The Hidden Secret (Al-Muddath-thir)
In the Name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful
Cloaked one, 1 stand up, deliver your warning, 2 and exalt your Lord, 3 And your clothing purify 4 stay away from sins 5 And show not favour, seeking wordly gain! 6 But, for thy Lord's (Cause), be patient and constant! 7 So when the Trumpet will be blown. 8 That Day will be a difficult day 9 not an easy day for the unbelievers. 10 Leave Me and him whom I created alone, 11 And give him vast riches, 12 and children as [love's] witnesses, 13 And made life smooth and comfortable for him! 14 and who still greedily desires that I should bestow upon him more. 15 By no means! He has been stubbornly hostile to Our revelation: 16 [and so] I shall constrain him to endure a painful uphill climb! 17 For he thought and he plotted -- 18 death seized him, how was his determining! 19 What an evil plan he has made! 20 He looked (at others); 21 then he frowned, and scowled, 22 and in the end he turns his back [on Our message,] and glories in his arrogance, 23 Then he said: This is naught but enchantment, narrated (from others); 24 This is not but the word of a human being." 25 I will soon fling him into hell. 26 What could make you conceive what hell-fire is? 27 It does not allow to live, and neither leaves [to die,] 28 It shrivelleth the man. 29 there are nineteen [angels] in charge of it -- 30 We have made only angels as the keepers of the fire (for they are the strongest in carrying out Our commands). Our informing (people) of the numbers of these angels is a trial for the disbelievers. It gives more certainty to the people of the Book and strengthens the faith of the believers. The people of the Book and the believers have no doubt about it. We have fixed the number to make the disbelievers and those whose hearts are sick say, "What does God mean by such a parable?" Thus, God guides and causes to go astray whomever He wants. No one knows about the army of your Lord except He Himself. This parable is a reminder for mankind. 31