The Hidden Secret (Al-Muddath-thir)
In the Name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful
O you enveloped in your cloak! 1 arise and warn, 2 And your Lord do magnify, 3 Purify your inner self, 4 And all defilement shun! 5 And show not favour, seeking wordly gain! 6 Exercise patience to please your Lord. 7 For when the trumpet blows 8 That shall be - that Day - a day hard. 9 not an easy day for the unbelievers. 10 Leave him to Me, the one whom I created single. 11 And give him vast riches, 12 And gave him sons present before him. 13 And I adjusted affairs for him adjustably; 14 and yet, he greedily desires that I give him even more! 15 By no means! Verily he hath been unto Our signs a foe. 16 I shall oblige him to (climb a slippery mountain in the Hell-fire called As-Sa'ud, or to) face a severe torment! 17 For he had thought and calculated. 18 death seize him, how he determined! 19 Again (self-)destroyed is he, how he planned! - 20 and then he looks [around for new arguments,] 21 Then he frowned and scowled, 22 then he retreated, and waxed proud. 23 and says, "All this is mere spellbinding eloquence handed down [from olden times]! 24 this is nothing but the word of a mere mortal!” 25 Anon shall I roast him into the Scorching 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 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