Al-Qurtubi

القرطبي

Abu ʿAbd Allah

Abu ʿAbd Allah Muhammad ibn Ahmad ibn Abi Bakr ibn Farh al-Ansari al-Khazraji al-Qurtubi was an Andalusian Maliki jurist, hadith scholar and Qurʾan commentator whose exact birth date is unknown. Born in Cordoba around the turn of the seventh Islamic century, he grew up in a modest household and helped support his family by carrying clay used in pottery. His father was killed in a Christian raid near Cordoba on 3 Ramadan 627 AH / 16 July 1230. After Ferdinand III of Castile and León conquered Cordoba in 633 AH / 1236 CE, al-Qurtubi left al-Andalus for Egypt. He studied in Alexandria, travelled with Shihab al-Din al-Qarafi to Fayyum, studied in Mansura in 647 AH / 1249 CE, spent time in Cairo and eventually settled in Munyat Bani Khasib in Upper Egypt, where he lived until his death on 9 Shawwal 671 AH / 29 April 1273 CE. He is best known for al-Jamiʿ li-ahkam al-Qurʾan, a comprehensive tafsir that combines transmitted reports and analytical interpretation and gives sustained attention to legal rulings, qiraʾat, language, reasons for revelation, hadith, theology and juristic disagreement. Although Maliki, he did not mechanically follow the school in every issue and sometimes preferred other views when he judged their evidence stronger. His other major works include al-Tadhkira on death and the afterlife, al-Asna on the divine names, al-Tadhkar on devotional remembrance and Qamʿ al-hirs on asceticism and contentment. Biographical sources portray him as modest, austere and devoted to worship and scholarship.

? — 1273

Names and variants

Al-Qurtubi· canonicalAl-Qurtubi· canonicalالقرطبي· canonicalMuhammad ibn Ahmad ibn Abi Bakr ibn Farh· birth nameمحمد بن أحمد بن أبي بكر بن فرح· birth nameAbu ʿAbd Allah· kunyaأبو عبد الله· kunyaal-Qurtubi· nisbaالقرطبي· nisbaal-Ansari al-Khazraji· nisbaالأنصاري الخزرجي· nisbaKurtubî, Muhammed b. Ahmed· variant

A major Andalusian-Egyptian Qurʾan commentator

Al-Qurtubi was an Andalusian Maliki jurist, hadith scholar and Qurʾan commentator whose intellectual career unfolded between Cordoba and Egypt. His al-Jamiʿ li-ahkam al-Qurʾan became one of the most enduring encyclopedic tafsirs of the medieval Sunni tradition.

Sources: [1] bio evidence, [2] bio evidence, [3] bio evidence, [4] bio evidence

Name and nisbas

He was Abu ʿAbd Allah Muhammad ibn Ahmad ibn Abi Bakr ibn Farh al-Ansari al-Khazraji al-Qurtubi. His nisba al-Qurtubi connects him to Cordoba, while al-Ansari al-Khazraji reflects a reported genealogical affiliation.

Sources: [1] bio evidence, [2] bio evidence, [3] bio evidence, [4] bio evidence

An uncertain birth date

Al-Qurtubi was born in Cordoba, but his exact birth date is unknown. Modern biographical scholarship places his birth broadly in the late sixth or early seventh Islamic century.

Sources: [1] bio evidence, [2] bio evidence, [3] bio evidence, [4] bio evidence

A modest family background

His father is described as making his living through agriculture, and the young al-Qurtubi contributed to the household economy rather than growing up in an elite courtly environment.

Sources: [1] bio evidence, [2] bio evidence, [3] bio evidence, [4] bio evidence

Carrying clay for pottery

Biographical sources report that during his youth al-Qurtubi carried clay used by potters in order to help support his family.

Sources: [1] bio evidence, [2] bio evidence, [3] bio evidence, [4] bio evidence

Studies in Cordoba

Al-Qurtubi began his formal studies in Cordoba and learned from local scholars before the city fell to Castilian-Leonese forces.

Sources: [1] bio evidence, [2] bio evidence, [3] bio evidence, [4] bio evidence

Cordoban teachers

Among his teachers in Cordoba were Abu Jaʿfar Ahmad ibn Muhammad al-Qaysi, Rabiʿ ibn ʿAbd al-Rahman al-Ashʿari and Abu al-Hasan Ali ibn Qutral al-Ansari.

Sources: [1] bio evidence, [2] bio evidence, [3] bio evidence, [4] bio evidence

His father killed in 627 AH

Al-Qurtubi’s father was killed during a Christian attack on 3 Ramadan 627 AH / 16 July 1230 CE, an event belonging to the intensifying military pressure on Muslim Cordoba before its conquest.

Sources: [1] travel evidence, [3] travel evidence, [4] travel evidence

The fall of Cordoba

Cordoba was conquered by Ferdinand III of Castile and León in 633 AH / 1236 CE. After the conquest, al-Qurtubi left his native city and migrated eastward.

Sources: [1] travel evidence, [3] travel evidence, [4] travel evidence

Alexandria

Al-Qurtubi reached Alexandria, where he continued his studies in hadith, jurisprudence and related disciplines.

Sources: [1] travel evidence, [3] travel evidence, [4] travel evidence

Ahmad ibn Umar al-Qurtubi

In Alexandria he studied with the Andalusian hadith scholar Ahmad ibn Umar al-Qurtubi, known as Ibn al-Muzayyin, and heard part of his commentary on Sahih Muslim.

Sources: [1] travel evidence, [3] travel evidence, [4] travel evidence

Other Egyptian teachers

He also benefited from Abu Muhammad Abd al-Wahhab ibn Rawaj and Abu Muhammad Abd al-Muʿti al-Lakhmi among other teachers in Egypt.

Sources: [1] travel evidence, [3] travel evidence, [4] travel evidence

Journey to Fayyum with al-Qarafi

Al-Qurtubi travelled to Fayyum in the company of Shihab al-Din al-Qarafi, the prominent Maliki jurist.

Sources: [1] travel evidence, [3] travel evidence, [4] travel evidence

Mansura in 647 AH

In 647 AH / 1249 CE al-Qurtubi was in Mansura, where he studied with Abu Ali Hasan ibn Muhammad al-Bakri.

Sources: [1] travel evidence, [3] travel evidence, [4] travel evidence

A period in Cairo

He spent a period in Cairo before eventually settling farther south in Upper Egypt.

Sources: [1] travel evidence, [3] travel evidence, [4] travel evidence

Settlement at Munyat Bani Khasib

Al-Qurtubi settled at Munyat Bani Khasib in Upper Egypt and remained there for the rest of his life.

Sources: [1] travel evidence, [3] travel evidence, [4] travel evidence

Students and transmitters

Those reported to have benefited from al-Qurtubi include his son Shihab al-Din Ahmad, Ibn al-Zubayr, Ismail ibn Muhammad ibn Abd al-Karim, Abu Bakr al-Maymuni and Diya al-Din al-Satriji.

Sources: [1] bio evidence, [2] bio evidence, [3] bio evidence, [4] bio evidence

Modesty and asceticism

Biographical sources repeatedly describe al-Qurtubi as modest, austere in lifestyle and strongly committed to worship and zuhd.

Sources: [1] bio evidence, [2] bio evidence, [3] bio evidence, [4] bio evidence

Death in 671 AH

Al-Qurtubi died at Munyat Bani Khasib on 9 Shawwal 671 AH / 29 April 1273 CE and was buried there.

Sources: [1] bio evidence, [2] bio evidence, [3] bio evidence, [4] bio evidence

Later relocation of his grave

Modern biographical reporting states that his remains were transferred in 1971 to a shrine in a mosque built in his name.

Sources: [1] bio evidence, [2] bio evidence, [3] bio evidence, [4] bio evidence

Maliki jurisprudence

Al-Qurtubi was a Maliki jurist, and Maliki legal learning shaped much of his treatment of legal verses and juristic disagreement.

Sources: [4] career evidence, [5] career evidence, [7] career evidence

Hadith scholarship

Hadith occupies a central place in al-Qurtubi’s works: he cites prophetic reports extensively and often evaluates their sources, chains, contents and legal implications.

Sources: [4] career evidence, [5] career evidence, [7] career evidence

A varied corpus

Al-Qurtubi wrote in tafsir, hadith, eschatology, devotional literature, divine names, asceticism and related fields. Some works survive fully, while others are known from manuscripts or his own cross-references.

Sources: [4] jami evidence, [5] jami evidence, [7] jami evidence

The full title of al-Jamiʿ

His best-known work is al-Jamiʿ li-ahkam al-Qurʾan wa-l-mubayyin lima tadammanahu min al-sunna wa-ayi al-furqan, usually known simply as Tafsir al-Qurtubi.

Sources: [4] jami evidence, [5] jami evidence, [7] jami evidence

A tafsir written in Egypt

The exact date of composition is unknown, but al-Jamiʿ was written in Egypt and appears to belong to the later phase of al-Qurtubi’s scholarly career.

Sources: [4] jami evidence, [5] jami evidence, [7] jami evidence

The author’s stated purpose

In the introduction, al-Qurtubi explains that he wanted to gather concise insights on language, syntax, qiraʾat, reasons for revelation, hadith and legal rulings while clarifying transmitted opinions and answering views he considered erroneous.

Sources: [4] jami evidence, [5] jami evidence, [7] jami evidence

More than a legal commentary

Despite its title, al-Jamiʿ is not limited to legal verses. It aims to interpret the Qurʾan comprehensively through language, transmitted reports, qiraʾat, theology, legal analysis and other disciplines.

Sources: [4] jami evidence, [5] jami evidence, [7] jami evidence

Transmission and analysis

The tafsir combines riwaya and diraya: al-Qurtubi transmits earlier exegetical material but also compares, evaluates and selects among competing interpretations.

Sources: [4] jami evidence, [5] jami evidence, [7] jami evidence

Issues organized under verses

Al-Qurtubi often divides the interpretive problems raised by a verse into numbered or distinct issues and discusses each one systematically.

Sources: [4] jami evidence, [5] jami evidence, [7] jami evidence

Qiraʾat

Variant Qurʾanic readings receive sustained attention in al-Jamiʿ and are integrated into linguistic, exegetical and sometimes legal analysis.

Sources: [4] jami evidence, [5] jami evidence, [7] jami evidence

Reasons for revelation

Al-Qurtubi makes extensive use of reports about occasions of revelation when explaining verses and their contexts.

Sources: [4] jami evidence, [5] jami evidence, [7] jami evidence

Language and Arabic poetry

His tafsir contains substantial grammatical and lexical analysis and uses Arabic poetry frequently as evidence for linguistic meanings.

Sources: [4] jami evidence, [5] jami evidence, [7] jami evidence

Legal interpretation

Legal verses are examined through extensive discussion of juristic opinions, textual evidence and the reasoning behind competing rulings.

Sources: [4] jami evidence, [5] jami evidence, [7] jami evidence

Not mechanically bound to Malikism

Although Maliki, al-Qurtubi did not always follow the Maliki position and occasionally preferred the view of another school when he considered its evidence stronger.

Sources: [4] jami evidence, [5] jami evidence, [7] jami evidence

Hadith criticism within tafsir

After citing prophetic reports, al-Qurtubi sometimes discusses their sources, chains of transmission, contents and relevance to the verse or legal question under discussion.

Sources: [4] jami evidence, [5] jami evidence, [7] jami evidence

Companions and Successors

He transmits interpretations from Companions and Successors and sometimes compares their arguments before preferring one view.

Sources: [4] jami evidence, [5] jami evidence, [7] jami evidence

Theological controversy

Al-Jamiʿ includes discussions of theological questions and critiques positions associated with groups such as the Muʿtazila, Shiʿa and Kharijites.

Sources: [4] jami evidence, [5] jami evidence, [7] jami evidence

Respectful but critical engagement with Sufism

Al-Qurtubi speaks respectfully of Sufis and ascetic spirituality while criticizing practices or formulations he considered contrary to scripture or sound religious conduct.

Sources: [4] career evidence, [5] career evidence, [7] career evidence

Earlier tafsirs as sources

Among the important exegetical sources of al-Jamiʿ were Ibn Atiyya’s al-Muharrar al-wajiz, al-Tabari, al-Mawardi, al-Qushayri, al-Wahidi, Abu al-Layth al-Samarqandi, al-Nasafi and Abu Bakr Ibn al-Arabi.

Sources: [4] jami evidence, [5] jami evidence, [7] jami evidence

Attributing reports and opinions

In his introduction, al-Qurtubi states that he will identify the authors of quoted opinions and cite hadith from hadith collections rather than merely through fiqh or tafsir works.

Sources: [4] jami evidence, [5] jami evidence, [7] jami evidence

Limiting unneeded narrative material

He also states that he intends to avoid many stories transmitted by exegetes and historians when they do not serve his interpretive and legal aims.

Sources: [4] jami evidence, [5] jami evidence, [7] jami evidence

Occasional attribution errors

Modern analysis of al-Jamiʿ has identified occasional errors in attribution of poetry or hadith transmitters, even though al-Qurtubi generally worked carefully with his sources.

Sources: [4] jami evidence, [5] jami evidence, [7] jami evidence

Al-Tadhkira

Al-Tadhkira fi ahwal al-mawta wa-umur al-akhira is a major work on death, the grave, resurrection, the afterlife and eschatological events.

Sources: [4] tadhkira evidence, [6] tadhkira evidence, [8] tadhkira evidence

A work of admonition and explanation

Al-Qurtubi presents al-Tadhkira as an admonition for himself and as a continuing righteous deed after death, while also explaining difficult expressions and hadiths.

Sources: [4] tadhkira evidence, [6] tadhkira evidence, [8] tadhkira evidence

291 chapters

The work is organized into 291 chapters, some of which are further divided into sections.

Sources: [4] tadhkira evidence, [6] tadhkira evidence, [8] tadhkira evidence

Three broad thematic parts

Its contents can broadly be grouped into three areas: death and the grave, the states of the afterlife, and signs of the Hour and major tribulations.

Sources: [4] tadhkira evidence, [6] tadhkira evidence, [8] tadhkira evidence

Al-Asna

Al-Asna fi sharh asmaʾ Allah al-husna is al-Qurtubi’s work on the divine names and is cited repeatedly in al-Jamiʿ.

Sources: [4] asna evidence, [7] asna evidence, [10] asna evidence

Al-Tadhkar

Al-Tadhkar fi afdal al-adhkar is a devotional work arranged around remembrance, Qurʾanic recitation and religious practice.

Sources: [4] tadhkar evidence, [7] tadhkar evidence, [9] tadhkar evidence

Asceticism and contentment

Qamʿ al-hirs bi-l-zuhd wa-l-qanaʿa treats asceticism, contentment, earning a livelihood and resistance to humiliating dependence on others.

Sources: [1] qam evidence, [4] qam evidence, [11] qam evidence

Other attributed works

Other works attributed to al-Qurtubi include writings on hadith terminology, the Prophet’s names, the Prophet’s birth, abridgments or commentaries on Maliki-hadith works and additional devotional or scholarly treatises.

Sources: [1] other evidence, [3] other evidence, [4] other evidence

Enduring tafsir legacy

Al-Jamiʿ became a major reference for later Qurʾan commentary because of its combination of law, hadith, language, qiraʾat, earlier exegesis and systematic issue-by-issue discussion.

Sources: [4] jami evidence, [5] jami evidence, [7] jami evidence

A widely transmitted and printed work

The large manuscript tradition and numerous modern editions, abridgments and translations of al-Jamiʿ reflect the long-term reach of al-Qurtubi’s tafsir.

Sources: [4] jami evidence, [5] jami evidence, [7] jami evidence

Source-sensitive points

uncertain

Al-Qurtubi’s exact birth date is unknown; modern biographical scholarship places it only broadly in the late sixth or early seventh Islamic century.

Sources: [1] Evidence for birth_unknown, [3] Evidence for birth_unknown, [4] Evidence for birth_unknown

established

Al-Qurtubi died at Munyat Bani Khasib on 9 Shawwal 671 AH / 29 April 1273 CE.

Sources: [1] Evidence for death_exact, [2] Evidence for death_exact, [3] Evidence for death_exact, [4] Evidence for death_exact

established

Al-Qurtubi’s father was killed in a Christian attack on 3 Ramadan 627 AH / 16 July 1230 CE.

Sources: [1] Evidence for father_killed_627, [3] Evidence for father_killed_627, [4] Evidence for father_killed_627

reported

Biographical sources report that the young al-Qurtubi carried clay for pottery to help support his family.

Sources: [1] Evidence for clay_work, [2] Evidence for clay_work, [4] Evidence for clay_work

established

After Cordoba fell to Ferdinand III in 633 AH / 1236 CE, al-Qurtubi left the city and migrated to Egypt.

Sources: [1] Evidence for left_cordoba_633, [3] Evidence for left_cordoba_633, [4] Evidence for left_cordoba_633

established

Al-Qurtubi continued his studies in Alexandria after leaving al-Andalus.

Sources: [1] Evidence for alexandria_study, [3] Evidence for alexandria_study, [4] Evidence for alexandria_study

established

In Alexandria al-Qurtubi studied with Ahmad ibn Umar al-Qurtubi and heard part of his commentary on Sahih Muslim.

Sources: [1] Evidence for ahmad_umar_teacher, [3] Evidence for ahmad_umar_teacher, [4] Evidence for ahmad_umar_teacher

established

Al-Qurtubi travelled to Fayyum in the company of Shihab al-Din al-Qarafi.

Sources: [1] Evidence for fayyum_qarafi, [3] Evidence for fayyum_qarafi, [4] Evidence for fayyum_qarafi

established

Al-Qurtubi was in Mansura in 647 AH / 1249 CE and studied there with Abu Ali Hasan ibn Muhammad al-Bakri.

Sources: [1] Evidence for mansura_647, [3] Evidence for mansura_647, [4] Evidence for mansura_647

established

Al-Qurtubi eventually settled at Munyat Bani Khasib in Upper Egypt and remained there until his death.

Sources: [1] Evidence for munya_settlement, [3] Evidence for munya_settlement, [4] Evidence for munya_settlement

reported

Biographical sources portray al-Qurtubi as modest, austere and devoted to worship and zuhd.

Sources: [1] Evidence for ascetic_reputation, [2] Evidence for ascetic_reputation, [4] Evidence for ascetic_reputation

established

Al-Qurtubi was a Maliki jurist.

Sources: [4] Evidence for maliki_identity, [5] Evidence for maliki_identity, [7] Evidence for maliki_identity

established

Al-Jamiʿ li-ahkam al-Qurʾan was written in Egypt, although its exact date of composition is unknown.

Sources: [4] Evidence for jami_written_egypt, [5] Evidence for jami_written_egypt, [7] Evidence for jami_written_egypt

established

Despite its title, al-Jamiʿ is a comprehensive Qurʾan commentary rather than a work limited to legal verses.

Sources: [4] Evidence for jami_comprehensive, [5] Evidence for jami_comprehensive, [7] Evidence for jami_comprehensive

established

Al-Jamiʿ combines transmitted exegesis with analytical interpretation and evaluation.

Sources: [4] Evidence for riwaya_diraya, [5] Evidence for riwaya_diraya, [7] Evidence for riwaya_diraya

established

Although Maliki, al-Qurtubi sometimes preferred non-Maliki legal views when he judged their evidence stronger.

Sources: [4] Evidence for maliki_independence, [5] Evidence for maliki_independence, [7] Evidence for maliki_independence

established

Variant Qurʾanic readings are a prominent and recurring component of al-Jamiʿ.

Sources: [4] Evidence for qiraat_prominence, [5] Evidence for qiraat_prominence, [7] Evidence for qiraat_prominence

established

Al-Qurtubi sometimes analyzes cited hadiths by source, chain, content and relevance to the exegetical or legal issue.

Sources: [4] Evidence for hadith_analysis, [5] Evidence for hadith_analysis, [7] Evidence for hadith_analysis

established

In the introduction to al-Jamiʿ, al-Qurtubi states that he will identify the owners of quoted opinions and cite hadith directly to hadith sources rather than only through fiqh or tafsir works.

Sources: [4] Evidence for source_attribution_program, [5] Evidence for source_attribution_program, [7] Evidence for source_attribution_program

established

Modern analysis has identified occasional attribution errors in al-Jamiʿ, including examples involving poetry and hadith transmitters.

Sources: [4] Evidence for citation_errors, [5] Evidence for citation_errors, [7] Evidence for citation_errors

established

Al-Qurtubi treats Sufi and ascetic spirituality respectfully while criticizing specific practices or interpretations he regarded as unsound.

Sources: [4] Evidence for sufism_critical_respect, [5] Evidence for sufism_critical_respect, [7] Evidence for sufism_critical_respect

established

Al-Tadhkira fi ahwal al-mawta wa-umur al-akhira is an authenticated work of al-Qurtubi on death and the afterlife.

Sources: [4] Evidence for tadhkira_work, [6] Evidence for tadhkira_work, [8] Evidence for tadhkira_work

established

Al-Tadhkira is organized into 291 chapters, some further divided into sections.

Sources: [4] Evidence for tadhkira_291, [6] Evidence for tadhkira_291, [8] Evidence for tadhkira_291

probable

The contents of al-Tadhkira can broadly be grouped into three thematic parts: death and the grave, the afterlife, and signs of the Hour with major tribulations.

Sources: [4] Evidence for tadhkira_three_parts, [6] Evidence for tadhkira_three_parts, [8] Evidence for tadhkira_three_parts

established

Al-Asna fi sharh asmaʾ Allah al-husna is an authenticated work of al-Qurtubi on the divine names.

Sources: [4] Evidence for asna_work, [7] Evidence for asna_work, [10] Evidence for asna_work

established

Al-Tadhkar fi afdal al-adhkar is an authenticated devotional work of al-Qurtubi.

Sources: [4] Evidence for tadhkar_work, [7] Evidence for tadhkar_work, [9] Evidence for tadhkar_work

established

Qamʿ al-hirs bi-l-zuhd wa-l-qanaʿa is an authenticated work associated with al-Qurtubi’s ascetic and ethical concerns.

Sources: [1] Evidence for qam_hirs_work, [4] Evidence for qam_hirs_work, [11] Evidence for qam_hirs_work

reported

Modern biographical reporting states that al-Qurtubi’s remains were transferred in 1971 to a shrine in a mosque built in his name.

Sources: [1] Evidence for grave_relocation_1971, [3] Evidence for grave_relocation_1971, [4] Evidence for grave_relocation_1971

Contributions

Encyclopedic Qurʾan commentary

Al-Qurtubi’s al-Jamiʿ integrates transmitted exegesis, hadith, qiraʾat, Arabic language, theology and legal reasoning into a systematic verse-by-verse commentary.

scholarly · established

Comparative legal exegesis

His tafsir became a major resource for ahkam al-Qurʾan because it compares juristic positions and evidence without mechanically restricting itself to the Maliki school.

scholarly · established

Hadith within tafsir

Al-Qurtubi incorporated large amounts of hadith material into Qurʾanic interpretation and often discussed source attribution, chains, contents and legal implications.

scholarly · established

Eschatological scholarship

Al-Tadhkira became an important Sunni work on death, the grave, resurrection, the afterlife and the signs of the Hour.

scholarly · established

Devotional and ascetic literature

Works such as al-Tadhkar, al-Asna and Qamʿ al-hirs show that al-Qurtubi’s scholarship extended beyond tafsir into devotional practice, the divine names, asceticism and ethical discipline.

scholarly · established

Sources

[1]
Siyar aʿlām al-nubalāʾ
al-Dhahabī · Classical biographical source
[2]
al-Dībāj al-mudhhab fī maʿrifat aʿyān ʿulamāʾ al-madhhab
Ibn Farhun · Classical Maliki biographical source
[3]
Tārīkh al-Islām
al-Dhahabi · Classical historical-biographical source
[4]
KURTUBÎ, Muhammed b. Ahmed
Tayyar Altıkulaç · TDV İslâm Ansiklopedisi · 2002
[5]
el-CÂMİ‘ li-AHKÂMİ’l-KUR’ÂN
Muhammed Coşkun · TDV İslâm Ansiklopedisi · 2019
[6]
TEZKİRETÜ’l-KURTUBÎ
İlyas Çelebi · TDV İslâm Ansiklopedisi · 2019
[7]
al-Jāmiʿ li-aḥkām al-Qurʾān
al-Qurtubi · Primary Quran commentary
[8]
al-Tadhkira fī aḥwāl al-mawtā wa-umūr al-ākhira
al-Qurtubi · Primary eschatology work
[9]
al-Tadhkār fī afḍal al-adhkār
al-Qurtubi · Primary devotional work
[10]
al-Asnā fī sharḥ asmāʾ Allāh al-ḥusnā
al-Qurtubi · Primary work on the divine names
[11]
Qamʿ al-ḥirṣ bi-l-zuhd wa-l-qanāʿa
al-Qurtubi · Primary ascetic work

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