7وَهُوَ بِالأُفُقِ الأَعلىٰMuhammad Asadappearing in the horizon's loftiest part,1Cf. 81:23 and the corresponding note 8. According to the Qur'an and the testimony of authentic Traditions, the Prophet had no more than twice in his lifetime a vision of this angelic force "manifested in its true shape and nature" (which, as pointed out by Zamakhshari, is the meaping of the expression istawa in this context): once after the period called fafrat al-wahy (see introductory note to surah 74), and another time, as alluded to in verses 13-18, in the course of his mystic vision known as the "Ascension" (see Appendix IV).