The Hidden Secret (Al-Muddath-thir)
Allah - beginning with the name of - the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
O thou enveloped! 1 Arise and warn! 2 Thy Lord magnify 3 cleanse your clothes, 4 And all defilement shun! 5 And do not through giving seek thyself to gain, 6 and be patient unto thy Lord. 7 For when the trumpet shall sound, 8 that shall be a Harsh Day 9 not of ease, for all who [now] deny the truth! 10 LEAVE Me alone [to deal] with him whom I have created alone, 11 and whom I have granted abundant wealth 12 and children living in his presence, 13 and to whose life I gave so wide a scope: 14 and yet, he greedily desires that I give him even more! 15 By no means! surely he offers opposition to Our communications. 16 I will make a distressing punishment overtake him. 17 Behold, [when Our messages are conveyed to one who is bent on denying the truth,] he reflects and meditates [as to how to disprove them] 18 Ruin seize him, how did he hatch a scheme? 19 Again (self-)destroyed is he, how he planned! - 20 Then he looked round; 21 And frowned and puckered his brow, 22 Then he turned back and was big with pride, 23 And said: This is naught else than magic from of old; 24 “This is nothing but the speech of a man.” 25 I will cast him into Hell-fire 26 And what could make thee conceive what hell-fire is? 27 It lets nothing remain and leaves nothing [unburned], 28 It scorches the mortal. 29 Over it are Nineteen. 30 We have not appointed the guards of hell, except angels; and did not keep this number except to test the disbelievers – in order that the People given the Book(s) may be convinced, and to increase the faith of the believers – and so that the People given the Book(s) and the Muslims may not have any doubt – and so that those in whose hearts is a disease and the disbelievers, may say, “What does Allah mean by this amazing example?” This is how Allah sends astray whomever He wills, and guides whomever He wills; and no one knows the armies of Allah except Him; and this is not but an advice to man. 31