayyiduna Abu Bakr – may Allah be pleased with him – and then knocked on the door seeking permission and also (mentioned who was present), and suddenly the door opened on its own. We had no idea who had opened the door when there was no one inside the room. However, the words of the Holy Prophet – may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him – were clearly heard where he mentioned that we should enter and we must also bury (the eminent Sahabi).” (Nafhaatul Uns by Imam Jaami)
Sayyidah Ayesha – may Allah be pleased with her – narrates, “When Hadrat Sayyiduna Abu Bakr – may Allah be pleased with him – passed away, there were certain companions who mentioned that he should be buried among the Martyrs, (in other words, in the blessed graveyard of Jannatul Baqi). I had also mentioned that he should be buried in the same room as the Holy Prophet – may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him. In other words, there was confusion in this regard. However, in my dream, I heard a voice saying to me, ‘Allow the friend to join with the friend.’ When I awoke, I realised that everyone present, had also heard this voice. Even the people in the Masjid heard these words.’” (Shawaahidun Nubuwah by Imam Jami; Hadraatul Qudus by Imam Badrudeen Sirhindi)
It is recorded that when the time came for the passing of Hadrat Sayyiduna Abu Bakr – may Allah be pleased with him – then he called the blessed Ashaab and informed them, “When I pass away and you have completed my Ghusal and other actions, then you must present me in front of the door of that room in which the Holy Prophet – may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him – is resting. You must then stop and say the words, ‘As Salaamo Alaika Ya Rasoolallah. This is Abu Bakr Siddique who seeks permission to enter.’ If you receive permission and the door which is closed is opened, then you should take me inside and bury me there. If you do not receive permission, then you should take me to Jannatul Baqi and bury me there.”
The blessed Ashaab did exactly this. When they presented themselves in front of the door, the lock fell to the ground on its own and the door opened on its own and from the blessed room a voice was heard which declared, “Allow the Habeeb to enter with the Habeeb because the Habeeb is ardently anxious to meet the Habeeb.” (Shawaahidun Nubuwah by Imam Jaami)
Among the miracles of Hadrat Sayyiduna Abu Bakr – may Allah be pleased with him – is that when his Janazah was carried and placed in front of the door (of the room in which the Holy Prophet – may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him – lies buried), and it was mentioned, “As Salaamo Alaika Ya Rasoolullah. This is Abu Bakr who seeks permission (to enter and be buried)”. The closed door opened on its own and from the blessed grave of the Holy Prophet – may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him – a voice was heard declaring, “Allow the Habeeb to join the Habeeb”.
(Tafseer Kabeer by Imam Razi; Tafseer Nishapuri by Imam Ahmed bin Mohammed Nishapuri)
MUSJIDUL HAQ 
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