General Articles, - What is the connection between the size of birds and their molting?

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All features in the bodies of birds are created especially for flight. Birds need to be light enough to lift off the ground and fly, strong enough to fly over long distances and also some species need to be strong enough to easily carry their prey when they catch it. Therefore, both their feather structures and bone structures need to be light and their size needs to be limited.
· How are birds’ size limited?
· What is the connection between birds’ size and molting?
Birds need to molt their feathers at certain intervals in order to preserve the aerodynamic structure required for flight. This is because feathers get corroded as they are exposed to ultraviolet lights and bacteria. However, a certain time is needed for the feathers, which are of vital importance for flight, to molt. Therefore, Almighty Allah created a very important detail, and limited the size of birds so they do not have difficulty in molting. If birds were too big, their feathers would get corroded before they are at the size birds need and would not let the bird fly. But as birds grow, the size of the primary flight feathers increase by 1/3 in comparison to the weight. When this weight increases by 10 times, the feathers’ length almost doubles in size.
As their body size increases, the speed of the increase in a feathers size rises by 1/6 with respect to its weight. When this weight increases by 10 times, it means that the molting time increases by 1.5 times and a bird of 10 kilos in size needs 56 days to renew even a single feather; and this is a very long time for birds that need to fly continuously.
However, our Lord’s mercy and compassion manifests itself over the relationship between the renewal of feathers and the size of birds in the best way:
àSmall birds molt 9-10 flight feathers one or two times a year respectively and by spending three weeks for each one of them.
àIf they are bigger, they use a different method:
· The feather molting period takes 2 or even 3 years.
· They molt two feathers in two different spots at the same time.
· They molt all of their feathers if they do not need to fly for food or to flee from hunters (like ducks and goose).
It is of course an illogical claim that birds think and design these intelligent behaviors and plan their physical characteristics on their own. The truth is that Allah created birds and all other living beings out of nothing, and that all things move by His command. Allah, the All-powerful, reveals that He is the Owner of all beings in one verse of the Qur’an as such:
" Everyone in the heavens and earth belongs to Him. All are submissive to Him. " (Surat ar-Rum, 26)

Almighty Allah is the One Who Determines Birds’ Molting Periods
Bird feathers, which have a very complicated structure and complex aerodynamic characteristics, are created especially for these living things. Even a single bird feather is enough to prove the existence of Allah and the fact of creation.
- How did birds gain the ability to molt their feathers, which is of vital importance for flight, over time?
- Who taught them the precautions they need to take in order not to lose their flight abilities in this period?
- How could a bird take the decisions that will limit the size of its body by making a decision like “I need to change in the shortest time possible and by taking some precautions and thus I need to adjust my body size accordingly” ?
There is no doubt that all of the arrangements in the bodies of these beings are the work of Almighty Allah, Who knows what they need to live and fly, grants them all of their needs and Who has superior intelligence and power. Birds change their bodily structures, ways of living and molting times when Allah wills them to do so. Allah created all of these beings and bestowed the necessary abilities on them. All of their functions are an evidence of Allah’s Existence and Might. Therefore, every task they do is an act of praising Allah. Allah reveals in one verse of the Qur’an as follows:
" Do you not see that everyone in the heavens and earth glorifies Allah, as do the birds with their outspread wings? Each one knows its prayer and glorification. Allah knows what they do. " (Surat an-Nur, 41)

Every single one of a bird's feathers has a different task. The feathers on the bird’s abdomen, the wing and tail feathers have different characteristics than one another. Tail feathers, which are made up of large feathers, act as steering and braking mechanisms . Wing feathers, on the hand, have a structure that will broaden the surface during flapping and increase levitation force. When the bird is flapping its wings down, the feathers get close to one another and prevent the air from dissipating in between. During the moment when the bird is raising its wings up, the feathers open up as much as possible and create a position suitable for easy air passage.
Birds cast aside their feathers in order to protect their flight abilities. Large feathers, which are ruptured or torn, are renewed quickly as they cannot carry out their tasks fully.
The functions of bird feathers are very varied. The quills in the feathers help the bird fly. The tail quills that form the tail acts like a steering mechanism and makes it easier for the bird to “apply the brakes “when it lands. All of these are possible by the will of Allah Who is the Owner of superior creation and infinite mercy and by His control over His creations.
“ Have they not looked at the birds above them, with wings outspread and folded back? Nothing holds them up but the All-Merciful. He sees all things. " (Surat al-Mulk, 19)
Some Interesting Characteristics of Birds:
The male hummingbird that lives in Cuba is 6.3 centimeters in size and only 1.95 grams in weight. The heart of the hummingbird beats 500 to 1,200 times per second every day. Its heart slows down so much at night that it is as if it has no pulse and does not breathe. Porcupines also apply this during winter. This is their winter hibernation. The hummingbird has to hibernate 365 times every year.
Parrots known as “Micropsitta pusio” that live in Papua New Guinea are the smallest parrots in the world. This parrot, which is as big as a grown man’s finger and even smaller than some of the insects in the same region, is approximately 9 centimeters in length and 11.5 grams in weighht.
The Albatross is a sea bird with a very large -3.5 meter- wingspan. They spend 92% of their lives on the open seas and they almost never land. The most important characteristic of this bird species is that they can fly for a very long time without rest. The albatross manages this difficult task by means of its special flight style. The albatross only needs to hold its wings open against the wind in order to hang in the air. The bird does this by opening up its wings as much as it can, and during this time the width of the wings reaches to 3.5 meters and this is the largest known wing length among birds. There is a locking system in the wings of the albatross that helps them keep their wings open. In this way, they can fly for weeks and even months by using a minimum amount of energy. The albatross uses the rising tides and the winds and moves along their direction and flies over one tide to another by weaving through the wind. In this way, the albatross can fly over water for hours on end without flapping its wings even once.
Eagles need to be light enough to lift off the ground and fly, but also strong enough to carry their prey with them. A bald eagle has more than seven thousand feathers; but when you put all of them together, the weight of all these feathers is only 500 grams. In addition, the inside of the bones are empty for a light body weight. There is nothing other than air inside many of these bones. The weight of a bald eagle’s skeleton is only a little more than 272 grams.
There is an extra membrane in the eyes of all predatory bird species called the “nictitating membrane”. The function of this lid is to clean and protect the eyes. For example, when eagles feed their offspring, they generally close their eyelids. This prevents the offspring from harming the eyes of their family members.

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Personalities, - Hazrat Meer Syed Ahmad Kalpwi

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Hadrat Meer Sayyid Ahmad Kalpwi
Radi Allahu Ta'ala Anhu
HIS POSITION IN THE SILSILA:
Shaykh al-Masha’ikh Aftaab-e-Hidaayat, Mahtaab-e-Wilaayat Hadrat Sayyid Meer Ahmad Kalpwi Radi ALLAHu Ta'ala Anho is the thirty first Imam and Shaykh of the Silsila Aaliyah Qadiriyah Barakatiyah Ridawiyyah Nooriyah.
BIRTH:
He was born in the Kalpi Shareef (India)
NAME:
His blessed name is Meer Sayyid Ahmed kalpwi Radi ALLAHu Ta'ala Anho
HIS FATHER:
His father’s name is Meer Sayyid Muhammad bin Abi Saeed Al Hassani Tirmizi Radi ALLAHu Ta'ala Anho.
EDUCATION:
He was a very well qualified Aalim and Faadhil. He attained his education firstly at the feet of his beloved father. His father then appointed his Khalifa Hadrat Afzal bin Abdur Rahmaan Ilaahabadi Radi ALLAHu Ta'ala Anho as his teacher. His teacher loved him dearly and taught him well. He qualified under Hadrat Afzal Ilaahabadi Radi ALLAHu Ta'ala Anho and graduated to be a very well accomplished teacher.[Wafiyaat al-A’laam, Page186]
SHAYKH-E-TARIQAT:
He was the Mureed and Khalifa of his father, Hadrat Meer Sayyid Muhammad Kalpwi Radi ALLAHu Ta'ala Anho. He was allowed to take the position of his father at the age of 24.
HIS EXCELLENCE:
He was an embodiment of apparent and hidden knowledge and a great Aabid and Aarif. He was always engrossed in the Ibaadat of Almighty Allah. He possessed wonderful character and was very kind and generous. His entire life was in accordance with the Sunnah of the Holy Prophet Muhammad Sallallaho Alaihi wa Aalihi wa Sallam.
He had a special connection to the Darbaar of Hadrat Khaja Ghareeb Nawaaz Radi ALLAHu Ta'ala Anho. Once whilst in Ajmer Shareef with his father, he attained great spiritual blessings through the Rooh of Hadrat Khaja Ghareeb Nawaaz Radi ALLAHu Ta'ala Anho.
His sight was very powerful. If he placed his spiritual sight on any person, that person would lose control and become physically unconscious. Once a person came to him and said that his heart had become very hard, and even if a close relative of family member passed away, he felt nothing. He requested the Shaykh to place his blessed sight on him. Hadrat held both his hands and then shook them, but he still remained in the same condition.
He did this thrice and on the third time, his heart became soft and tears began to flow from his eyes. When he regained his senses, he immediately took bai’at at the hands of the Shaykh and became from amongst his devotees.
BOOKS AND TREATIES:
He wrote various books during his lifetime. Some of the books that he wrote are:
*.Jaami’ul Kalam
*.Sharah Asma’ul Husna
*.Risala Mu’aarif
*.Mushaahidaat Sufiyah
*.Diwaan-e-Sher
HIS CHILDREN:
Almighty Allah blessed him with three sons, who served the Deen-e-Rasool Sallallaho Alaihi wa Aalihi wa Sallam in the footsteps of their beloved father. They were all great Ulama and true servants of Allah. Their names are:
1.Hadrat Sayyid Shah Fazlullah Radi ALLAHu Ta'ala Anho
2.Hadrat Sayyid Shah Sultan Maqsood Radi ALLAHu Ta'ala Anho
3.Hadrat Sayyid Shah Sultan Mahmood Radi ALLAHu Ta'ala Anho
WISAAL & MAZAR SHARIF:
He passed away on a Monday or Thursday, 19th of Safar al-Muzaffar, 1084. His Mazaar Sharif is situated in Kalpi Shareef (India).

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Personalities, - Hazrat Maroof Karkhi

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Asad al-Din Abu Mahfuz
Ma’roof al-Karkhi Radi ALLAHu Anho
HIS POSITION IN THE SILSILA:
Hadrat Asad al-Din Abu Mahfuz Shaykh Ma’roof Ibn Feroz al-Karkhi Radi Allahu Ta’ala Anho is the ninth Imam and Shaykh of the Silsila Aaliyah Qadiriyah Barakatiyah Razaviyah Nooriyah.
BIRTH:
Hadrat Ma’roof Karkhi Radi Allahu Ta’ala Anho was born in Karkh.
NAME:
His name is Asad al-Din and is famously known as Ma’roof Karkhi and Abu Mahfooz.
HIS FATHER:
His father’s name was Feroz.[Safinat al-Awliyah]
EDUCATION:
He attained all his knowledge under the watchful eye of Hadrat Imam Ali Rida Radi Allahu Ta’ala Anho.[Tadhkirat al-Awliya]
HIS EARLY LIFE:
Initially, he was a non-Muslim, but even as a child, he had great love for Islam. He used to always spend his time in the company of Muslim children, and often talked to his parents about accepting Islam. His father was not pleased with this, and enrolled him to study under a Christian Priest. The first question the priest asked him was,
"Tell me my son, how many people are there in your family?" He said, "Myself, my father and my mother." The priest then said, "Very well, now say Esa Alaihis Salam is the third god of three (trinity)." Hadrat Ma’roof Karkhi Radi Allahu Ta’ala Anho says, "Even during my time as a non-Muslim my heart did not accept to say what he commanded me to. When I refused to say this, he began to beat me severely. The more he beat me, the more I rejected his teaching. He finally became weary of me and asked my father to imprison me. I was thus locked in a room for three days and every day, I was given one bread, which I did not even touch. When I was taken out, I ran away. As I was the only child to my parents, they were very sad and they sent a message to me saying that I should return to them and I would have the right to accept whichever faith I wished, and that they too will accept the same faith. I then went to Hadrat Ali Rida Radi Allahu Ta’ala Anho and accepted Islam at his hands. I then went home with this most valuable gift of Islam, and alHumdulillah, my parents also accepted Islam."[Tadhkirat al-Awliya, Page 221]
SHAYKH-E-TARIQAT:
He became mureed of Hadrat Habeeb Raa’ee Radi Allahu Ta’ala Anho and was blessed with Khilafat from Hadrat Habeeb Raa’ee Radi Allahu Ta’ala Anho , Hadrat Ali Rida Radi Allahu Ta’ala Anho and Hadrat Dawood Taa’ee Radi Allahu Ta’ala Anho.
HIS TEACHERS:
He studied under the care of Hadrat Ali Rida Radi Allahu Ta’ala Anho and also attained education from Hadrat Imam al-Aa’zam Abu Hanifa Radi Allahu Ta’ala Anho . He attained spiritual training in the care of Hadrat Habeeb Raa’ee Radi Allahu Ta’ala Anho .
HIS EXCELLENCE:
He was a very pious personality and one of the most distinguished Aarifs of his time. He also served many great personalities such as Hadrat Dawood Taa’ee Radi Allahu Ta’ala Anho , who also blessed him with Khilafat. He used to call out the Adhan with true love, and when he would reach the words Ash hadu An Laa Ilaaha illa-Allah, the hair on his body would stand up and his entire beard would become stiff and he would begin to tremble to such an extent in the fear of Allah, that it seemed as if he would fall to the ground.
He would spend lengthy nights in the Masjid making ibaadat, Istighfaar and weeping in the Court of Allah. Hadrat Sirri al-Saqti Radi Allahu Ta’ala Anho say, "Whatever I have attained, is through the Sadqa of Hadrat Ma’roof Karkhi Radi Allahu Ta’ala Anho ."
Sayyidi Abdul Wahab Radi Allahu Ta’ala Anho says, "I have not seen anyone who divorced himself from the world, like Hadrat Ma’roof Karkhi Radi Allahu Ta’ala Anho . His excellence is such, that even his blessed grave is a means of attaining blessings."[Kashf al-Mahjoob]
HIS HABITS AND CHARACTER:
He possessed deep love for the poor and the orphans. Hadrat Sirri al-Saqti Radi Allahu Ta’ala Anho says, "I once saw Hadrat Ma’roof Karkhi Radi Allahu Ta’ala Anho gathering dates on the day of Eid, so I stopped and asked the reason for this. He said, ’That young boy is crying because all the other children have new clothes and he has nothing new on Eid day. I thus, decided to collect some dates, sell them and then buy something for him, so that he is kept busy playing and does not feel uncomfortable on the day of Eid.’" Hadrat Sirri Saqti Radi Allahu Ta’ala Anho says, "I said, Huzoor there is no need for you to do this, I will make sure he gets something on Eid. I then took the boy with me and bought him a new set of clothes. After I did this, a Noor (light) entered my heart, which caused me great pleasure and my condition became very different."[Masaalik as-Saalikeen, Vol. 1, Page 287]
ALWAYS IN WUDHU:
Once his wudhu broke, so he immediately made tayammum. Those who saw him do this said, "Huzoor! The river Tigris is right in front of you. Why did you make tayammum?" He said, "It is possible that I may pass away by the time I reach the river Tigris"
HIS ABSTENTION FROM THE WORLD:
Once one of Hadrat Ma’roof Karkhi’s Radi Allahu Ta’ala Anho friends asked him the following, "What is it that has caused you to abstain from the world and from the creation of Allah, and remain in seclusion, remembering Almighty Allah? Is it the fear of Death and the grave, or the fear of Hell, or the enthusiasm of attaining Jannat?" Hadrat Ma’roof Karkhi Radi Allahu Ta’ala Anho said, "O My Friend! You discuss such minor things. What are all these worth in front of the creator Almighty Allah? All these are but humble subjects of Almighty Allah. Once you taste the pleasure of his closeness, then you will not think of any of the other things (you have mentioned)."
KARAMAAT:
Hadrat Ma’roof Karkhi Radi Allahu Ta’ala Anho is also a Sahib-e-Karaamat Wali. He has performed many charismatic marvels, of which only a few are being discussed. Once there was a bandit who was captured by the Governor and sentenced to being hanged. As per the command of the governor, the bandit was hanged and died due to hanging. His body was still hanging from the noose, when Hadrat Ma’roof Karkhi Radi Allahu Ta’ala Anho passed by. When he saw this scene, he was very troubled, and began to make dua for forgiveness of the deceased. He said, "O Most Compassionate, Most Merciful! This person has attained his punishment for his actions in this world. O Allah! If you forgive him and bless him with respect in Deen, there it shall cause no shortage in Your Treasures of forgiveness." Immediately an unseen voice was heard saying, "Whomsoever prays the Janazah Salaah of the man on the noose, shall attain an exalted status in the hereafter." This voice was heard by the people in the entire town. On hearing this voice, people in town gathered quickly. They removed him from the noose, and gave him proper ghusl and kaffan. Then with much respect, they prayed his Janazah Salaah and buried him. That night a man dreamt that it was the Day of Reckoning, and the man who was hanged, was dressed in the best of clothing and was present in the ranks of the Namaazis. He asked him, how he received such excellence and the man replied, "Almighty Allah accepted the dua of Ma’roof Karkhi and pardoned me."[Masaalik as-Saalikeen, Vol. 1, Page 288]
Hadrat’s uncle was the Governor of the city. Once he was passing through the jungle, when he saw Hadrat Maroof Karkhi Radi Allahu Ta’ala Anho sitting on the ground eating bread and there was a dog sitting not far away from him also eating bread which he had thrown to it. His uncle saw this and said, "Why are you having your bread so close to the dog?" On hearing this, Hadrat Ma’roof Karkhi Radi Allahu Ta’ala Anho looked up and saw a bird flying in the sky. He commanded it to come and sit on his hand. The bird perched itself on his hand but out of respect and modesty, it covered its face and eyes with its wings. Hadrat said, "See, Everything is modest before a man who is modest before Allah."
Hadrat Ma’roof Karkhi Radi Allahu Ta’ala Anho and some of his disciples were passing by the River Tigris, when they saw a group of youth who were engrossed in openly committing sin. On seeing this, some of Hadrat’s disciples requested that he make dua for their destruction, so that they evil habits do not pass over to others. Hadrat asked them all to lift their hands and say Aameen to his duas. He then said, "O Allah! Like you have given them the luxuries and freedom of this world, bless them with freedom and luxury in the hereafter." Everyone was amazed at his dua. He then said, "Do not be hasty. Wait a while and observe." The disciples saw that after a while, the youth saw Hadrat Maroog Karkhi Radi Allahu Ta’ala Anho and immediately broke their musical instruments and and threw away their alcohol. They all began to weep and came to Hadrat and repented sincerely at his hands. Hadrat then looked at his disciples and said, "Did you see, that which I wished for was fulfilled."
HIS KHULAFA:
Some of the names of His famous Khulafa are being quoted below:
*.Hadrat Shaykh Sirri al-Saqti,
*.Hadrat Shah Muhammad,
*.Hadrat Shah Qaasim Baghdadi,
*.Hadrat Uthman Maghribi,
*.Hadrat Hamza Khiramani,
*.Hadrat Abu Nasr Abraar,
*.Hadrat Shah Musta’aani,
*.Hadrat Shah Abu Saeed,
*.Hadrat Abu Ibrahim Daloori,
*.Hadrat Abul Hassan Harooni,
*.Hadrat Shah Jaafar Khalidi,
*.Hadrat Shah Muhammad Roomi,
*.Hadrat Shah Mansoor Aarif Abu Kaatib,
*.Hadrat Shah Abdul Haq Haqaaiq Agah and
*.Hadrat Shah Ali Roodibaar(Ridwaanullahi Ta’ala Alaihim Ajma’een)
GEMS OF WISDOM:
Some of the words of great wisdom that Hadrat mentioned are:
*.There are three signs of a true man, to fulfill ones promise, to praise without a motive and to give without being asked to give.
*.Protect the tongue from self praise, like you protect it from sinning.
*.He who is not a faqeer, is not a man of tasawwuf.
*.Close your eyes from all angles even if there is something in front of you.
*.Love is not attained through education and training, but is bestowed by Allah.
*.The solution to hardships and difficulties is to keep it hidden.
*.Even though an Aarif does not keep the bounties, but he is always engulfed by it.
*.Without deeds to hope for paradise is a sin. Without the completion of your sunnah to wish for intercession is a betrayal and boastfulness and without being subservient to have expectations of mercy is ignorance and foolishness.
*.Those that are hungry for wealth will never attain complete satisfaction.
*.To elaborate on a topic that benefits nobody is signs and proofs of being astray.
*.Just as you find it distasteful to listen to bad, so too you should safeguard yourself from singing praises.
*.Whenever the creator wishes well upon his servant he opens the doors of good deeds upon him.
*.Close your eyes to everyone especially never ever look with ill intent towards anybody.
*.Love is such a thing that cannot be shown or taught.
*.When you forsake this World, leave behind everything for if you have in your heart but even an atom of what belongs to the World then even in prostration you should not be able to forget it.
*.Whatever afflicts you from misfortunes and calamities its success is in its secrecy?
*.Open shirk is devotion to speech and hidden shirk is to rely on the creation.
*.Humbleness is when you meet anyone then regard that person as better than you, whether he be big or small, an 'Alim or a Jahil (ignorant) or a Muslim or a Kafir.
*.An intelligent person is he who would do on the first day that which he would do on the third day when he is struck by misfortune.
*.It had been asked, “What is the remedy for the troubles of the World?” It was said: “Stay far away from the creation and be close to the creator.”
*.It has been said a dervish never is greedy for anything. If somebody gives without asking them he never refuses. When he takes he never hoards or stores.
*.A woman’s mentor is her husband, in the search of truth although he himself is not a seeker of the truth.
*.If anybody betrays or cheats me in the name of ALLAH SubHanuhu wa Ta'ala then I will accept the betrayal.
*.Even if you see an innovator of religion fly in the air then too you should never accept him.
*.Even if a pious person is found committing a sin then too it does not become lawful or permissible.
*.The destruction caused by associating with the rich are beyond the boundaries of writing, safeguard yourself! Safeguard yourself!!
*.Knowledge is male while action is its opposite i.e. female. Religion is obtained by doing work in the World.
*.The person who does a good deed with the intention of rewards in the hereafter is a merchant. The person who does a good deed because of the fear of hell is a slave, just as a slave out of fear of a whipping continues to work. The person who does a good deed for ALLAH SubHanuhu wa Ta'ala alone is noble and free.
*.To associate with a sinner is to sanction his sins, and to sanction sins is equivalent to committing it.
*.Worship is useless without firm belief.
WISAAL SHARIF:He passed away on a Friday or Saturday, on the 2nd of Muharram, 200 Hijri. After his demise, Hadrat Muhammad bin Abul Hussain Radi Allahu Ta’ala Anho says, that he saw Hadrat Ma’roof Karkhi Radi Allahu Ta’ala Anho in his dream and he asked him how Almighty Allah had treated him. He said, Almighty Allah pardoned me, not because of my piety but because of what I heard from Hadrat Samaak Radi Allahu Ta’ala Anho in Kufa, when he said, ’He who leaves all ties and turns towards Allah, then Allah Almighty Allah sends his Mercy towards him and he turns all his servants in his direction.’ I followed this advice of his and turned completely towards Allah, and with the exception of the Khidmat of Hadrat Ali Rida Radi Allahu Ta’ala Anho I left everything else.
Hadrat Sirri al-Saqti Radi Allahu Ta’ala Anho says, "I dreamt that Hadrat Ma’roof Karkhi Radi Allahu Ta’ala Anho was seated totally absorbed in the love of Allah, under the Arsh and Almighty Allah said, 'O Angels! Who is this?’ the Angels said, O Allah You are All Knowing. There is nothing hidden from You.' Almighty Allah said, 'This is Ma’roof Karkhi who is drowned in My love and closeness and until he does not make my Deedar he will not regain his consciousness and neither will he gain contentment without my Deedar.'"
MAZAAR SHARIF:His Mazaar Sharif is in Baghdad Sharif. Hadrat Sirri al-Saqti Radi Allahu Ta’ala Anho says, "When you are faced with any difficulty, then say, "O Allah! Assist me through the Sadqa of Ma’roof Karkhi Radi Allahu Ta’ala Anho ." All your problems shall be solved (inshaALLAH).

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