and accidents. When they behold that reality, they will recognize that He is Allah, exalted is He.

The second interpretation is that “form” means “attribute.” The meaning is that they will witness manifestations of Allah’s force and the severity of His might unlike anything they have known or been accustomed to in His dealings with them. Afterwards, various kinds of mercy and honour will come to them in the manner they have known and been accustomed to.

In response to this, it may be said: This report, taken as a whole, is mass-transmitted according to the scholars of hadith. Its transmitters among the Successors and their followers rank among the most eminent members of the Muslim community in knowledge and religious devotion. It is known through a number of Companions: it appears in the two Sahīh collections in a narration from Abū Hurayrah and Abū Sa‘īd together, and in a separate narration from Abū Sa‘īd. It also appears in Sahīh Muslim in a narration from Jābir, and in the Musnad collections in a narration from Ibn