Likewise, the passages of the Book that indicate seeing Allah, such as His words:

“Some faces that Day will be radiant, looking at their Lord; and other faces that Day will be gloomy, expecting a crushing calamity to befall them,”

divide humanity into categories—the humanity mentioned in His words:

“That Day, man will be informed of what he sent ahead and left behind. Rather, man is a witness against himself.”

The apparent sense is that faces fall into these two categories. Similarly, His words:

“Some faces that Day will be bright, laughing and rejoicing; and other faces that Day will be covered with dust, enveloped in darkness,”

also divide them into these two categories. Thus, anyone whose face is not among the gloomy faces will be among those whose faces are radiant and looking upon their Lord. How could it be otherwise, when it is established in the hadith that women increase in beauty and loveliness just as men do at the appointed times of looking upon Allah?

Likewise, His words:

“No soul knows what delights have been hidden for them as a reward for what they used to do,”

have been interpreted as referring to seeing Allah, as have His words:

“Indeed, the righteous will be in bliss, looking on from their couches.”

All of this encompasses both men and women.

Know that scholars have differed concerning “masculine plural forms, both explicit nouns and pronouns,” such as “the believers” and “the righteous.” The question is whether women are included when such wording is used without qualification, or whether they are included only where there is evidence. There are two views:

(The better-known view among our scholars and those who agree with them is that women are included. This is based on the Arabic convention that, when males and females are mentioned together, the masculine form takes precedence. We also know from the Lawgiver’s manner of address that it encompasses both groups, with women included through this predominance of the masculine form. In short, the Arabs sometimes use these plurals for males alone and sometimes for both males and females.