keep their company.’ He will say, ‘I am your Lord.’ They will say, ‘We seek refuge in Allah from you. We associate nothing with Allah,’ repeating this twice or three times, until some of them will almost turn back. He will say, ‘Is there a sign between you and Him by which you will recognize Him?’ They will say, ‘Yes.’ Then a shin will be uncovered. Allah will permit everyone who used to prostrate to Him of his own accord to prostrate. But Allah will make the back of everyone who used to prostrate out of fear and to show off into a single rigid piece; whenever he tries to prostrate, he will fall onto his back. Then they will raise their heads, and He will have taken the form in which they saw Him the first time. He will say, ‘I am your Lord.’ They will say, ‘You are our Lord.’ Then the bridge will be laid across Hell.”

These two hadiths are among the most authentic. When the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, “You will see Him just as clearly. The people will be gathered, and He will say, ‘Whoever worshipped anything, let him follow it,’” is it not self-evident that this addresses both the men and the women gathered there? The word “people” encompasses both groups, and both groups will be gathered. The scope of this general wording may not be restricted—or, even if such restriction were permissible, the case for it would be weak—because women outnumber men. It is authentically established that women constitute the majority of the inhabitants of the Fire. It is also authentically established that every man in Paradise will have two human wives, besides the wide-eyed maidens. Thus, women outnumber men in Paradise, just as they do in the Fire, making women the greater number overall. General wording may not be understood to cover only the minority of instances while excluding the majority without an accompanying contextual indication. That would be misleading and inept expression, far beneath the speech of the Lawgiver.

Then his statement that it will be said, “Whoever worshipped anything, let him follow it,” is a description expressed in one of the formulations that