The Hidden Secret (Al-Muddath-thir)
In the Name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful
Cloaked one, 1 Arise and warn! 2 Glorify your Lord, 3 Purify your inner self, 4 And all defilement shun! 5 And bestow not favors that you may receive again with increase, 6 and be patient unto thy Lord. 7 For when the trumpet shall sound, 8 Truly, that Day will be a Hard Day. 9 Not easy upon the disbelievers. 10 Leave Me alone, (to deal) with the (creature) whom I created (bare and) alone!- 11 whom I have endowed with abundant riches, 12 and sons to be by his side, 13 whose life I have made run smoothly 14 Then he desires that I should add more. 15 Not at all! Surely, he has been disobedient to Our verses. 16 I shall force him to endure a painful uphill climb! 17 Verily he considered, and devised. 18 and thus he destroys himself, the way he meditates: 19 Again (self-)destroyed is he, how he planned! - 20 Then he looked around, 21 frowned and scowled; 22 Then turned he back, and grew stiff-necked. 23 and said: 'This is no more than traced sorcery; 24 This is naught but the word of a mortal. 25 I will drive him into Saqar. 26 What do you think Hell-fire is? 27 It spares not, neither leaves alone 28 making [all truth] visible to mortal man. 29 Over it are nineteen [angels]. 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