The Hidden Secret (Al-Muddath-thir)
In the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
Cloaked one, 1 Arise and warn, 2 And your Lord (Allah) magnify! 3 And your garments do purify, 4 and shun uncleanness, 5 And do not favour others in order to receive more. 6 For the sake of thy Lord, be patient! 7 And when the trumpet is blown, 8 That will be- that Day - a Day of Distress,- 9 For the unbelievers, anything but easy. 10 Leave to Me the one, whom I have created all by Myself, 11 To whom I granted resources in abundance, 12 and sons that stand in witness. 13 and for whom I have smoothed the way (to power and riches), 14 and yet, he greedily desires that I give him even 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 Lo! He reflected, and determined -- 18 So let him be cursed! How he plotted! 19 Let him be destroyed. How he calculated! 20 Then looked he, 21 Then he frowned and scowled, 22 Then he turned back and was arrogant 23 And said, “This is nothing but magic learnt from earlier men.” 24 "This is nothing but the word of a mortal!" 25 [Hence,] I shall cause him to endure hell-fire [in the life to come]! 26 What do you think Hell-fire is? 27 It leaves naught nor does it spare aught. 28 Burning the skins! 29 Over it are nineteen [powers]. 30 We have appointed only angels to be wardens of the Fire. We have specified their number only as a trial for those who are bent on denying the truth, so that those who were given the Book might gain in certainty, and those who believe might increase in faith -- and so that neither those who have been given the Scripture nor the believers might have any doubts, and that those sick at heart and those who deny the truth might ask, "What does God mean by this parable?" In this way, God lets go astray whom He wills, and guides whom He wills. And none knows the forces of your Lord but He. This is but a Reminder for man. 31