Remedying the heavy and tight chest

[22/08/2025] Dependence upon Allāh: The Secret of Strength and Honour - By Shaykh Abu Zayd Khālid حفظه الله. Khuṭbah at Masjid Salafi, Small Heath, Birmingham, UK.

Some points discussed during this Khuṭbah:

- {O mankind! it is you who stand in need of Allāh. But Allāh is Rich (Free of all needs), Worthy of all praise} [Sūrah Fāṭir:15]
- Our constant need of Allāh the Mighty and Majestic. 
- Ibn al-Qayyim’s commentary upon this verse and explanation of the two types of poverty. 
- {and man was created weak…} [Sūrah an-Nisā: 28]
- {Nay! Verily, man does transgress (in disbelief and evil deed)} [al-‘Alaq: 6]
- The example of the Prophet ﷺ.
- The supplications of the Prophet ﷺ during the morning and the evening. 
- Commentary of imām as Sa’dī raḥimahullāh of Sūrah Fāṭir: 15. 
- The blessing of Allāh upon us. 
- Ibn al-Qayyim regarding the one who is “truly guided”. 
- The definition of “true richness”. 


Dependence upon Allah The Secret of Strength and Honour By Abu Zayd

The Status of Patience by Ustadh Skander - Jumuah Khutbah 12/09/25

02 - Masā’il Al-Jāhiliyyah - Abu Inayah


●From the rewards and benefits of having good thoughts about Allāh.

●The deep insight of the wife of the Prophet (peace & blessings of Allāh be upon him) Khadeejah and how she comforted him.

●From the noble qualities our Prophet (peace and blessings of Allāh be upon him).

●Having good thoughts of Allāh when making du'ā.

●Have certainty that Allāh will answer your supplications.

●Having good opinion and thoughts of Allāh at the point of death.

●Having bad thoughts of Allāh leads to destruction and ruin.


Jumu'ah Khutbah 19/09/2025  No believer has been granted a gift greater than having a good opinion of Allāh

[22/09/2025] – The Text: And His Saying, “Say: O People of the Book, come to a word of justice between us, that we will single Allah out with all worship and will not worship anything besides Him, and will disassociate ourselves from everything that is worshipped besides Him. Nor will we take one another as Lords besides Allah by obeying one another in that which involves disobedience to Allah. So if they turn away, then say: Bear witness that we are muslims, submitting to Allah and making our worship purely and sincerely for Him, and not worshipping anything else besides Him.’” Surah Imran (3): 64
– The proof for the testification that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah, is the saying of Allah, the Most High, “There has indeed come to you Allah’s Messenger, from amongst yourselves and known to you. It grieves him that you should suffer. He is eager and anxious for the guidance of those of you who are astray, and that they should repent and return to the truth, and he is full of compassion and mercy for the believers.” Surah Tawbah (9):128. – – The meaning of the testification that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah is: to obey him in whatever he commands; to believe and to testify to the truth of everything he informs of; to avoid whatever he forbade and prohibited; and that you worship Allah only with that which he prescribed.
– Explanation of Shaykh Fawzan
– The background and the reason for the revelation of the ayah in Surah Imran (3):64
– Explanation of Shaykh Uthaymin
– The reason behind the attributes of the Messenger ﷺ mentioned in the ayah in Surah Tawbah.
– Proofs from the Quran to show Muhammad ﷺ is the Messenger.
– Explanation of the attributes of a Messenger.
– Explanation of the characteristics of Muhammad’s ﷺ Messengership.
– The requirements of the testification of Muhammad ﷺ is the Messenger.
– Knowledge and understanding of this testification makes it easy to follow the sunnah.
– Examples of when the Messenger ﷺ aided others.
– Difference between following the Messenger’s actions which is based upon proof and the actions of the companions.
– Principle of the Messenger ﷺ not sharing the characteristics of Lordship with proofs from the Qur’an. 
– The Text: The evidence for the Prayer and the zakāt and the explanation of Tawheed is the Saying of Allah, the Most High, “And they were not commanded except that they should worship Allah alone, making the worship and obedience purely for Him, upon the true Religion and free from shirk; and that they should establish the Prayer, and pay the Zakāt – and that is the straight and true Religion
– Explanation of Shaykh Uthaymin:
– Meaning of worship mentioned in the ayah.
– Conditions of worship to be correct.
– Linguistic benefit from the ayah in regards to worship being mentioned generally first, and thereafter specifically.
– Meaning of Deenul Qayyim.
– Proofs to show Religion is the upright and straight Path.
– The evidence for fasting is the Saying of Allah, the Most High, “O you who believe Fasting is prescribed as an obligation for you as it was prescribed as an obligation for those  who came before you, so that you may attain taqwa. Sura Baqarah (2): 183
– Benefits of fasting being prescribed to those before us.
– Tafseer of the ayah in Surah Baqarah specifically how to attain taqwa.
– The Text: The evidence for hajj is the Saying of Allah, the Most High, “And hajj to Allah’s sacred House is an obligation upon those able to perform it; and whoever refuses ad rejects the obligation of hajj to Allah’s House, then Allah has no need of him or any of the creation.” Surah Imran (3):97
– The reason for the revelation of the ayah.
– The conditions of Hajj.
– The importance of fulfilling the obligatory worship and fulfilling the conditions of the worship too.

38 Explanation of the Three Principles by Abu Idrees

Riba: Going to War with Allah - by Ustadh Abu Ishaaq Nadeem - Jumu'ah Khutba 26/09/25

[26/09/2025] Death is Indeed a Calamity and its Neglect is a Greater Disaster! - By Sh Abu Idrees Muhammad Khān حفظه الله. Khuṭbah at Masjid As-Sunnah An-Nabawiyyah, Aston, Birmingham, UK.

Some points discussed during this Khuṭbah:

– The reality of death in our lives.
– Allah addressing the Messenger of Allah ﷺ: You will die.
– Allah ﷻ says: Every soul shall taste death and unto Him you will return. Surah Ankabut (29):57
– The death that you are fleeing from will reach and meet you.
– Narrations reflecting upon the true reality of death.
– No one knows their appointed time but the time of death will not be delayed.
– Ayāt describing how souls are taken at the time of death.
– Hadīth: Remember abundantly the destroyer of pleasure.
– The stages of our lives: this life, the barzakh and the afterlife.
– Reflection on Surah Takāthur.
– Narration of Messenger of Allah ﷺ crying, making the ground wet, admonishing the companions at a funeral, describes what occurs when the deceased is carried and what is said by the righteous and wicked soul.
– The creation hears the anguish of those who are being buried and are in the graves; if mankind were to hear it, the Messenger ﷺ feared that nobody will come to bury their deceased.


Death Is Indeed a Calamity and Its Neglect Is a Greater Disaster By Abu Idrees 260925

[26/09/2025] The Virtues and Excellence of the Qur'ān, and its Preservation - By Sh Abu Fuḍayl ‘Abdur Raqīb حفظه الله. Khuṭbah at Masjid Salafi, Small Heath, Birmingham, UK.

Some points discussed during this Khuṭbah:

Al-'Allāmah ibn Bāz raḥimahullāh on the excellence of the Book of Allāh and its recitation.
From the most virtuous acts of worship.
A guidance for mankind that leads to all that is good.
{Verily, this Qur’ân guides to that which is most just and right and gives glad tidings to the believers, who work deeds of righteousness, that they shall have a great reward (Paradise)} [Al-Isrā': 17:9].
{And this is a blessed Book (the Qur’ān) which We have sent down, so follow it and fear Allâh, that you may receive mercy} [Al-An'ām: 6:155].
The mercy of Allāh is Paradise.
The Messenger of Allāh commanded with the recitation of the Qur'ān.
The intercession of the Qur'ān for the one who recites it.
Rewards for each letter that is recited within the Qur'ān.
The tremendous nature of going to the masjid and studying two or more verses of the Qur'ān.
Levels of those who study and memorise the Qur'ān.
Learning and studying with your companions, and the benefits therein.
Cooperation upon righteousness and piety.
The preservation of the Qur'ān, and the promise of Allāh.
The Speech of Allāh - The Most High. 
The Loftiness of Allāh - The Most High.
Everything that the slave requires is contained within the tremendous Book.
 Implementation of the Qur'ān in one's daily life. 
The recompense of the one who neglects the Qur'ān. 


The Virtues & Excellence of the Quran & its Preservation By Abu Fudayl 26092025

Lesson 35 | 25/09/2025: Usūl us-Sunnah of Imām Ahmad – by Abu Ukkāshah ‘Abdul-Ḥakīm. Lesson series at Tower Hamlets, East London, UK.

35 Usūl us-Sunnah of Imām Ahmad by Abu Ukkāshah ‘Abdul-Ḥakīm (25/09/2025)

[27/09/2025] The Importance of Time in the Life of a Muslim - By 'Abdul Ḥakeem Mitchell حفظه الله. Khuṭbah at Masjid As-Sunnah An-Nabawiyyah, Aston, Birmingham, UK.

Some points discussed:

- A comprehensive du’ā asking Allāh for rectification in one’s dīn and dunyā. 

- The necessity of calling upon Allāh with ikhlāṣ and tawḥīd. 

- The obligation of being grateful to Allāh and using His blessings in His obedience. 

- Ibn al-Qayyim (رحمه الله) on three means of attaining happiness. 

- The great importance of time, and examples of Allāh (عز وجل) swearing by different periods of time. 

- Using our time in the obedience of Allāh and not wasting it. 

- The Salaf on the son of Ādam being nothing but a specific number of days that will come to an end. 

- “And worship your Lord until there comes unto you the certainty (i.e. death).” [Sūrah al-Ḥijr 15:99]

- The only thing that remains with a person in his grave. 

- “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. Those who remember Allāh standing, sitting, and lying down on their sides, and think deeply about the creation of the heavens and the earth, (saying): ‘Our Lord! You have not created (all) this without purpose, glory to You! (Exalted be You above all that they associate with You as partners). Give us salvation from the torment of the Fire.’” [Sūrah Āli ‘Imrān 3:190-191]

- Shaykh Rabī’ (رحمه الله) on the Qur’ān being full of jarḥ wa ta’dīl. 

- Striving to be from the people of understanding who ponder upon the creation, seek knowledge and adorn their knowledge with action. 

- Exhortation from Ḥasan al-Baṣrī (رحمه الله) to carry out righteous actions while we have the opportunity.

- Aḥādīth emphasising the importance of time and the fact that we will be questioned regarding how we utilised it. 

- Shaykh al-Fawzān (حفظه الله) on the three types of ‘ibādah.

- Different means of taking advantage of our time. 

- 1. Seeking the aid of Allāh

- 2. Making sincere repentance to Allāh

- 3. Surrounding ourselves with people who remind us of Allāh

- 4. Bringing ourselves to account and striving against our nafs

- 5. Understanding the lowliness of the dunyā.


The Importance of Time in the Life of a Muslim By Abdul Hakeem Mitchell

Remedying the Heavy and Tight Chest

Introduction: What is the Basis of a Relaxed Heart?

Sunday 21 Jan

✏️ Remedying the Heavy and Tight Chest
Lesson 2: Causes of weakness or strength in Eemaan, what happens to the heart when one sins? 

•	Brief Recap of lesson 1
•	Without Tawhid the heart cannot experience true tranquillity
•	No amount of wealth will grant tranquillity
•	How is it possible for a heart to have relaxation without that heart recognising the lord which has created it? How can one have peace without knowing the purpose for which he/she is created?
o	Anecdote of one waking up on an aeroplane, not knowing where he/she is going or why he/she is on that plane to begin with, the first thing one would want to know is “why am I here?” even before wanting to know how
•	Tawhid increases and decrease and this is affected by knowledge and patience
o	Your chest will be expanded in proportion to how strong your tawhid is and vice versa
•	Ibn Qayyim mentioned in another book concerning which group of people have the most perfect of Tawhid
o	NOTE: Tawhid has a basis/foundation, what is this?
o	NOTE: after the foundation of tawhid, there is the perfection of Tawhid, brief recap (see Lesson 1)
o	NOTE: the importance of staying away from the major sins, not persistently committing minor sins and accompanying that with seeking forgiveness
o	Recap of who are the best of the people in perfection of Tawhid, (see Lesson 1)
•	Shaikh Muhammad Amaan Al-Jaami says the above (i.e. Tawhid and Eemaan increasing and decreasing) is something a person is aware of by himself from own experience
•	Ibn Qayyim states a person’s soul fluctuates between commanding with evil, self reproaching and commanding with good. These are symptoms of strength or weakness of Eemaan
•	Causes of a person’s Eemaan and Tawhid becoming weak:
o	Turning away from Allah subhaanahu wata’aalaa. 
o	Allah will test you with situations where you have an option to obey or disobey Allah with your hand, eye, speech etc
o	NOTE: after disobeying Allah, the soul of a believer becomes regretful and tight
•	Causes of a person’s Eemaan and Tawhid becoming strong:
o	Obeying Allah
o	NOTE: this must be done in accordance with the Sunnah of the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم). Performing Bidah is not obeying Allah.
•	Note: in the above, when mentioning strength or weakness of Tawhid, Eemaan is also mentioned, why is this? Are the identical?
o	This is because the essence of Eemaan is magnifying and glorifying your Lord and having Love for your Lord
o	These qualities (i.e. magnifying and loving Allah), if they are present in the heart it will naturally produce Tawhid
•	Ibn Qayyim mentions the verse: “Is he whose breast Allah has opened to Islam, so that he is in light from His Lord (as he who is non-Muslim)? So, woe to those whose hearts are hardened against remembrance of Allah! They are in plain error!” [39:22]
o	This is a favour and a blessing from Allah
o	This type of person, whom Allah has opened his chest to Islam and being conscious of Allah, he/she worships Allah as though he sees him (although one cannot see Allah in this world)
o	The one in whose heart Allah places light, then Allah gives him/her the sense of being close to Allah
o	When this type of person experiences sinning and weakness of eemaan, then this person will experience symptoms in his/her heart of a sense of loneliness as he/she has sinned against the one who was close to him/her and who placed light in your heart. The One you escape back to in such a situation is Allah as he is the only one who can save you from the evil of your own sin and the one who can restore that light in your heart.

For rest of Summary please go to AlhudaBolton.com

Lesson 2: Causes of weakness or strength in Eemaan, what happens to the heart when one sins?

Sunday 28 Jan
✏️ Remedying the Heavy and Tight Chest
Lesson 3: What is Muraaqabah? What things cause a servant to be forsaken by Allah?
•	Brief Recap of lesson 2, what things weaken or strengthen a person’s Tawhid?
•	Recap of why Shaikh Muhammad Amaan Al-Jaami mentions Tawhid alongside Eemaan
•	What is Muraaqabah?
o	It is to worship Allah being conscious of him watching you, as though one sees Allah and so finds closeness to Allah and his chest feels opened
•	When a person sins or commits a mistake, the heart of a believer has certain symptoms
o	Every Human commits mistakes and sins
o	When the person who has Muraaqabah commits sins, he feels alone
o	Such a person as above should run back to Allah when that occurs
o	Why does he/she run back to Allah? = So Allah can save him/her from the evil of the person’s own self and own desires
•	Where are the acts of worship manifested?
o	The heart (e.g. fear, love)
o	The tongue (e.g. reciting the qur’an)
o	The limbs (e.g. prayer, hajj, fasting etc)
•	The acts of worship of the heart (e.g. fear, love etc), do they have levels or are they absolute/discrete?
o	The actions of the heart can increase and decrease and have levels#
o	How can the acts of worship of the Heart be increased?
	Ibn Qayyim says: Whenever Muraaqabah (Being conscious that Allah is watching you) increases, then this brings about shyness, shame, tranquillity, fear, hope and submission before Allah that is not attained by anything other than it (i.e. Muraaqabah)
	Therefore increasing Muraaqabahn will increase the acts of worship of the heart
•	Allah Says: “And whomsoever Allah wills to guide, He opens his breast to Islam, and whomsoever He wills to send astray, He makes his breast closed and constricted, as if he is climbing up to the sky. Thus Allah puts the wrath on those who believe not.” [Surah An’aam (6):125]
•	Shaikh Muhammad Amaan Al-Jaami mentions that there are two types of guidance:
o	Guidance of directing and making things clear for a someone 
	Does this type of guidance mean a person is a Muslim? = No. This is because this type of guidance can occur by Allah but can also occur by others e.g. prophets and messengers etc.
o	Guidance of Allah granting success and inspiration
	This is when a person’s chest is opened to Islam as Allah mentioned in the verse above. This guidance can only occur by Allah and so if someone finds this in their heart, then this means Allah has guided him/her
	This type of guidance must come after the first type
	In this guidance the chest of a person is opened to sincerity in performing the worships and in accordance to the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah (صلى الله عليه وسلم) 
	NOTE: Some Muslims say, “Muslims in the world are in a dire state, lets unite as a large umbrella group and not concern ourselves with what we believe (e.g. Sunni, Sufi, Shia, etc), let’s just get together”. This is FALSE and goes AGAINST the Sunnah of our Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم).
•	The opposite of the above is one whom Allah misguides and so his chest becomes tight as though he is ascending in the heavens, see above verse.

For rest of Summary, please go to AlhudaBolton.com

Lesson 3: What is Muraaqabah? What things cause a servant to be forsaken by Allah?

Sunday 4 Feb 2018
✏️ Remedying the Heavy and Tight Chest
Lesson 4: The Decree of Allah and free will of the slaves, the effects of Shirk, and the light of Eemaan
•	Recap of Lesson 3:
o	The believing slave of Allah has Love, Fear and Hope of Allah, what intensifies these things?
o	How many types of Guidance are there? What are these?
o	For Summary of Lesson 3 go to: www.Alhudabolton.com/2018/01/28/2147
•	Guidance which a person receives from Allah (Guidance for Success and inspiration), what is an indication that a person has received this?
o	Sincerity
o	Following the Messenger of Allah (صلى الله عليه وسلم)
•	What are the signs that Allah has not bestowed success upon a person, and that Allah has misguided that person?
o	The person will find in his chest great difficulty when he wants to fulfil the commandments of Allah
o	He views the commandments of Allah as shackles from which he wants freedom
o	These are signs that Allah has forsaken the slave
•	Allah says: “Have We not opened your breast for you (O Muhammad (Peace be upon him))?” [Surah Ash- Sharh (94) verse 1]
o	What did Shaikh Uthaymeen mentioned about this verse and the meaning of an opened chest? (See Lesson 3), what did the Shaikh say about the two types of Allah’s Judgements
o	The soul’s desires go against the commandments of Allah (e.g pray, fast, not to do haraam) and prohibitions and so it is important to strive against one’s desires and therefore having Allah’s help in opening your chest is needed. 
•	If a person finds it difficult do what Allah has commanded, he/she needs to run back to Allah
•	If Allah does not grant a person success in running back to him, then this is an indication that Allah has caused you to become lost and astray
o	The person who will be guided and the one who will not be guided, these are already written and decreed and is in the knowledge of Allah already. 
•	The Decree of Allah and free will of the slaves:
o	The perfection of the world we live in and the other signs of Allah, the creator, show us that Allah has perfect knowledge of what happened, what is happening now, and what will happen. This comes from sound reasoning and a person will naturally know this (that this perfect and complex world could not have come about by chance)
o	Yet also, when one does a deed, it is not by force and so everyone has a free will and a choice between doing good and evil. A person will know this from his/her senses, i.e. that the choices they make are theirs.
•	The cause and means of Allah saving you from your own evil could be just one dua
•	Ibn Al-Qayyim says therefore guidance and Tawhid are the greatest means of alleviating the tight and heavy chest 
•	Naturally, innately, you can know that you have a creator. This is tawhid rubuubiyya (Singling out Allah in his Lordship) in one’s reason and is the fitra of a person.
o	However, having this alone is not enough to cause the chest of a person to be expanded
o	One must also have tawhid al-uloohiyya (singling out Allah in his worship) in order for his chest to be expanded
•	The greatest Means of bringing about tightness of the chest is Shirk:
o	Shaikh Muhammad Amaan Al- Jaami says the person who fears other besides Allah, calls others besides Allah, loves others besides Allah (in such a way only Allah should be loved) then his heart is distributed among the people. His heart is therefore in many places and is never in a state of peace and tranquillity. He is always in a state of uneasiness regardless of how calm or happy he may outwardly be. His love is fragmented, his fear is disseminated.
o	The sinner, but who is a person of tawhid (Islamic monotheism) and worships only one God- Allah, his heart is in a state of peace in comparison to the one who worships many gods or calls on the dead (e.g. Buddhists, Sufis, Shia etc).

For more of this summary go to AlhudaBolton.com

Lesson 4: The Decree of Allah and free will of the slaves, Effects of Shirk, and the Light of Eemaan

Sunday 18 Feb 2018
✏️ Remedying the Heavy and Tight Chest
Lesson 5: The Light of Eemaan Prevails over the difficulties of this World
•	Recap of Lesson 4:
o	The cause and means of Allah saving you from your own evil could be just one dua 
o	Tawhid is the greatest cause for alleviating the tight chest
o	Shirk is the greatest cause for tightening the chest
o	The noor (light) of Eemaan (belief)
o	For Summary of Lesson 4 go to: http://alhudabolton.com/2018/02/04/lesson-4-remedying-heavy-tight-chest/
•	Shaikh Muhammad Amaan Al-Jaami (may Allah have mercy on him)  says the light of Eemaan expands the chest and as a result of that, a person does not attach significance to this world and isn’t worried by the toils of it nor does he/she take delight in its luxuries
o	However, this must be correct Eemaan, free from shirk
o	Eemaan must be based on what the prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) taught us
•	Shaikh Muhammad Amaan Al-Jaami continues that perhaps there is a person who has Eemaan but is in a state of poverty or does not have much wealth, or perhaps he has enemies whom Allah has placed in a state of authority (as Allah has done in the case of many Prophets, Messengers and those who strive to bring about rectification in order to test them). Such people, Shaikh Muhammad Amaan Al-Jaami says, they find within themselves love of Allah and being in a state of happiness
•	Shaykh Ibnul-Qayyim (may Allah have mercy on him) says the believer has an expanded and alleviated chest in this world despite the difficulties he faces, and when his Eemaan becomes intensified, then he will have an more expanded chest when facing the difficulties of life more so than what expansion he would find in a state of ease.
o	When such a person departs this world (dies), his/her heart becomes even more expanded, just as one who leaves a state of confinement as, in reality, this world is a prison for the believer
o	When the believer dies, he/she will experience bliss in the life of Al-Barzakh. However, when Allah raises him on the day of resurrection he/she will experience such a degree of relaxation which cannot be compared to what came before it
•	Allah may cause the enemies of those who strive to bring about rectification (e.g. the Propehts) to overpower them as a trail 
o	Shaikh ul-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah (d. 728 AH may Allah have mercy on him), the teacher of Ibnul-Qayyim, was tested greatly however despite these difficulties Allah provided him with bliss, happiness and an expansive chest
o	Shaikh ul-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah (when imprisoned) said: “What can my enemies do to me? My garden is in my chest, wherever I go it goes with me, it does not leave me, my imprisonment is seclusion, my being killed is martyrdom, and my being driven out of my land is tourism”
o	Shaikh Muhammad Amaan Al-Jaami says can your enemies do any more than this (to imprison, to kill, or to expel)?
o	Ibn Qayyim reports regarding the imprisonment of Shaikh ul-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah in the fortress of Damascus that he said “If I was to spend this fortress worth of gold, it would not equate to the gratitude and thanks I wish to give for this blessing (of being imprisoned in this fortress)” 
•	Regardless of what others may do, if a person has the light of Eemaan then his/her heart is protected from the difficulties of this world
o	Ibn Qayyim says that he had not seen anyone live a life happier than Shaikh ul-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah despite the difficulties he endured. Whenever fear increased with them they would go to Shaikh ul-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah, seeing him and listening to him speak would replace the fear with relaxation, certainty and tranquillity
•	Shaikh ul-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah: “Indeed in the world there is a paradise, whoever does not enter into this paradise, he will not enter into the paradise of the Hereafter”
o	The paradise of this world is the delight of obeying and worshipping Allah.
•	Eventually such a person who obeyed Allah will die and his/her soul will be in bliss

Lesson 5 The Light of Eemaan Prevails over the difficulties of this World

Calling to the Qur'an and Sunnah, upon the way of the Salaf

Lesson 4: The Decree of Allah and free will of the slaves, Effects of Shirk, and the Light of Eemaan

Alhuda Bolton

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