BLACK AND WHITE IN ISLAM:

 HISTORICAL EXPERIENCE WITH SLAVERY

 MUHAMMED MIDLAJ PV

BUSTHANABAD

ABSTRACT

Islam is facing opposition from the all Corners. One of the most important of these is the pressing challenges to slavery and discriminations between black and white.

In fact, Islam had to face this social system that has been going on for centuries. So what would happen if the slave system was banned all at once, except that the slaves would wander the streets without a master, starving and beating each other to death?

And also islam is the only one religion which is proclaimed about followers all are equal and all are slavers no one can any power more than any person.

Arabic is not better than non-Arabic Non-Arabic is not better Arabic White is  not better black Black is not better white  Only he who is pious in heart Great ..this is the preaching of prophet is the best example for knowing what is ?how is islam.

At the same time, the economy of the society will collapse. The consequence would be that it would push the people living around the slave trade into famine and hatred, and that there would be a new conflict against that reform and an increase in the number of wars. When Abraham Lincoln abruptly abolished slavery in the United States, many slaves became hungry and insecure.The world has seen some go to their masters. Its chronology can be read in the following lines.

Islam has declared the liberation of slaves as a virtuous act. Made it part of the faith itself. (90:12).

One has to wonder whether any other religious-political system has done so?

The share of Zakat is to be paid to eight groups of people. The Qur’an declares that one of them should be for the cost of freeing slaves (9:60). Zakat is one of the five pillars of Islam. Islamic theology says that one’s existence as a Muslim is complete only when the practice of Zakat is combined. It is important to note that no other religious or political system has done such a thing. Such of this kinds are proclaiming that islam is the only religion considered  slaves in this world

But,

The world has misunderstood Islam in this regard. Through this study, I intend to explain the reality of what slavery is in Islam through a clear histories .

INTODUCTION

One of the most heartbreaking news we heard recently from a street in Minneapolis, USA, was the arrest of a black man by the name of George Flavid, a white police officer who grabbed George by the neck with his knees, and George suffocated and begged the police for water. Suffocated and killed.Street protests erupt in Minneapolis.Such racial discrimination against black They can not accept. Those painful traces of racism of racism are still spreading in this so-called modern society. We must remember from which country we hear this. We read such news from countries that are called the paradise of the concept of human rights. Such news is very sad. This is where we need to recognize the uniqueness of Islam. Islam is a religion that has introduced equality, contribution, unity and brotherhood to the world. Islam is a philosophy that teaches that no one should be discriminated against on the basis of race or race, and that all are equal in the sense of being human. You need to get to know Islam better to understand that Islam does not teach such racism when it comes to rational people stoning against Islam and accusing Islam of being an all-religious philosophy of racism and bigotry.     Islam, the divine philosophy, cannot replace black and white. That is the vision of the contribution that Islam makes. Islam does not agree with the declaration that human beings are black or only white.


Islam is a divine vision.
If it had been written by any black or white person, it would have been used by blacks in favor of their tribes and by whites in their intolerance of blacks. They would have been revealed in Islamic law and so on, but they were not. Because it is also a proof that Islam is a divine vision. Islam speaks only divine messages to the world.

All human beings are one community 
We see this in the Holy Qur'an.

يَٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلنَّاسُ إِنَّا خَلَقۡنَٰكُم مِّن ذَكَرٖ وَأُنثَىٰ وَجَعَلۡنَٰكُمۡ شُعُوبٗا وَقَبَآئِلَ لِتَعَارَفُوٓاْۚ إِنَّ أَكۡرَمَكُمۡ عِندَ ٱللَّهِ أَتۡقَىٰكُمۡۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ عَلِيمٌ خَبِيرٞ

(surathul –hujarath 13) Hey; O mankind, We have created you from a male and a female. And We have made you into nations and tribes that you may know one another. Surely the most honorable of you in the sight of Allah is the most righteous of you. GOD is Omniscient, Most Wise.

                                                                                   (SURATH HUJARATH : 13)

ISLAM IS  NOT GIVING IMPORTANT  TO BODY SHAPES

The Blessed Prophet (pbuh) said :

إنَّ الله لا ينظر إلى صوركم،

ولا إلى أموالكم، ولكن ينظر إلى قلوبكم وأعمالكم

GOD does not look at your appearance or your possessions, but at your hearts and your deeds

An incident that took place in the Companions of the Prophet (peace be upon him)   .   There was a dispute between Abu Dharr and Bilal, one of the Companions of the Prophet. During the dispute, Abu Dharr became angry and called Bilal “يا ابن السوداء (son of a black man).”

The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, called me the son of a black woman. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) asked, ‘Did you call him that?’ He replied: Yes, O Prophet. When the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) heard this, his cheeks flushed red.

“يا أبا ذر إنك امرؤ فيك جاهلية” (Abu Dharr did not escape ignorance from them).

Ignorance before Islam. As soon as Abu Dharr realizes this, he inquires about Bilal. He ran towards Bilal (ra) who was walking from a distance and put his cheek on the ground and he said O Bilal! You should press your foot against the base of my cheek. Immediately Bilal (ra) got up and gave a kiss on the cheek and they hugged each other and walked away. This is the history of the prophets

This is the lesson of the mindset that Islam puts forward.

There is no position and no separation

There is no such thing as a black man or a white man or a poor man in Islam

The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said:

لا فضل لعربي على عجمي، ولا عجمي على لعربي،

 ولا لأبيض على أسود، ولا اسود على لأبيض، إلا بالتقوى

 Arabic is not better than non-Arabic Non-Arabic is not better Arabic White is  not better black Black is not better white  Only he who is pious in heart Great

We see that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: One believer is like a building to another believer. One part of it guarantees the other part. Islam is a religion that teaches that believers are brothers. Likewise, his neighbor taught him not to eat on an empty stomach when he was hungry.

 Creator of colors and variations It is God, the Creator, who gives color and variety. We see this in the Holy Qur’an.

وَمِنۡ ءَايَٰتِهِۦ خَلۡقُ ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ وَٱلۡأَرۡضِ وَٱخۡتِلَٰفُ أَلۡسِنَتِكُمۡ وَأَلۡوَٰنِكُمۡۚ إِنَّ فِي ذَٰلِكَ لَأٓيَٰتٖ لِّلۡعَٰلِمِين

Among His signs is the creation of the heavens and the earth, and the differences in your languages ​​and colors. Indeed in that are signs for a people who know.

 (surath room : 22)

Love for ANIMAL

Islam teaches that human beings should have love and compassion for one another and for other living beings.We see that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said:  (فِي كُلِّ كَبِدٍ رَطْبَةٍ أجْرٌ (مُتَّفَقٌ عَلَيهِ Show compassion to any creature with a green liver.See another report.The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said:GOD does not show mercy to those who do not show mercy to the people.

Unjust killing No life should be taken unjustly.

مَن قَتَلَ نَفْسًا بِغَيْرِ نَفْسٍ أَوْ فَسَادٍ فِي الْأَرْضِ فَكَأَنَّمَا قَتَلَ النَّاسَ جَمِيعًا وَمَنْ أَحْيَاهَا فَكَأَنَّمَا أَحْيَا النَّاسَ جَمِيعًا

Killing someone other than in the name of killing someone else or causing trouble on earth is tantamount to killing all human beings.

WHO IS The best in God ?

إِنَّ أَكۡرَمَكُمۡ عِندَ ٱللَّهِ أَتۡقَىٰكُمۡ

Surely the most honorable of you in the sight of God is the most righteous of you.(surath al-hujrath :13).

BLACK AND WITE  IN ISLAMIC HISTORY WITH SLAVERY.

Islamic views on slavery represent a complex and multifaceted body of Islamic thought, with various Islamic groups or thinkers espousing views on the matter which have been radically different throughout history. Slavery was a mainstay of life in pre-Islamic Arabia and surrounding lands. The Quran and the hadith (sayings of Muhammad) address slavery extensively, assuming its existence as part of society but viewing it as an exceptional condition and restricting its scope. Early Islamic dogma forbade enslavement of free members of Islamic society, including non-Muslims (dhimmis), and set out to regulate and improve the conditions of human bondage. Islamic law regarded as legal slaves only those non-Muslims who were imprisoned or bought beyond the borders of Islamic rule, or the sons and daughters of slaves already in captivity. In later classical Islamic law, the topic of slavery is covered at great length. Slaves, be they Muslim or those of any other religion, were equal to their fellow practitioners in religious issues.

Slavery in Islamic law is not based on race or ethnicity. However, while there was no legal distinction between white European and black African slaves, in some Muslim societies they were employed in different roles: for example, in the Ottoman Empire white slaves served as soldiers and government officials, while black slaves served as eunuchs in the palace and the harems of elite families. Slaves played various social and economic roles, from domestic worker to highest-ranking positions in the government. They created some great empires in history including the Ghaznavid EmpireKhwarazmian EmpireDelhi SultanateMamluk pashas of Iraq and Mamluk Sultanate of Egypt and Levant. Moreover, slaves were widely employed in irrigation, mining, pastoralism, and the army. Some rulers even relied on military and administrative slaves to such a degree that they were considered above from the general public and sometimes they seized power. In some cases, the treatment of slaves was so harsh that it led to uprisings, such as the Zanj Rebellion. However, this was an exception rather than the norm, as the vast majority of labor in the medieval Islamic world consisted of paid labour by free persons. For a variety of reasons, internal growth of the slave population was not enough to fulfill the demand in Muslim society. This resulted in massive importation, which involved enormous suffering and loss of life from the capture and transportation of slaves from non-Muslim lands. Bernard Lewis maintains that though slaves often suffered on the way before reaching their destination, they received good treatment and some degree of acceptance as members of their owners’ households.

The Muslim slave trade was most active in west Asia, eastern Europe and sub-Saharan Africa. Muslim traders exported as many as 17 million slaves to the coast of the Indian Ocean, the Middle East, and North Africa. Abolitionist movements began to grow during the 19th century, prompted by both Muslim reformers and diplomatic pressure from Britain. The first Muslim country to prohibit slavery was Tunisia, in 1846. During the 19th and early 20th centuries all large Muslim countries, whether independent or under colonial rule, banned the slave trade and/or slavery. The Dutch East Indies abolished slavery in 1860, while British India abolished slavery in 1862. The Ottoman Empire banned the African slave trade in 1857 and the Circassian slave trade in 1908, while Egypt abolished slavery in 1895, Afghanistan in 1921 and Persia in 1929. In some Muslim countries in the Arabian peninsula and Africa, slavery was abolished in the second half of the 20th century: 1962 in Saudi Arabia and Yemen, Oman in 1970, Mauritania in 1981. However, slavery has been documented in recent years, despite its illegality, in Muslim-majority countries in Africa including ChadMauritaniaNigerMali, and Sudan.

Many early converts to Islam were the poor and former slaves. One notable example is Bilal ibn Rabah al-Habashi.

Slavery in pre-Islamic Arabia

Slavery was widely practiced in pre-Islamic Arabia, as well as in the rest of the ancient and early medieval world. The minority were white slaves of foreign extraction, likely brought in by Arab caravaners (or the product of Bedouin captures) stretching back to biblical times. Native Arab slaves had also existed, a prime example being Zayd ibn Harithah, later to become Muhammad’s adopted son. Arab slaves, however, usually obtained as captives, were generally ransomed off amongst nomad tribes The slave population increased by the custom of child abandonment (see also infanticide), and by the kidnapping, or, occasionally, the sale of small children. There is no conclusive evidence of the existence of enslavement for debt or the sale of children by their families; the late and rare accounts of such occurrences show them to be abnormal, Brunschvig states (According to Brockopp, debt slavery was persistent.) Free persons could sell their offspring, or even themselves, into slavery. Enslavement was also possible as a consequence of committing certain offenses against the law, as in the Roman Empire.

Two classes of slave existed: a purchased slave, and a slave born in the master’s home. Over the latter the master had complete rights of ownership, though these slaves were unlikely to be sold or disposed of by the master. Female slaves were at times forced into prostitution for the benefit of their masters, in accordance with Near Eastern customs.

The historical accounts of the early years of Islam report that “slaves of non-Muslim masters … suffered brutal punishments. Sumayyah bint Khayyat is famous as the first martyr of Islam, having been killed with a spear by Abū Jahl when she refused to give up her faith. Abu Bakr freed Bilal when his master, Umayya ibn Khalaf, placed a heavy rock on his chest in an attempt to force his conversion.”

There were many common features between the institution of slavery in the Quran and that of pre-Islamic culture. However, the Quranic institution had some unique new features.  According to Brockopp, the idea of using alms for the manumission of slaves who had converted to Islam appears to be unique to the Quran. Islam also prohibits the use of female slaves for prostitution which was common in pre-Islamic history.

Brockopp states that the Qur’an was a progressive legislation on slavery in its time because it encouraged proper treatment. Others state that Islam’s record with slavery has been mixed, progressive in Arabian lands, but it increased slavery and worsened abuse as Muslim armies attacked people in Africa, Europe and Asia. Murray notes that Quran sanctified the institution of slavery and abuses therein, but to its credit did not freeze the status of a slave and allowed a means to a slave’s manumission in some cases when the slave converted to Islam.

Quran

The alms are only for the poor and the needy, and those who collect them, and those whose hearts are to be reconciled, and to free the slaves and the debtors, and for the cause of Allah, and (for) the wayfarer; a duty imposed by Allah. Allah is Knower, Wise.

The Quran contains a number of verses aimed at regulating slavery and mitigating its negative impact. It calls for the manumission (freeing) of slaves. It prescribes kindness towards slaves. Slaves are considered morally equal to free persons, however, they have a lower legal standing. All Quranic rules on slaves are emancipatory in that they improve the rights of slaves compared to what was already practiced in the 7th century. Many Muslims have interpreted Quran as gradually phasing out slavery.

The Quran calls for the freeing of slaves, either the owner manumitting the slave, or a third party purchasing and freeing the slave. The freeing of slaves is encouraged is an act of benevolence, and expiation of sins. Quran 24:33 devises a manumission contract in which slaves buy their freedom in installments. Two other verses encourage believers to help slaves pay for such contracts. According to Maurice Middleberg, “Sura 90 in the Quran states that the righteous path involves ‘the freeing of slaves.'” One of the uses of zakat, a pillar of Islam, is to pay for the freeing of slaves.

The Quran prescribes kind treatment of slaves. Quran 4:36 calls for good treatment to slaves. The Quran recognizes the humanity of slaves, by calling them “believers”, recognizing their desire to be free, and recognizing female slaves’ aversion to prostitution. Several verses list slaves as members of the household, sometimes alongside wives, children and other relatives.

The Quran recognizes slaves as morally and spiritually equal to free people. God promises an eternal life in the Hereafter. This equality is indicated in Quran 4:25, which addresses free people and slaves as “the one of you is as the other” (ba’dukum min ba’din). Quran 39:95 refers to master and slave with the same word. However, slaves are not accorded the same legal standing as the free. Slaves are considered as minors for whom the owner is responsible. The punishment for crimes committed by slaves is half the punishment as to be meted out on free persons. The legal distinction between slaves and the free is regarded as the divinely established order of things, which is seen as part of God’s grace.

The Quran recognizes slavery as a source of injustice, as it places the freeing of slaves on the same level as feeding the poor. Nevertheless, the Quran doesn’t abolish slavery. One reason given is that slavery was a major part of the 7th century socioeconomic system, and it abolishing it would not have been practical. Most interpretations of the Quran agree that the Quran envisions an ideal society as one in which slavery no longer exists.

Slaves are mentioned in at least twenty-nine verses of the Quran, most of these are Medinan and refer to the legal status of slaves. The legal material on slavery in the Quran is largely restricted to manumission and sexual relations. The Quran permits owners to take slaves as concubines, though it promotes abstinence as the better choice. It strictly prohibits slave prostitution. According to Sikainga, the Quranic references to slavery as mainly contain “broad and general propositions of an ethical nature rather than specific legal formulations.” The word ‘abd’ (slave) is rarely used, being more commonly replaced by some periphrasis such as ma malakat aymanukum (“that which your right hands own”). However the meaning and translation of this term has been disputed. Ghulam Ahmed Pervez argued that the term is used in the past-tense in the Quran, thus signalling only those individuals who were already enslaved at the dawn of Islam. This slight change in tense is significant, as it allowed Parwez to argue that slavery was never compatible with the commandments of the Quran and is in fact outlawed by Quranic Law.

There are many common features between the institution of slavery in the Quran and that of neighboring cultures. However, the Quranic institution had some unique new features. Bernard Lewis states that the Quranic legislation brought two major changes to ancient slavery which were to have far-reaching effects: presumption of freedom, and the ban on the enslavement of free persons except in strictly defined circumstances. According to Brockopp, the idea of using alms for the manumission of slaves appears to be unique to the Quran, assuming the traditional interpretation of verses [Quran 2:177] and [Quran 9:60]. Similarly, the practice of freeing slaves in atonement for certain sins appears to be introduced by the Quran (but compare Exodus 21:26-7). The forced prostitution of female slaves, a long practiced custom in the Near Eastern, is condemned in the Quran. Murray Gordon notes that this ban is “of no small significance.” Brockopp writes: “Other cultures limit a master’s right to harm a slave but few exhort masters to treat their slaves kindly, and the placement of slaves in the same category as other weak members of society who deserve protection is unknown outside the Quran. The unique contribution of the Quran, then, is to be found in its emphasis on the place of slaves in society and society’s responsibility toward the slave, perhaps the most progressive legislation on slavery in its time.”

Ma malakat aymanukum

The most common term in the Qur’an to refer to slaves is the expression ma malakat aymanukum or milk al-yamin in short, meaning “those whom your right hands possess”. This term is found in 15 Quranic passages, making it the most common term for slaves. The Qur’an refers to slaves very differently than classical Arabic: whereas the most common Arabic term for slave is ‘abd, the Qur’an instead uses that term in sense of “servant of God”, and raqiq (another Arabic term for slave) is not found in the Qur’an. Thus, this term is a Qur’anic innovation. The term can be seen as an honorific, as to be held by “the right hands” means to be held in honor in Arabic and Islamic culture, a fact that can be seen in Quranic verses that refer to those who will enter Paradise as “companions of the right hand.” The term also implies that slaves are “possessions”. In four places, the Qur’an addresses slaves in the same terms as the free; for example, Q39:29 refers to both the master and the slave using the same word (rajul).

Ghulam Ahmed Pervez and Amir Ali have argued that the expression ma malakat aymanukum should be properly read in the past tense, thus only referring to people already enslaved at the time the Qur’an was revealed. According to this interpretation of the term, slavery should have been abolished in the 7th century.

ISLAM Is the answer for peace

Malcolm X once famously said that “America needs to understand Islam, because this is the one religion that erases from its society the race problem.”

The fact of the matter is, Islam has all the keys necessary to defeat racism from society and leave no room for such kinds of discrimination. Incase you’re wondering exactly how it works, let’s break things down.

Islam is colour blind

For starters, Islam teaches that there is no distinction in terms of a person’s colour or race. In fact the only purpose our different races and cultures serve in Islam is for us to build bridges in getting to know one another. As God clearly mentions in the Quran.

يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ إِنَّا خَلَقْنَاكُم مِّن ذَكَرٍ وَأُنثَىٰ وَجَعَلْنَاكُمْ شُعُوبًا وَقَبَائِلَ لِتَعَارَفُوا إِنَّ أَكْرَمَكُمْ عِندَ اللَّهِ أَتْقَاكُمْ إِنَّ اللَّهَ عَلِيمٌ خَبِيرٌ

“O people, We have created you male and female and made you nations and tribes that you may know one another. Verily, the most noble of you to Allah is the most righteous of you. Verily, Allah is knowing and aware.”

Surat Al-Hujurat 49:13

This means, that such diversity is not a means of discrimination but rather a means of education.

Diversity is a miracle of God.

The colour of our skin and all of our unique cultural features are God-given traits that none of us chose to inherit at birth. The differences we share are in fact all signs of the magnificence of God and a reflection of His infinite creative power as also mentioned in the Quran.

It is not through such characteristics that we realise the greatness of ourselves, but rather we realise and appreciate the greatness of the One who created us.

Allah said:

وَمِنْ آيَاتِهِ خَلْقُ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ وَاخْتِلَافُ أَلْسِنَتِكُمْ وَأَلْوَانِكُمْ ۚ إِنَّ فِي ذَٰلِكَ لَآيَاتٍ لِّلْعَالِمِينَ

Among His signs is the creation of the heavens and the earth and the diversity of your languages and your colors. Verily, in that are signs for people of knowledge.

Surat Ar-Rum 30:22

Mankind was all created from clay

Islam teaches that all human beings were essentially created from the same thing – dirt. So it makes no sense to consider ourselves better than one another when we are all designed from the same components, regardless of our different cultures.

Abu Musa reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said:

إِنَّ اللَّهَ تَعَالَى خَلَقَ آدَمَ مِنْ قَبْضَةٍ قَبَضَهَا مِنْ جَمِيعِ الْأَرْضِ فَجَاءَ بَنُو آدَمَ عَلَى قَدْرِ الْأَرْضِ فَجَاءَ مِنْهُمْ الْأَحْمَرُ وَالْأَبْيَضُ وَالْأَسْوَدُ وَبَيْنَ ذَلِكَ وَالسَّهْلُ وَالْحَزْنُ وَالْخَبِيثُ وَالطَّيِّبُ

Verily, Allah the Exalted created Adam from a handful which He took from the earth, so the children of Adam come in accordance with the earth. Some come with red skin, white skin, or black skin.

(At-Tirmidhi 2955, Sahih)

Virtue is only through righteousness.

In the eyes of God, our skin colour or race grants us no favours, rather it is simply our actions and deeds that make all the difference.

In the Prophet’s farewell sermon, he made this point very clear when he stated that white skin is not better than black skin, nor is black skin better than white skin. Rather it is our righteousness that makes the difference.

يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ أَلَا إِنَّ رَبَّكُمْ وَاحِدٌ وَإِنَّ أَبَاكُمْ وَاحِدٌ أَلَا لَا فَضْلَ لِعَرَبِيٍّ عَلَى أَعْجَمِيٍّ وَلَا لِعَجَمِيٍّ عَلَى عَرَبِيٍّ وَلَا لِأَحْمَرَ عَلَى أَسْوَدَ وَلَا أَسْوَدَ عَلَى أَحْمَرَ إِلَّا بِالتَّقْوَى أَبَلَّغْتُ

O people, your Lord is one and your father Adam is one. There is no virtue of an Arab over a foreigner nor a foreigner over an Arab, and neither white skin over black skin nor black skin over white skin, except by righteousness. Have I not delivered the message?

(Musnad Ahmad 22978, Sahih)

We are all slaves of God.

While we may all come from different nationalities, cultures, and backgrounds, at the end of the day our overarching identity as Muslims dictates that we are all servants of God. There is no superior race or culture, we are all equal servants of God who are in as much need of God as everyone else.

Nationalism is prohibited.

In Islam it is prohibited to boast about our race or culture to the extent that it belittles or denigrates people from other cultures. The Prophet warned us all about the dangers of such tribalism and stated that “He is not one of us who fights for the sake of it”.

Jubair ibn Mut’im reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said:

لَيْسَ مِنَّا مَنْ دَعَا إِلَى عَصَبِيَّةٍ وَلَيْسَ مِنَّا مَنْ قَاتَلَ عَلَى عَصَبِيَّةٍ وَلَيْسَ مِنَّا مَنْ مَاتَ عَلَى عَصَبِيَّةٍ

He is not one of us who calls to tribalism. He is not one of us who fights for the sake of tribalism. He is not one of us who dies following the way of tribalism.

(Sunan Abu Dawud, Hassan)

As mentioned before, the only standard to determine a person’s superiority is through their level of righteousness, which is, by the way, a trait the can only ever be truly determined by God alone.

Islam defeats racism, and only once it’s practiced can we defeat it from society today.

NOTABLE LEADERS IN ISLAM FROM SLAVES.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

QURAN SHAREEF

SWAHEEH BUKHARI

SWAHEEH MUSLIM

THAREEK IBN KALDOOM

ONLINE ARTICLES

ISLAM IS A BIG SOLUTION FOR ALL.

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