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Showing posts with label Surah Al-i'Imran. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Surah Al-i'Imran. Show all posts

Wednesday 21 April 2021

O Allah, You honor whom You will and You humble whom You will


We human beings are all at the mercy of the Creator of this universe. No matter what we do, unless the will of Allah is in it, we shall always remain deficient of our wants and needs. This is not only applicable to individuals but to empires and civilizations as well. If we take a peep in the history we show large and thriving civilizations vanished leaving behind mere traces of their grandeur. Unless man remains faithful and humble and what is bestowed upon him takes as a gift of Allah, will continue to be blessed - however the moment a feeling of prominence comes to him that it is due to his own efforts that he has so much, his downfall begins.

The following 26th verse from Surah Al-i'Imran is a reminder to the man to always turn to Allah for his fate lies in the hands of His Creator:    

قُلِ اللّٰهُمَّ مٰلِكَ الۡمُلۡكِ تُؤۡتِى الۡمُلۡكَ مَنۡ تَشَآءُ وَتَنۡزِعُ الۡمُلۡكَ مِمَّنۡ تَشَآءُ وَتُعِزُّ مَنۡ تَشَآءُ وَتُذِلُّ مَنۡ تَشَآءُ​ ؕ بِيَدِكَ الۡخَيۡرُ​ؕ اِنَّكَ عَلٰى كُلِّ شَىۡءٍ قَدِيۡرٌ‏ 
Say, "O Allah, Owner of Sovereignty, You give sovereignty to whom You will and You take sovereignty away from whom You will. You honor whom You will and You humble whom You will. In Your hand is [all] good. Indeed, You are over all things competent.

Tafsir Ibn-Kathir
Encouraging Gratitude - Allah said: ( قُلِ اللَّهُمَّ مَـلِكَ الْمُلْكِ Say: "O Allah! Possessor of the power,'') meaning, You decide what You will concerning Your creation and You do what you will. Allah refutes those who thought that they could decide for Allah,

(تُؤْتِى الْمُلْكَ مَن تَشَآءُ وَتَنزِعُ الْمُلْكَ مِمَّن تَشَآءُ وَتُعِزُّ مَن تَشَآءُ وَتُذِلُّ مَن تَشَآءُ You give power to whom You will, and You take power from whom You will, and You endue with honor whom You will, and You humiliate whom You will.) meaning, You are the Giver, You are the Taker, it is Your will that occurs and whatever You do not will, does not occur. This Ayah encourages thanking Allah for the favors He granted His Messenger and his Ummah. Allah transferred the prophethood from the Children of Israel to the Arab, Qurashi, Makkan, unlettered Prophet, the Final and Last of all Prophets and the Messenger of Allah to all mankind and Jinn. Allah endowed the Prophet with the best of qualities from the prophets before him. Allah also granted him extra qualities that no other Prophet or Messenger before him was endowed with, such as granting him (more) knowledge of Allah and His Law, knowledge of more of the matters of the past and the future, such as what will occur in the Hereafter. Allah allowed Muhammad's Ummah to reach the eastern and western parts of the world and gave dominance to his religion and Law over all other religions and laws. May Allah's peace and blessings be on the Prophet until the Day of Judgment, and as long as the day and night succeed each other. 

This is why Allah said,
(And they say: "Why is not this Qur'an sent down to some great man of the two towns (Makkah and Ta'if)'') [43:31].
Allah refuted them by saying, (Is it they who would portion out the Mercy of your Lord) [43:32], meaning, "We decide for Our creation what We will, without resistance or hindrance by anyone. We have the perfect wisdom and the unequivocal proof in all of this, and We give the prophethood to whom We will.'' 
Similarly, Allah said, (Allah knows best with whom to place His Message) and, (See how We prefer one above another (in this world)) ]17: 21]
Javed Ahmad Ghamidi Explanation
This apparently seems to be a supplication; however, in reality, a little deliberation will show that great glad tidings are concealed in it for the Ishmaelites. The reason is that this supplication clearly indicates that the being in whose hands lies all good has decided that the sovereignty of the world should be bestowed upon the Ishmaelites and no amount of opposition from the Israelites would be able to change this decision. Humiliation after humiliation is destined for them. Consequently, if they will continue living in this world, they will live in subservience to the Ishmaelites. There is no other way in which they will be able to survive here.

Not only this, besides these glad tidings a great piece of advice is also hidden in the verse: the Ishmaelites while accepting this sovereignty should not become proud and conceited by considering themselves entitled to it; they should accept it with great humility and with emotions of serving the Almighty; this is because all good is in the hands of God and it is His mere blessing that He has chosen them – the Ishmaelites out all of the nations of the world for this position.

Qur'an Wiki
This expresses the natural result of the oneness of God. Since there is only a single deity, He is then the only Master, “the Sovereign of all dominion” Who has no partners. He gives whatever portion He wishes of His dominion to whomever He wants of His servants. What is given becomes simply like a borrowed article. Its owner retains his absolute right of taking it back whenever he wants. No one, then, has any claim of original dominion giving him the right of absolute power. It is simply a received dominion, subject to the terms and conditions stipulated by the original Sovereign. If the recipient behaves in any way which constitutes a violation of these conditions, his action is invalid. Believers have a duty to stop him from that violation in this life. In the life to come, he will have to account for his violation of the terms stipulated by the original Sovereign.
 
He is also the One Who exalts whom He wills and abases whom He wills. He needs no one to ratify His judgement. No one grants protection against the will of God, and no one has the power to prevent His will taking its full course. His power is absolute and His control is total.
 
The authority of God ensures the realization of all goodness. He exercises it with justice. When He gives dominion to anyone or takes it away from him, He does so with justice. Similarly, it is with justice that He exalts or abases any of His servants. This ensures real goodness, in all situations. It is sufficient that He should will something for it to be realized: “In Your hand is all that is good. You are able to do all things.”

Listen to tafsir / exegesis of the above said ayat from eminent Muslim scholar Nouman Ali Khan:

May Allah help us understand Qur'ān and help us to act upon the commandments of Allah contained therein. Aameen.

For more Selected Verses, please refer to our reference page: Selected Verses from the Qur'anYou may also refer to our Reference Pages for knowing more about Islam and Qur'ān. 
Photo | Reference: | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
Reading the Qur'ān should be a daily obligation of a Muslim - Reading it with translation will make it meaningful. But reading its Exegesis / Tafsir will make you understand it fully.

An effort has been made to gather explanation / exegesis of the surahs / verses (ayat) of the Qur'ān from authentic sources and then present a least possible condensed explanation of the surah. In that:
  • The plain translation has been taken from the Qur'ān officially published by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. [1]
  • The exegesis of the chapters of the Quran is mainly based on the "Tafhim al-Qur'an - The Meaning of the Qur'an" by one of the most enlightened scholars of the Muslim World Sayyid Abul Ala Maududi. [2]  
In order to augment and add more explanation as already provided by [2], additional input has been interjected from following sources: 
  • Towards Understanding the Quran
  • Tafsir Ibn Khatir
  • Muhammad Asad Translation
  • Javed Ahmad Ghamidi / Al Mawrid
  • Al-Quran, Yusuf Ali Translation
  • Verse by Verse Qur'an Study Circle
In addition the references of  other sources which have been explored have also been given above. Those desirous of detailed explanations and tafsir (exegesis), may refer to these sites.

If you like Islam: My Ultimate Decision, and to keep yourself updated on all our latest posts to know more about Islam, follow us on Facebook

Please share this page to your friends and family members through Facebook, WhatsApp or any means on Social Media so that they can also be benefited by it and better understand Islam and the Qur'ān - Insha Allah (Allah Willing) you shall be blessed with the best of both worlds.

Friday 9 April 2021

Allah is Sufficient for us; and what an excellent Guardian He is!


The highlighted portion of the 173rd verse of Surah Al-i'Imran is the most recited verse when believers are in distress, yet they affirm their allegiance to Allah for they know that it is only strong trust in Allah that would ensure a satisfaction in their hears and resolve for Allah being sufficient for them and than no else can harm them even in the most grim situations. The verse reassures the believers that the strongest barrier against all the threats of the enemy is Faith and trusting in Allah.
Thus believers are advised to remember Allah by reciting this verse (" حَسۡبُنَا اللّٰهُ وَنِعۡمَ الۡوَكِيۡلُ " - Allah is Sufficient for us; and what an excellent Guardian He is!) whenever they are in pain or fear of overcome by others, or they have incurred a loss that hurts them or uncertainty prevails over the affairs that scare them and shrinks their hearts or if some something they encounter that is beyond their comprehension and understanding and inability to overcome.
This verse is related to the setback at the Battle of Uhud, when the Muslims after achieving victory of the forces of pagans of Makkah were overcame by the disbelievers for their overconfidence. Yet despite the setback, the Prophet of Allah assembled a small force to chase the returning forces of pagans of Makkah despite their claims of returning with a superior force, as is being said in the first portion of the verse. Read the incidence after the verse: 

اَلَّذِيۡنَ قَالَ لَهُمُ النَّاسُ اِنَّ النَّاسَ قَدۡ جَمَعُوۡا لَـكُمۡ فَاخۡشَوۡهُمۡ فَزَادَهُمۡ اِيۡمَانًا  ۖ وَّقَالُوۡا حَسۡبُنَا اللّٰهُ وَنِعۡمَ الۡوَكِيۡلُ‏ 
(3:173) When people said to them: 'Behold, a host has gathered around you and you should fear them', it only increased their faith and they answered: 'Allah is Sufficient for us; and what an excellent Guardian He is!'
This verse alludes to those devoted servants of Islam who willingly accompanied the Holy Prophet in his pursuit of the Quraish at that critical juncture.

After the Battle of Uhd, the Quraish marched back towards Makkah. When they had covered a good deal of distance from Al-Madinah, they realized that they had not utilized the golden opportunity of crushing the power of Muhammad (Allah's peace be upon him) and they began to regret: what a folly have we committed by losing that excellent chance! Accordingly, they halted and held a council of war. Though they were in favour of returning to Al-Madinah and making a sudden attack, yet they could not muster up courage and continued their march towards Makkah. At the same time, the Holy Prophet surmised an attack from the enemy; so he assembled the Muslims on the next day after the battle of Uhd and said, "Let us go in pursuit of the Quraish." Although that was a very critical situation, yet the believers and the devoted servants of Allah responded to the call and willingly marched with the Holy Prophet to Hamra-ul-Asad, a place at a distance of 8 miles from Al-Madinah, VV. 173-175 were sent down a year after the Battle of Uhd, but have been included in this discourse because they deal with the events which are connected with the same.

This refers to the terrifying rumours which were being spread in Al-Madinah. On the occasion of his return from Uhd, Abu Sufyan had challenged the Muslims to a fight the following year at Badr. But when the time approached, he could not find courage on account of the famine that was raging in Makkah. So in order to save face, he tried to shift on to the Muslims the responsibility for the postponement. Accordingly, he sent a special spy to Al-Madinah to terrify them by spreading rumours that the Quraish were making great preparations for war and collecting such a large army as could defeat any army in Arabia. This device of Abu Sufyan succeeded in producing the desired panic. When the Holy Prophet made an appeal to the Muslims to meet the Quraish in combat at Badr, it failed to produce any encouraging response. So much so that the Messenger of Allah had to declare before the gathered assembly, "I will go to the combat all alone, if none else is willing to go." It was then that 1,500 devotees volunteered to accompany him, and he reached Badr with them. From the other side, Abu Sufyan left Makkah with an army of 2,000 men. But after two days' journey, he told his men that it did not appear to suit them to have a fight that year, and that they would come next year for it. Accordingly, he returned to Makkah with his men. The Holy Prophet, however, waited for him at Badr for eight days. During these days, his Companions did profitable business with a trading party. Then he came to know that the disbelievers had gone back to Makkah, and he returned to Al Madinah.

Tafsir Jalal - Al-Jalalayn:
Those to whom (alladhīna, substitutes for the previous alladhīna, ‘those who’, or an adjectival qualification [of it]) people, that is, Nu‘aym b. Mas‘ūd al-Ashja‘ī, said, ‘The people, Abū Sufyān (the leader of the pagans of Makkah) and his companions, have gathered, their multitudes, against you, in order to exterminate you, therefore fear them’, and do not go out to [encounter] them; but that, saying, increased them in faith, in their belief in God and in certainty, and they said, ‘God is sufficient for us, He will deal fully for us with their affair; an excellent Guardian is He’, the One to whom the matter is entrusted. They thus set out with the Prophet (s) and arrived at the market-fair of Badr, but God had cast terror into the hearts of Abū Sufyān and his followers and so they did not turn up. They [the believers] had merchandise with them, and so they traded and made profits. 

Tafsir Ibn-Kathir
(Those unto whom the people said, "Verily, the people have gathered against you, therefore, fear them.'' But it (only) increased them in faith) it means, those who threatened the people, saying that the disbelievers have amassed against them, in order to instill fear in them, but this did not worry them, rather, they trusted in Allah and sought His help,

(and they said: "Allah is Sufficient for us, and He is the Best Disposer of affairs.'')

Al-Bukhari recorded that Ibn `Abbas said, "Allah Alone is Sufficient for us and He is the Best Disposer of affairs for us.'')
"Ibrahim said it when he was thrown in fire. Muhammad said it when the people said, `Verily, the people have gathered against you, therefore, fear them.' But it only increased them in faith, and they said, `Allah is Sufficient for us and He is the Best Disposer of affairs for us.''' Abu Bakr Ibn Marduwyah recorded that Anas bin Malik said that the Prophet was told on the day of Uhud, "Verily, the people have gathered against you, therefore, fear them.'' Thereafter, Allah sent down this Ayah.
Tafsir Kashani - Kashani:
Those to whom people said, before their arrival at the witnessing, 'The people have gathered against you, therefore fear them', in other words, they have taken into account your existence and reckon with, so you reckon with them; but that, statement, increased them in faith, that is, in certainty and in affirmation of the Oneness by negating any other [than God] and not being concerned by it. By negating what is other than God they attained the very affirmation of God when they said: 'God is sufficient for us. So they witnessed Him before returning to the differentiated mode of the attributes with uprightness, saying: an excellent Guardian is He', which are the words that Abraham, peace be upon him, said when he was cast into the fire and it became coolness and safety for him [cf. Q. 21:69].

You may like to listen to eminent Muslim scholar Nouman Ali Khan explaining the above said verse:

May Allah help us to be steadfast and reassures us that Allah is sufficient for us and that no harm can come to us as long as we have firm and strong belief in Allah. May understand Qur'ān and help us to act upon the commandments of Allah contained therein. Aameen.

For more Selected Verses, please refer to our reference page: Selected Verses from the Qur'anYou may also refer to our Reference Pages for knowing more about Islam and Qur'ān.
Photo | Reference: | 1 | 2 | 3
Reading the Qur'ān should be a daily obligation of a Muslim - Reading it with translation will make it meaningful. But reading its Exegesis / Tafsir will make you understand it fully.

An effort has been made to gather explanation / exegesis of the surahs of the Qur'ān from authentic sources and then present a least possible condensed explanation of the surah. In that:
  • The plain translation has been taken from the Qur'ān officially published by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. [1]
  • The exegesis of the chapters of the Quran is mainly based on the "Tafhim al-Qur'an - The Meaning of the Qur'an" by one of the most enlightened scholars of the Muslim World Sayyid Abul Ala Maududi. [2]  
In order to augment and add more explanation as already provided by [2], additional input has been interjected from following sources: 
  • Towards Understanding the Quran
  • Tafsir Ibn Khatir
  • Muhammad Asad Translation
  • Al-Quran, Yusuf Ali Translation
  • Javed Ahmad Ghamidi / Al Mawrid
  • Verse by Verse Qur'an Study Circle
In addition the references of  other sources which have been explored have also been given above. Those desirous of detailed explanations and tafsir (exegesis), may refer to these sites.

If you like Islam: My Ultimate Decision, and to keep yourself updated on all our latest posts to know more about Islam, follow us on Facebook

Please share this page to your friends and family members through Facebook, WhatsApp or any means on Social Media so that they can also be benefited by it and better understand Islam and the Qur'ān - Insha Allah (Allah Willing) you shall be blessed with the best of both worlds.

Tuesday 30 March 2021

Allah loves those who spend plenty in His way, restrain their anger and forgive others


At many a place in the Qur'an, Allah has described the character traits of a true believers and we have shared some in our earlier posts. Today we share verse 134 of Surah 3. Al-i'Imran which spells out three more character traits of a Muslim:

الَّذِيۡنَ يُنۡفِقُوۡنَ فِى السَّرَّآءِ وَالضَّرَّآءِ وَالۡكٰظِمِيۡنَ الۡغَيۡظَ وَالۡعَافِيۡنَ عَنِ النَّاسِ​ؕ وَاللّٰهُ يُحِبُّ الۡمُحۡسِنِيۡنَ​ۚ‏ 
(3:134) who spend in the way of Allah both in plenty and hardship, who restrain their anger, and forgive others. Allah loves such good-doers." 

Giving away part of one's wealth is a difficult thing to do for many loves money more than anything. Had man being so generous and giving away and helping others, none would have been poor in this world. But true believes are those who spend in the way of Allah even if they have plenty or are in hardship, yet they give out to others to help them in their destitute. When Muslims migrated from Makkah to Medina, the Muslims of Medina received them with open arms, shared their houses and helped them with food and money so that trey could settle down. This was one of the supreme sacrifice that the Muslims of Medina undertook to help out their brethren. It is for such believers, Allah promises bounties and comforts of Jannah, the Paradise.
“God loves the benevolent.” Those who spend their money at times of prosperity and hardship are benevolent. Similarly, those who do not hesitate to forgive others after having been angered by them are also benevolent. The Qur’ānic verse tells us that God loves all who are benevolent. Use of the term “love” here is significant. Its pleasant, friendly, bright and compassionate shades are in perfect harmony with the pleasant and honourable atmosphere of help and forgiveness.
Because God loves the benevolent and the good turns they do, those who love God also love to be benevolent. They have the best of all motives. The final comment is, then, not only an inspiring description, it is a statement of fact. [2]
Another quality of a believer is the suppression of anger. We all know how instantly most of us lose our temper when wronged or even when our view point is not taken. But those who have firm faith in Allah, control their anger even under trying times and display this superb quality of a true believer for he leave everything to Allah and in return expects a better reward.
They “restrain their anger, and forgive their fellow men.” Fearing God also works in this respect, providing similar motives and leaving similar effects. Anger is a human reaction which is normally combined with or followed by a fit of temper. It is both natural and essential to man. However, it can only be overcome through that higher perception made possible by the positive effects of fearing God and the spiritual strength which man achieves through looking up to horizons which are far superior and more sublime than man’s own needs and interests.
Restraining anger is only the first stage; it is not sufficient on its own. A person may restrain his anger but harbour a grudge. His outward fury becomes a deeply- seated, inward rancour. Needless to say, anger and fury are preferable to harbouring grudges and rancour. The Qur’ānic verse emphasizes that the God-fearing do not allow their anger to become a grudge. They forgive others and do not harbour any ill feelings. When anger is deliberately restrained it becomes a burden, a fire which burns internally sending its smoke over man’s conscience in order to blur his vision. Forgiveness, however, ensures a release from that burden. It gives peace of heart and conscience, as well as an easy movement in a more sublime world. [2]
Forgiving others is one big feat of exemplary character, specially when one himself has been wronged. Under such trying times, if one still forgives the oppressor and embraces him taking him as a fellow brethren, perhaps this the most liked act by Allah.
The community which enjoys God’s love and, in turn, loves God and in which forgiveness replaces anger and rancour is a strong, brotherly and closely-knit community. We see here how this directive is clearly relevant to both the military battle and to the battle of life. [2]
Tafsir Ibn-Kathir: Allah said, while describing the people of Paradise: Those who spend (in Allah's cause) in prosperity and in adversity) in hard times and easy times, while active (or enthusiastic) and otherwise, healthy or ill, and in all conditions, are the blessed ones. 
Allah says in another Ayah: (Those who spend their wealth (in Allah's cause) by night and day, in secret and in public) [2:274] 
These believers are never distracted from obeying Allah, spending on what pleases Him, being kind to His servants and their relatives, and other acts of righteousness. 

As for those who suppress their anger, Allah says: (who repress anger, and who pardon men;) for when they are angry, they control their anger and do act upon it. Rather, they even forgive those who hurt them. 

Imam Ahmad recorded that Abu Hurayrah said that the Prophet said: (The strong person is not he who is able to physically overcome people. The strong person is he who overcomes his rage when he is angry.)

This Hadith is also recorded in the Two Sahihs. Imam Ahmad recorded that Ibn `Abbas said that the Messenger of Allah said: (He who gives time to a debtor or forgives him, then Allah will save him from the heat of Jahannam (Hell-fire). Behold! The deeds of Paradise are difficult to reach, for they are on top of a hill, while the deeds of the Fire are easy to find in the lowlands. The happy person is he who is saved from the tests. Verily, there is no dose of anything better to Allah than a dose of rage that the servant controls, and whenever the servant of Allah controls it, he will be internally filled with faith.)

Imam Ahmad recorded that Sahl bin Mu`adh bin Anas said that his father said that the Messenger of Allah said: (Whoever controlled rage while able to act upon it, then Allah will call him while all creation is a witness, until He gives him the choice of any of the Huris (fair females with wide, lovely eyes - as mates for the pious) he wishes.)

Abu Dawud, At-Tirmidhi and Ibn Majah collected this Hadith, which At-Tirmidhi said was "Hasan Gharib''.

Ibn Marduwyah recorded that Ibn `Umar said that the Messenger of Allah said, (There is not a dose of anything that the servant takes which is better than a dose of control of rage that he feels, when he does it seeking Allah's Face.) Ibn Jarir and Ibn Majah also collected this Hadith.

Allah said, (who repress anger) meaning, they do not satisfy their rage upon people. Rather, they refrain from harming them and await their rewards with Allah, the Exalted and Most Honored. 

Allah then said, (and who pardon men;) They forgive those who treat them with injustice. Therefore, they do not hold any ill feelings about anyone in their hearts, and this is the most excellent conduct in this regard.

This is why Allah said, (verily, Allah loves the Muhsinin (the good-doers)). This good conduct is a type of Ihsan [excellence in the religion]. 

There is a Hadith that reads, (I swear regarding three matters: no charity shall ever decrease the wealth; whenever one forgives people, then Allah will magnify his honor; and he who is humble for Allah, then Allah will raise his rank.)

May Allah help us understand Qur'ān and help us to act upon the commandments of Allah contained therein. Aameen.

For more Selected Verses, please refer to our reference page: Selected Verses from the Qur'anYou may also refer to our Reference Pages for knowing more about Islam and Qur'ān.
Photo | Reference: | 1 | 2
Reading the Qur'ān should be a daily obligation of a Muslim - Reading it with translation will make it meaningful. But reading its Exegesis / Tafsir will make you understand it fully.

An effort has been made to gather explanation / exegesis of the surahs of the Qur'ān from authentic sources and then present a least possible condensed explanation of the surah. In that:
  • The plain translation has been taken from the Qur'ān officially published by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. [1]
  • The exegesis of the chapters of the Quran is mainly based on the "Tafhim al-Qur'an - The Meaning of the Qur'an" by one of the most enlightened scholars of the Muslim World Sayyid Abul Ala Maududi. [2]  
In order to augment and add more explanation as already provided by [2], additional input has been interjected from following sources: 
  • Towards Understanding the Quran
  • Tafsir Ibn Khatir
  • Muhammad Asad Translation
  • Al-Quran, Yusuf Ali Translation
  • Javed Ahmad Ghamidi / Al Mawrid
  • Verse by Verse Qur'an Study Circle
In addition the references of  other sources which have been explored have also been given above. Those desirous of detailed explanations and tafsir (exegesis), may refer to these sites.

If you like Islam: My Ultimate Decision, and to keep yourself updated on all our latest posts to know more about Islam, follow us on Facebook

Please share this page to your friends and family members through Facebook, WhatsApp or any means on Social Media so that they can also be benefited by it and better understand Islam and the Qur'ān - Insha Allah (Allah Willing) you shall be blessed with the best of both worlds.

Sunday 13 December 2020

'Our Lord, disgrace us not on the Day of Resurrection; indeed You never go back on Your promise.


Sometime back, we shared an invocation as mentioned in the 193rd verse of Surah 3. Al-i'Imran. Today in its continuation, we are sharing the next connecting verse which makes this beautiful supplication complete wherein the true believers ask for their forgiveness by reminding Allah that He never goes back on His promises that He as made: 

رَبَّنَا وَاٰتِنَا مَا وَعَدتَّنَا عَلٰى رُسُلِكَ وَلَا تُخۡزِنَا يَوۡمَ الۡقِيٰمَةِ ​ؕ اِنَّكَ لَا تُخۡلِفُ الۡمِيۡعَادَ‏ 
(3:194) 'Our Lord, fulfil what You promised to us through Your Messengers, and disgrace us not on the Day of Resurrection; indeed You never go back on Your promise.

Such people do not doubt the fact that God will fulfil His promises. What they do doubt is whether they will be reckoned among those for whom those promises were made. Hence they pray to God to make them worthy of His promised rewards. They are afraid lest they remain targets of slander and ridicule by the unbelievers in this world, and then be disgraced in the Hereafter before the same unbelievers who may mock them once again saying that their faith has been of no avail to them.

Prominent 14th century Muslim scholar and exegete Ibn Kathir " ابن كثير " explains this verse, relating it with the life of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him)  as  under:

"رَبَّنَا وَءَاتِنَا مَا وَعَدتَّنَا عَلَى رُسُلِكَ" ("Our Lord! Grant us what You promised unto us through Your Messengers'') for our faith in Your Messengers, or, and this explanation is better; grant us what You promised us by the words of Your Messengers,

"وَلاَ تُخْزِنَا يَوْمَ الْقِيَـمَةِ" ("and disgrace us not on the Day of Resurrection,''), before all creation,

"إِنَّكَ لاَ تُخْلِفُ الْمِيعَادَ" ("for You never break (Your) Promise.''), for surely, the promise that You conveyed to Your Messengers, which includes us being resurrected before You, shall certainly come to pass.

It was the Prophet's tradition to recite the ten Ayat at the end of Surah Al `Imran when he woke up at night for (voluntary) prayer. Al-Bukhari recorded that Ibn `Abbas said, "I slept one night at the house of my aunt, Maymunah. The Messenger of Allah spoke with his wife for a while and then went to sleep. When it was the third part of the night, he stood up, looked at the sky and recited,

"إِنَّ فِى خَلْقِ السَّمَـوَتِ وَالاٌّرْضِ وَاخْتِلَـفِ الَّيْلِ وَالنَّهَارِ لاّيَـتٍ لاٌّوْلِى الاٌّلْبَـبِ " (Verily, in the creation of the heavens and the earth, and in the alternation of night and day, there are indeed signs for men of understanding) [3:190].

The Prophet then stood up, performed ablution, used Siwak (to clean his teeth) and prayed eleven units of prayer. When Bilal said the Adhan, the Prophet prayed two units of prayer, went out (to the Masjid) and led the people in the Dawn prayer.'' This was also collected by Muslim.

Ibn Marduwyah recorded that `Ata' said, "I, Ibn `Umar and `Ubayd bin `Umayr went to `A'ishah and entered her room, and there was a screen between us and her. She said, `O `Ubayd! What prevents you from visiting us' He said, `What the poet said, `Visit every once in a while, and you will be loved more.' Ibn `Umar said, `Tell us about the most unusual thing you witnessed from the Messenger of Allah .' She cried and said, `All his matters were amazing. On night, he came close to me until his skin touched my skin and said, `Let me worship my Lord.' I said, `By Allah I love your being close to me. I also love that you worship your Lord.' He used the water-skin and performed ablution, but did not use too much water. He then stood up in prayer and cried until his beard became wet. He prostrated and cried until he made the ground wet. He then laid down on his side and cried. When Bilal came to alert the Prophet for the Dawn prayer, he said, `O Messenger of Allah! What makes you cry, while Allah has forgiven you your previous and latter sins' He said,

«وَيْحَكَ يَا بِلَالُ، وَمَا يَمْنَعُنِي أَنْ أَبْكِيَ، وَقَدْ أُنْزِلَ عَلَيَّ فِي هذِهِ اللَّيْلَة» (O Bilal! What prevents me from crying, when this night, this Ayah was revealed to me,)

"إِنَّ فِى خَلْقِ السَّمَـوَتِ وَالاٌّرْضِ وَاخْتِلَـفِ الَّيْلِ وَالنَّهَارِ لاّيَـتٍ لاٌّوْلِى الاٌّلْبَـبِ " (Verily, in the creation of the heavens and the earth, and in the alternation of night and day, there are indeed signs for men of understanding.) - (Woe to he who recites it but does not contemplate it.).''

Javed Ahmad Ghamidi, a present day Muslim scholar and exegete sums up this verse beautifully: "Instead of showing vanity on their faith, these men of vision here are seen submitting before their Lord in utter humility. They are imploring Him to forgive their sins and ease out for them the way they tread for His cause just as He has granted them the urge to accept the truth."
May Allah help us understand Qur'ān and help us to act upon the commandments of Allah contained therein. Aameen.

For more Selected Verses, please refer to our reference page: Selected Invocations / Dua " دُعا " from the Qur'anYou may also refer to our Reference Pages for knowing more about Islam and Qur'ān.
Photo | Reference: | 1 | 2 | 3 |
Reading the Qur'ān should be a daily obligation of a Muslim - Reading it with translation will make it meaningful. But reading its Exegesis / Tafsir will make you understand it fully.

An effort has been made to gather explanation / exegesis of the surahs / verses (ayat) of the Qur'ān from authentic sources and then present a least possible condensed explanation of the surah. In that:
  • The plain translation has been taken from the Qur'ān officially published by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. [1]
  • The exegesis of the chapters of the Quran is mainly based on the "Tafhim al-Qur'an - The Meaning of the Qur'an" by one of the most enlightened scholars of the Muslim World Sayyid Abul Ala Maududi. [2]  
In order to augment and add more explanation as already provided by [2], additional input has been interjected from following sources: 
  • Towards Understanding the Quran
  • Tafsir Ibn Khatir
  • Muhammad Asad Translation
  • Javed Ahmad Ghamidi / Al Mawrid
  • Al-Quran, Yusuf Ali Translation
  • Verse by Verse Qur'an Study Circle
In addition the references of  other sources which have been explored have also been given above. Those desirous of detailed explanations and tafsir (exegesis), may refer to these sites.

If you like Islam: My Ultimate Decision, and to keep yourself updated on all our latest posts to know more about Islam, follow us on Facebook

Please share this page to your friends and family members through Facebook, WhatsApp or any means on Social Media so that they can also be benefited by it and better understand Islam and the Qur'ān - Insha Allah (Allah Willing) you shall be blessed with the best of both worlds.

Saturday 7 November 2020

Our Lord! Forgive us our sins and keep us safe from the chastisement of the Hell Fire


The difference between disbelievers and believers is the choice of world: The former prefers the earthly world and remains engrossed in its attractions and pleasures for he foes not believe in the life of the Hereafter. The believer on the other hand considers the earthly life as a test, tries to avoid its attractions as much as possible and concentrates on the life of the Hereafter. And for this very reason, he is always praying for his forgiveness and safety form the chastisement of the Hell Fire which will be final abode of the disbelievers and the sinners. 

The following verse from Surah 3. Al-i'Imran is manifest of a believer's life:

اَلَّذِيۡنَ يَقُوۡلُوۡنَ رَبَّنَاۤ اِنَّنَاۤ اٰمَنَّا فَاغۡفِرۡ لَنَا ذُنُوۡبَنَا وَقِنَا عَذَابَ النَّارِ​ۚ‏ 
These are the ones who pray: 'Our Lord! We do indeed believe, so forgive us our sins and keep us safe from the chastisement of the Fire' (Surah 3. Al-i'Imran: 16)

In the verse above, Allah describes the Muttaqin, His pious servants, whom He promised tremendous rewards, (Those who say: "Our Lord! We have indeed believed'') in You, Your Book and Your Messenger. 

Those who more often than not invoke the blessings of Allah and pray: (so forgive us our sins) because of our faith in You and in what You legislated for us. Therefore, forgive us our errors and shortcomings, with Your bounty and mercy, and cry: (and save us from the punishment of the Fire.)

This invocation is meant to urge the addressees to change their outlook: instead of considering this transient life to be real life, they should look towards the Hereafter where an eternal and everlasting life awaits them.

And who are these people, Allah Himself answers in the very next verse:

اَلصّٰـبِرِيۡنَ وَالصّٰدِقِـيۡنَ وَالۡقٰنِتِـيۡنَ وَالۡمُنۡفِقِيۡنَ وَالۡمُسۡتَغۡفِرِيۡنَ بِالۡاَسۡحَارِ‏ 
(3:17) men who are steadfast, truthful, obedient, spend (in the way of Allah) and implore the forgiveness of Allah before daybreak.

That is, they are those who remain steadfast in the cause of Truth; who do not lose heart when they either suffer losses or are subjected to afflictions; who do not despair when they encounter reverses; who are not seduced by temptations. They are the ones who remain faithful to the Truth, even when it apparently stands no chance of prevailing.

If they feel difficulty in keeping to righteousness, the remedy lies in resorting to Prayer and patience. From these two attributes they will derive the strength needed to follow their chosen course. The literal meaning of 'sabr' is to exercise restraint, to keep oneself tied down. It denotes the will-power, the firm resolve and the control over animal desires which enables man to advance along the path of his choice - the path that satisfies his heart and conscience - in utter disregard of the temptations within, and of all obstacles and opposition without. The purpose of this directive is to urge man to develop this quality and to reinforce it from the outside by means of Prayer.

If a person combats with determination and resoluteness the hardships of poverty, sickness, war and other similar things and whatever point of view he holds as correct, adheres to it without any semblance of hopelessness, worry and complain, then this is patience. Here the Qur’an has highlighted this trait in its recipients the foremost. The reason for this is that the greatest hindrance in the way of people who are being invited to accept the truth is that they have not been able to cultivate the quality of patience in them.

May Allah help us understand Qur'ān and help us to act upon the commandments of Allah contained therein. Aameen.

For more Selected Verses, please refer to our reference page: Selected Invocations / Dua " دُعا " from the Qur'anYou may also refer to our Reference Pages for knowing more about Islam and Qur'ān.
Photo | Reference: | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
Reading the Qur'ān should be a daily obligation of a Muslim - Reading it with translation will make it meaningful. But reading its Exegesis / Tafsir will make you understand it fully.

An effort has been made to gather explanation / exegesis of the surahs / verses (ayat) of the Qur'ān from authentic sources and then present a least possible condensed explanation of the surah. In that:
  • The plain translation has been taken from the Qur'ān officially published by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. [1]
  • The exegesis of the chapters of the Quran is mainly based on the "Tafhim al-Qur'an - The Meaning of the Qur'an" by one of the most enlightened scholars of the Muslim World Sayyid Abul Ala Maududi. [2]  
In order to augment and add more explanation as already provided by [2], additional input has been interjected from following sources: 
  • Towards Understanding the Quran
  • Tafsir Ibn Khatir
  • Muhammad Asad Translation
  • Javed Ahmad Ghamidi / Al Mawrid
  • Al-Quran, Yusuf Ali Translation
  • Verse by Verse Qur'an Study Circle
In addition the references of  other sources which have been explored have also been given above. Those desirous of detailed explanations and tafsir (exegesis), may refer to these sites.

If you like Islam: My Ultimate Decision, and to keep yourself updated on all our latest posts to know more about Islam, follow us on Facebook

Please share this page to your friends and family members through Facebook, WhatsApp or any means on Social Media so that they can also be benefited by it and better understand Islam and the Qur'ān - Insha Allah (Allah Willing) you shall be blessed with the best of both worlds.

Saturday 24 October 2020

Our Lord! let not our hearts deviate after Thou hast guided us


Leaving one's faith of birth and entering into the fold of Islam is one's very difficult and ultimate decision, for it entails leaving one's family and friends besides age old habits and inclinations. But equally difficult is to maintain the faith once adopted and cling to it for it entails a lot of rebuttal and isolation. Such are the difficult times for the reverts as are experienced and expressed in many revert experiences that I have shared or are available on the social media.

For such reverts and even believers with weak faith, Allah has given them a supplication in the 8th verse of Surah 3. Al-i'Imran:

رَبَّنَا لَا تُزِغۡ قُلُوۡبَنَا بَعۡدَ اِذۡ هَدَيۡتَنَا وَهَبۡ لَنَا مِنۡ لَّدُنۡكَ رَحۡمَةً ​ ۚ اِنَّكَ اَنۡتَ الۡوَهَّابُ‏ 
They pray to Allah: "Our Lord!" (they say) "let not our hearts deviate now after Thou hast guided us but grant us mercy from Thine own Presence; for Thou art the Grantor of bounties without measure.
Ibn Kathir explains that the above said verse means meaning, "Do not deviate our hearts from the guidance after You allowed them to acquire it. Do not make us like those who have wickedness in their hearts, those who follow the Mutashabih in the Qur'an. Rather, make us remain firmly on Your straight path and true religion.'' And make our hearts firm, and increase in our Faith and certainty. Truly, You are the Bestower.

Ibn Abi Hatim and Ibn Jarir recorded that Umm Salamah said that the Prophet used to supplicate:
يَا مُقَلِّبَ الْقُلُوبِ ثَبِّتْ قَلْبِي عَلَى دِينِك
(O You Who changes the hearts, make my heart firm on Your religion.)

He then recited, the above said ayat: ("Our Lord! Let not our hearts deviate (from the truth) after You have guided us, and grant us mercy from You. Truly, You are the Bestower.'')

At the end of the verse, a powerful attribute of Allah, Al-Wahhab (الوهاب) - The Liberal Bestower, The Giver of Gifts, has been mentioned. When Allah's blessings are asked for, it is this attribute of Allah which answer back and tell the believers not to be unhappy for He is a Liberal Bestower, never turns back any supplication made to him. 

Thus all Muslims who feel weak and reverts who come under immense pressure from those they have left, should more often than not supplicate to Allah reciting the above said ayat for help and satisfaction of the heart. May Allah help us understand Qur'ān and help us to act upon the commandments of Allah contained therein. Aameen.

For more Selected Verses, please refer to our reference page: Selected Invocations / Dua " دُعا " from the Qur'anYou may also refer to our Reference Pages for knowing more about Islam and Qur'ān.
Photo | Reference: | 1
Reading the Qur'ān should be a daily obligation of a Muslim - Reading it with translation will make it meaningful. But reading its Exegesis / Tafsir will make you understand it fully.

An effort has been made to gather explanation / exegesis of the surahs / verses (ayat) of the Qur'ān from authentic sources and then present a least possible condensed explanation of the surah. In that:
  • The plain translation has been taken from the Qur'ān officially published by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. [1]
  • The exegesis of the chapters of the Quran is mainly based on the "Tafhim al-Qur'an - The Meaning of the Qur'an" by one of the most enlightened scholars of the Muslim World Sayyid Abul Ala Maududi. [2]  
In order to augment and add more explanation as already provided by [2], additional input has been interjected from following sources: 
  • Towards Understanding the Quran
  • Tafsir Ibn Khatir
  • Muhammad Asad Translation
  • Javed Ahmad Ghamidi / Al Mawrid
  • Al-Quran, Yusuf Ali Translation
  • Verse by Verse Qur'an Study Circle
In addition the references of  other sources which have been explored have also been given above. Those desirous of detailed explanations and tafsir (exegesis), may refer to these sites.

If you like Islam: My Ultimate Decision, and to keep yourself updated on all our latest posts to know more about Islam, follow us on Facebook

Please share this page to your friends and family members through Facebook, WhatsApp or any means on Social Media so that they can also be benefited by it and better understand Islam and the Qur'ān - Insha Allah (Allah Willing) you shall be blessed with the best of both worlds.

Sunday 22 December 2019

Selected Verses from Quran: Rabbana Series - 3


Blessed are those who listened to the call of the prophets of Allah and bring faith on the Divine commandments.  And how ungrateful are those who did not pay any attention to what prophets of Allah were saying or calling them to the path of ultimate truth. And even more ungrateful are those who listened to the call of the prophets but then drifted away from the guidance given to them by Allah and made innovations in the Holy Scriptures to suit their own requirements and lust. 

Here in this verse from Surah 3. Al-i'Imran, is the expression of gratitude by those believers who not only listened to the call of Prophet of Allah and believed in him too.

رَبَّنَاۤ اِنَّنَا سَمِعۡنَا مُنَادِيًا يُّنَادِىۡ لِلۡاِيۡمَانِ اَنۡ اٰمِنُوۡا بِرَبِّكُمۡ فَاٰمَنَّا  ۖ رَبَّنَا فَاغۡفِرۡ لَنَا ذُنُوۡبَنَا وَكَفِّرۡ عَنَّا سَيِّاٰتِنَا وَتَوَفَّنَا مَعَ الۡاَبۡرَارِ​ۚ‏ 
"Our Lord! Indeed we heard a crier calling to the faith saying: "Believe in your Lord"; so we did believe. Our Lord, forgive us our sins, and wipe out our evil deeds and make us die with the truly pious.'" (Surah 3 Al-i'Imran: 193) 

These believers are those who unlike the drivelers of Makkah did not demand miracles nor did insist on silly arguments and in fact the mere person of the prophet was no less than a miracle in their eyes; so when they saw that this call of professing faith in Allah and the Hereafter is the call of their own hearts and inner self, they bear witness to it and knowledge and intellect also demand it, and accepted it without any hesitation.

Such are the believers who call on to their Lord, and pray that they be wiped of any remnants of evil that reside in them and that they be forgiven and live a life as taught by the Prophet of Allah in the light of Divine Commandments. And their ultimate is to die as truly pious and blessed servants of Allah.

May Allah help us understand Qur'an and help us to act upon the commandments of Allah contained therein. Aameen.

For more Selected Verses, please refer to our reference page: Selected Verses from the Qur'an

You may also refer to our Reference Pages for knowing more about Islam and Quran.
Photo
Reading the Holy Quran should be a daily obligation of a Muslim - Reading it with translation will make it meaningful. But reading its Exegesis / Tafsir will make you understand it fully.

An effort has been made to gather explanation / exegesis of the Sūrahs of the Holy Qur'an from authentic sources and then present a least possible condensed explanation of the surah. In that:
  • The plain translation has been taken from the Holy Quran officially published by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. 
  • The exegesis of the chapters of the Holy Quran is mainly based on the "Tafhim al-Qur'an - The Meaning of the Qur'an" by one of the most enlightened scholars of the Muslim World Sayyid Abul Ala Maududi. 
In order to augment and add more explanation as already provided, additional input has been interjected from following sources: 
In addition the references of  other sources which have been explored have also been given in each page. Those desirous of detailed explanations and tafsir (exegesis), may refer to these sites.

If you like Islam: My Ultimate Decision, and to keep yourself updated on all our latest posts to know more about Islam, follow us on Facebook

Please share this page to your friends and family members through Facebook, WhatsApp or any means on Social Media so that they can also be benefited by it and better understand Islam and the Holy Qur'an - Insha Allah (Allah Willing) you shall be blessed with the best of both worlds.

Saturday 23 November 2019

Selected Verses from Quran: Charity and Suppression of Anger


The verses 134 and 135 of Surah 3 Al-i'Imran give out virtues of the pious and true Muslims. Here we are sharing the first verse, that is verse 134, which is about spending and helping others both in times of prosperity and in the trying times even when one is unable to meet one's own requirements. This is something that lays down basis of a just society under the ambit of Islam so that every individual of the society is able to have some means of subsistence:


الَّذِيۡنَ يُنۡفِقُوۡنَ فِى السَّرَّآءِ وَالضَّرَّآءِ وَالۡكٰظِمِيۡنَ الۡغَيۡظَ وَالۡعَافِيۡنَ عَنِ النَّاسِ​ؕ وَاللّٰهُ يُحِبُّ الۡمُحۡسِنِيۡنَ​ۚ‏ 

(3:134) who spend in the way of Allah both in plenty and hardship, who restrain their anger, and forgive others. Allah loves such good-doers."


The above quoted verse has two parts which spell out the definition of the righteous: (1) Spending in the name of Allah, (2) Suppression of one's anger:

In the first part, it is said of those who from grasping material wealth, also give freely, of themselves and their substance, not only when they are well-off and it is easy for them to do so, but also when they arc in difficulties, for other people may be in difficulties at the same time. As said earlier, this virtue of the righteous lays down the very foundation of a just and prosperous Muslim community where everyone is cognizant of others' needs and problems.

The fact stated in this verse is a truism from a moral and spiritual as well as from an economic and social viewpoint. For, although wealth apparently multiplies through interest and shrinks as a result of charity, in actual fact the opposite is the case. By God's decree, the law of nature is such that interest not only serves as a strain on moral and spiritual well-being, and social and economic growth, it also causes actual regression and decline. Charity, however, (including such acts as lending money to people with the stipulation that they should return it if they can. and at their convenience) leads to the growth and expansion of man's moral and spiritual qualities and to the growth of human society and economy.

Thus charity is the outcome of generosity, compassion, large heartedness and magnanimity, with the result that the more one practices charity the more these qualities develop. It is obvious that if there is a society whose individuals are selfish in their dealings with one another, in which none is prepared to assist the other without self-interest, in which every person considers the other's need an opportunity to capitalize and exploit, in which the interests of the rich are directly opposed to the interests of the common people, that society does not rest on stable foundations. In such a society, instead of love and compassion there is bound to grow mutual spite and bitterness, apathy, indifference and callousness. The elements which compose such a society are bound to remain inclined towards disintegration and chaos; acute internal conflict and strife are sure to occur.

The second virtue of the righteous is that they do not get ruffled in adversity, or get angry when other people behave badly, or their own good plans fail. On the contrary they redouble their efforts. For the charity-or good deeds-is all the more necessary in adversity. And they do not throw the blame on others. Even where such blame is due and correction is necessary, their own mind is free from a sense of grievance, for they forgive and cover other men's faults. This as far as other people are concerned. But we may be ourselves at fault, and perhaps we brought some calamity on ourselves. 

Although anger is a natural feeling it can have negative effects on those who allow it to control them, and adverse effects on those around them.  Anger can destroy relationships, health, property, and livelihood.  Uncontrolled anger is one of the tools of Satan and it can lead to many evils and tragedies. 

The Prophet of Allah once asked his Companions, “Whom among you do you consider a strong man?” They replied, “The one who can defeat so-and-so in a wrestling contest.” He said, “That is not so; a strong man is the one who can control himself when he is angry”.


Ali ibn Abi Talib was once fighting in a war, when the leader of the non-Muslim army attacked him.  During the confrontation, Ali managed to overcome him and was on the verge of killing him, when his opponent spat in Ali’s face.  Ali immediately stepped back and left the man alone.  The man said, “You could have killed me, why did you stop? Ali answered, “I have no personal animosity toward you.  I was fighting you because of your disbelief in and rebellion against God.  If I had killed you after you spat in my face, it would have been because of my personal anger and desire for revenge, which I do not wish to take.”

When Prophet Mohammad became angry due to someone’s incorrect actions or their words, he never expressed it with his hand and used only mild words.  In fact those that did not know him well did not even suspect that he was angry.  His companions however, knew that he was angry by just looking at him; his face would turn red and his forehead would be beaded with sweat.  However rather than expressing his anger openly he would be quiet, using those first moments to control himself.   


Controlling anger is a sign of righteousness.  A righteous person is promised Paradise and one of the characteristics of righteousness is being able to control anger.

The righteous man is not necessarily perfect. In such circumstances his behaviour is described in the next verse, that is 135, which we shall share in one of our next posts.

May Allah help us understand Qur'an and help us to act upon the commandments of Allah contained therein. Aameen.

For more Selected Verses, please refer to our reference page: Selected Verses from the Qur'an

You may also refer to our Reference Pages for knowing more about Islam and Quran.
Photo | References | 1 | 2 | 3 |
Reading the Holy Quran should be a daily obligation of a Muslim - Reading it with translation will make it meaningful. But reading its Exegesis / Tafsir will make you understand it fully.

An effort has been made to gather explanation / exegesis of the Sūrahs of the Holy Qur'an from authentic sources and then present a least possible condensed explanation of the surah. In that:
  • The plain translation has been taken from the Holy Quran officially published by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. 
  • The exegesis of the chapters of the Holy Quran is mainly based on the "Tafhim al-Qur'an - The Meaning of the Qur'an" by one of the most enlightened scholars of the Muslim World Sayyid Abul Ala Maududi. 
In order to augment and add more explanation as already provided, additional input has been interjected from following sources: 
In addition the references of  other sources which have been explored have also been given in each page. Those desirous of detailed explanations and tafsir (exegesis), may refer to these sites.

If you like Islam: My Ultimate Decision, and to keep yourself updated on all our latest posts to know more about Islam, follow us on Facebook

Please share this page to your friends and family members through Facebook, WhatsApp or any means on Social Media so that they can also be benefited by it and better understand Islam and the Holy Qur'an - Insha Allah (Allah Willing) you shall be blessed with the best of both worlds.

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