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| Guest Name |
Dr. Jasser Auda
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Director of Al-Maqasid Research Centre in London and Consultant to Reading Islam website
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| Subject |
Ask About Pilgrimage
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| Date |
Wednesday, Dec. 5, 2007
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Time |
Makkah
From...
16:00...To...
18:00
GMT
From... 13:00...To...15:00
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Editor
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Dear visitors,
The session has just started. Please feel free to join us with your questions.
After the session has ended, you can view the whole talk by clicking Recent Sessions, or the Archive.
For feedback and suggestions, please contact us.
Yours,
Reading Islam Team
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| Name |
Clare
- Germany
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| Question |
If you are writing that the Islamic rules are based on maqasid or the higher ends of the law, why do we still have to perform Hajj, if the maqasid such as unity of Muslims, etc., could be achieved in different ways?
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| Answer |
This is an important question that is related to the question about the constants and variables in Islam. There are parts of the Islamic law that are variable, and do change according to their 'ends' as you put it. Yet, there are parts that are simply fixed and have to be taken verbatim.
The distinction is between what is called acts of worship (`ibadat) and social dealings/transactions (mu`amalat). Imam Ash-Shatibi, for example, expressed this distinction when he wrote: 'Literal compliance is the default methodology in the area of acts of worship, while the consideration of purposes is the default methodology in the area of worldly dealings.'
AL-Bukhari narrates that `Umar was asked: 'Why do we still jog around the Ka`bah with our shoulders uncovered even after Islam had prevailed in Makkah?'
The story behind the question is that after the 'conquest of Makkah,' the people of Makkah claimed that the Prophet (peace be upon him) and his companions lost their health during their prolonged stay in Madinah. The Prophet, therefore, ordered the companions to jog around the Ka`bah with their shoulders uncovered in a show of strength. `Umar, however, did not take a purpose-oriented approach to this question. He answered: 'We do not cease doing anything we used to do at the Prophet's time.'
`Umar, thus, made a distinction between 'acts of worship' and 'worldly transactions' (mu˒âmalât).
But the question of 'why' in the area of acts of worship is an opened question anyways. For example, how Hajj helps unite Muslims, remind them of the Hereafter, remind all believers in God of their common heritage, and so on. However, the 'why' here is opened in the sense of understanding the wisdoms behind the acts of worship, not in the sense of justifying them to begin with.
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Ahmed
- United Kingdom
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Did Jews and Christians perform Hajj before Islam? And if they did, where? Was it Makkah? And is there evidence in the Bible for that?
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As-salamu `alikum everyone,
May all be blessed in these blessed days, and I ask Allah the Almighty to have a fruitful and informative discussion today.
Yes. Believers before Islam also performed pilgrimage and visited Makkah. Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) mentioned in the hadith (which Al-Bukhari and Muslim narrated) how ‘every prophet’ has visited Makkah and the House (Ka`bah).
In the Qur'an we read:
*{[We said unto Abraham:] "Do not ascribe divinity to aught beside Me!" and: "Purify My House for those who walk around it, and those who stand before it [in meditation], and those who bow down and prostrate themselves [in prayer].}* (Al-Hajj 22:26)
So, there were people before the time of Abraham who visited the House, and then the House was long forgotten until Abraham re-built it. And Abraham was also ordered to call people, from his time onwards, for pilgrimage. The next verse states:
*{Hence, proclaim thou unto all people the [duty of] pilgrimage: they will come unto thee on foot and on every [kind of] fast mount, coming from every far-away point [on earth].}* (Al-Hajj 22:27)
The Bible, on the other hand, and according to King James Version of Psalm 84, states:
4 Blessed are they that dwell in thy house: they will be still praising thee. Selah.
5 Blessed is the man whose strength is in thee; in whose heart are the ways of them.
6 Who passing through the valley of Baca make it a well; the rain also filleth the pools.
"Pilgrims" who "dwell in Your house", "praising you", "passing through the Valley of Baca," and the "well"; all sound familiar, don't they?
And Baca (which is mentioned here in Psalms) is Makkah. The Qur'an itself calls it Baca (or Bakkah):
*{The first House (of worship) appointed for men was that at Bakka/Baca Full of blessing and of guidance for all kinds of beings.}* (Aal `Imran 3:93)
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| Name |
Muhammad Asad
- Pakistan
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CA student
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| Question |
Assalamo alaikum
I am 19 years old and planning to perform hajj with my family this time . I have no earning yet my parents want me to go with them.
Would Allah accept my Hajj?
Also would I have to shave my hair on head completely or not?
Please help me, only little time is left now
Thank you
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| Answer |
Of course, Allah accepts the Hajj whose expenses are given to the pilgrim as a gift, which is your case. You do not have to make that money yourself. And regarding shaving the head, you have an option between shaving your head or simply having a hair cut. Allah the Almighty mentioned this in the Qur'an:
*{Indeed, God has shown the truth in His Apostle’s true vision: most certainly shall you enter the Inviolable House of Worship, if God so wills, in full security, with your heads shaved or your hair cut short, without any fear.}* (Al-Fath 48:27)
So, rely on Allah and go.
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mel
- Canada
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When I touched the door of the Ka`bah I felt strong energy. Can you explain that?
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I just wrote an article for Ask About Islam on New Age and related issues.
The Islamic understanding of 'energy', in the New Age sense, is that it is connected to one's spirituality. The way to spirituality in Islam is through worshipping God and feeling His presence and power.
Of course, there is so much spiritual activity going on around that place, especially close to the Ka`bah, where Muslims frequently experience a lot of deep emotions and tears, etc. The Ka`bah is also a place, Muslims believe, that all prophets of God had visited.
So, as you can expect if you are sensitive to energies, you will feel the effect of all of these energies.
The Black Stone is also a source of 'good energy' around the place. The Prophet (peace be upon him) says about it: 'The Black Stone descended from paradise. It was brighter than snow, but the sins of the children of Adam changed its color.' (At-Tirmidhi) Therefore, we could say that the Black Stone even gets affected by what people do.
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Musar
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How to prepare myself spiritually for this journey?
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Here are a few humble recommendations in points:
(1) to make sure that the money that you are paying for the trip is from lawful sources.
(2) to repent to Allah from all sins, the ones you are aware of and the ones that you are not aware of.
(3) to write a will, as if you will never return home.
(4) to learn the details of the rituals well, so that you do not busy yourself with asking about these details once you are there.
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James
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What is Pilgrimage?
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| Answer |
It is to visit Makkah and a few surrounding areas to perform certain actions there. It is an obligation on every practicing Muslim to do that once in a life time, if he/she has the physical and financial means.
I am sure that the articles that we have on this site will give you more details on Hajj, but I would like to add that all of the Hajj actions are related to Prophet Abraham (peace be upon him) and his family, and their struggle for the truth, as well as the Hereafter.
For example, touring between the two mountains of Safa and Marwa is to remind us of the story of Hagar, Prophet Abraham's wife. Throwing pebbles at certain stones there are also supposed to be reminders of Abraham's story with the man who advised him to disobey God regarding the slaughtering order. The white cloth that Muslims put on during Pilgrimage is supposed to be a simple, yet strong, reminder of the white coffin that one will have as one departs this life, and so on.
Useful Links:
Hajj : Q & A
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Nema
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Does pilgrimage expiate one's sins?
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Yes, that is what Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) told us. God's mercy is immense. God would forgive one's sin, even by simply asking (sincerely) for His forgiveness. Prophet Muhammad also said: 'A true repenter is like someone who never sinned'.
But Hajj, with all of its actions, gives a special opportunity to have the sincerity and the deep feelings of repentance. Allah forgives all pilgrims on the day of `Arafat. His mercy is endless.
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Hasan
- United States
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I am looking for answers and explanations on moon sighting for `Eid to understand as to why this has been so difficult and problematic?
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Regarding the moon sighting issue, the opinion that I personally believe in (which the opinion that the European Fiqh Council for Fatwa and Research (EFCR), effectively endorsed recently) is: Calculation, and calculation only.
I hold this opinion because the whole process of citation (which is indeed mentioned in the hadith) is MEANT to be a mechanism for defining the start and the end of the months, rather than being an act of worship in its own right.
Didn't God say in the Qur'an:
*{They will ask thee about the new moons. Say: "They indicate the periods for [various doings of] mankind, including the pilgrimage.}* (Al-Baqarah 2:189)
So, a new moon is just an "indicator" (miqaat), as the Qur'an states, and nothing else.
Of course, if the authority in Makkah (which is today's Saudi Arabia's authorities) happens to follow a different method, following them is an obligation. Dividing Muslims over such an issue is a sin.
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New to Islam
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How many times did the Prophet perform small Hajj?
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Do you mean by small hajj `Umrah? The answer is: I don't know. Al-Bukhari and Muslim narrated that the companions themselves had different opinions about it. Ibn `Umar said: They are four `Umrahs, one of them was in Rajab. But `Aishah, commenting on Ibn `Umar's hadith, said: 'May Allah forgive Ibn `Umar (for forgetting). I know that the Prophet never performed `Umrah during Rajab'.
In any case, it is a matter that does not have any practical relevance, and Allah knows best.
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Carin
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Why did God choose Mecca as a place for Hajj and not any other place?
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There is no definite answer for that in the scripts. But the following are some attempts to answer your question that were mentioned by scholars in their commentaries:
(1) A logical argument goes: Some place has to be chosen anyways, and the same question could be asked about any other place that God could have chosen.
(2) Hajj has a lot to do with the 'father of prophets', Abraham. And Makkah is the place where Abraham left his wife, Hagar, and child, Ishamel, at the orders of God, and it is where God showed us the miracle of the well (Zamzam) that sprung at Baby Ishamel's feet.
And why Abraham? Because he is the Prophet that all heavenly religions agree on, and therefore, it is quite necessary for Muslims (and others) to remember this very fundamental common ground in Abraham and his teachings.
(3) Some modern scientists say that Makkah is the 'centre of earth' in terms of some gravity consideration. Please refer to literature on Astronaut Neil Armstrong and this theory. Allah knows best. This is interestingly coherent with the Qur'anic verse which says:
*[… and [this book is] in order that thou mayest warn the foremost of all cities [Makkah] and all who are around it. (Al-An`am 6:92)
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Abuubaida
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How can Muslims make use of Hajj to restore their unity?
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Unity has a number of levels. One basic level of unity is a feeling of brotherhood/sisterhood amongst all Muslims. This could be achieved via getting to know each other and performing these rituals together.
There is an economic side for unity, which could be achieved via getting to do business with Muslims from other parts of the world and connecting/networking during the days of Hajj.
A higher level of unity is political unity, which does not seem to be an option for those who are in charge of Muslim politics these days. But hopefully the social and economic politics that I mentioned above will be pre-cursors and preparations for the political unity that Muslims aspire to.
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Haleema
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What do I know that my hajj has been accepted?
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One could never know whether one's good deed is accepted or not. And the wisdom behind this is to remain ever humble that your good deed might have been void, ever hoping that God accepts it, and ever praying to God to accept it and forgive any shortcomings.
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New to Islam
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How many times did the Prophet perform Hajj?
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Once. It is called the Farewell Pilgrimage.
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Barata
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Can I go to Hajj without going to Medina to visit the Prophet's mosque?
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Yes. Visiting Madinah is not part of the rituals of Hajj. Visiting Madinah is such a wonderful experience, though. But if you have any good reason not to visit Madinah, your Hajj is (technically) complete.
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Miet
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Why do Muslims go to Makkah to perform Pilgrimage?
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As I mentioned earlier, Makka has all to do with the House of Worship there (al-Ka`bah), and Abraham (peace be upon him) and his family's struggle. Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) was also born in Makkah from the lineage of Abraham.
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Syed
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What are the months of Hajj?
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Hajj is performed during Dhul-Hijjah. But people used to call the couple months ahead of Dhul-Hijjah 'the months of Hajj', because travelling used to take weeks or months in order for the pilgrim to get from his/her home country to Makkah.
But there are the 'sacred months', which are mentioned in the following verse:
*{Bhelod, the number of months, in the sight of God, is twelve months, [laid down] in God's decree on the day when He created the heavens and the earth; [and] out of these, four are sacred. (At-Tawbah 9:36)
These are the lunar months of Muharram, Rajab, Dhu 'l-Qi`dah and Dhu 'l-Hijjah, which are progressively rotating through the seasons of the solar year. These "sacred months" are months during which warfare was considered forbidden in pre-Islamic Arabia - a view which has been confirmed by Islam.
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Yukon
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How old does a child have to be for his hajj to be accepted if one performed hajj during childhood?
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When the child reaches 'adolescence', he/she starts to be responsible for his/her actions, including Hajj.
This is a short answer, but please read the following if you are interested in the technical details for 'legal capacity' in Islam:
Accountability or legal capacity in the Islamic law is classified by jurists into two levels, active legal capacity and receptive capacity. Active legal capacity entails rights, obligations and legal qualification, while receptive legal capacity entails rights without obligations or qualifications.
Jurists differentiated between the following four stages of human life, namely, from conception to birth, from birth to age of differentiation to puberty, and from puberty to death.
The receptive legal capacity of an embryo only entails a right for what is of benefit to the embryo and its anticipated life. Age of 'differentiation' is the age at which a child is able to 'know what buying and selling is.' Jurists had a difference of opinion as to whether it is the age of five, seven, or eight. Between birth and differentiation, a subject lacks ‘active legal capacity’ but has a (full) 'receptive legal capacity,' i.e., capacity for receiving and giving inheritance, charity, and so on.
The age of puberty/adolescence is also a matter of 'difference of opinion,' whether it is 'nine years,' 'seeing hair on the (boy's) face,' 'twelve years,' or 'the ability to conceive (for girls) and cause conception (for boys).'
Active legal capacity entails responsibility of the subject for his/her own decisions, and independence from the approval of others in transactions. However, from the age of differentiation to the age of puberty, this capacity is partial, i.e., some decisions taken by the mukallaf have to be approved by guardian(s).
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Nour
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Why did God select certain months for Hajj and not any other time of the year?
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Why Dhul-Hijjah? This is a similar question to the previous question on 'why Makkah?'. Also, there is no definite answer for that in the scripts. But a logical argument goes: Some month has to be chosen anyways, and the same question could be asked about any other month that God could have chosen.
However, Dhul-Hijjah is one of the four "sacred months" that I mentioned earlier, and perhaps this gives an additional merit to that month.
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anjia
- Indonesia
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technician
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I have friend who come from Czech. He ask me about Islam. Please help me answer his question because I have trouble with my English.
His question is:
"I heard news about Muslim girl, who lives in Israel I think she was ravished with some Muslim man before wedding day and she got 200 slashes by whip and man nothing...that's cruel and beyond all understanding for me. Tell me if you know that, why are Muslim girls so hagridden and vilified? How can Muslim girls and Muslim men pray to the same God, when Muslim girls are so vilified by men? I think, that is only in orthodox Muslim countries as Israel and so on, but I do not understand to that yet...give me explanation please."
Thank you.
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I think that your English is fine, but there is a little bit of a problem in your Geography. You probably mean the recent events that occurred in Saudi Arabia.
Please refer to the articles on this site related to the clear difference in Islamic law between the (crime of) rape and the (sin of) adultery, as well as an article that I wrote recently related to 'punishments' in the Islamic law being 'symbolic' exceptions.
Useful Links:
Are Raped Women Punished in Islam?
Prescribed Punishments: The Exception, Not the Rule
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Kameela
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Why do Muslim go around the Ka`bah?
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There is not stated reason in the scripts, even though the scripts order pilgrims to walk around the Ka`bah.
*{Thereafter let them let them fulfill the vows which they [may] have made, and let them walk around the Most Ancient House [Kaaba].}* (Al-Hajj 22:29)
Thus, Muslims perform this ritual out of 'ibadat (worship), as I mentioned earlier.
However, there are some recent interesting researches as to the similarities between the pilgrim's revolving around the Ka`bah and the revolving of planets around stars and stars around galaxies, and so on.
One could even notice that even the anti-clockwise direction that pilgrims take is the same direction that the revolving extraterrestrial bodies take.
In my view, these concepts are connected to 'organismic analogy', which is a proof for the power of God based on the incredible similarities between tiny organisms, human bodies, societies, large-scale civilizations, and even heavenly planets and massive stars. It is another systematic proof for God's creation. This is the same concept that is already known in Islam as the divine natural laws.
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Shamla
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What if a man commits adultery after he has performed Hajj, claiming that he will make another Hajj to expiate?
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This is an evil intention that, if continues, guarantees that the next Hajj will NOT expiate the sin. And the reason is because Hajj expiates the sin BECAUSE during Hajj the pilgrim repents sincerely to Allah.
But if that pilgrim has a pre-intention for sins, then it is not a correct repentance, to start with. One of the conditions of an acceptable repentance is 'regret' and the 'will not to ever return to the sin'. I am not sure whether that person has any such regret or will.
On the other hand, why adultery? Islam did not forbid love and lust. Islam just regulated them. So, if you know this man, advise him to seek marriage instead of sin. Islam made marriage easy and a recommended act of worship.
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Concerned woman
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How to enhance my faith after Hajj?
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I think that after Hajj you must keep remembering the vows that you made to Allah during Hajj and the level of purity of heart that you reached there, and to try to keep up with all that at all times.
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Editor
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Finally, we would like to thank our guest Dr. Jasser Auda for speaking to Reading Islam viewers today, and we also thank all those who participated in this talk. We apologize for not being able to accommodate all the questions within the time allocated to this session. We request our readers to join us in the upcoming sessions.
Yours,
Reading Islam Team
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