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 And your garments do purify, 4 and defilement flee! 5 And do not confer favor to acquire more 6 And for the sake of your Lord, patiently endure. 7 For when the trumpet is sounded, 8 Surely that day will be a day of anguish, 9 For the infidels, not easy. 10 Leave Me with him whom I alone have created, 11 And for whom I appointed wealth extended. 12 and sons standing before him, 13 and to whose life I gave so wide a scope: 14 and who still greedily desires that I should bestow upon him more. 15 Nay! For lo! he hath been stubborn to Our revelations. 16 [and so] I shall constrain him to endure a painful uphill climb! 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 May he be condemned! 19 Again, death seize him, how he determined! 20 Then he beheld, 21 Then he frowned and scowled, 22 Then turned his back and waxed proud, 23 said, "This (the Quran) is nothing but magic, inherited from ancient magicians. 24 Nothing more than the speech of a man!" 25 I shall make him suffer the torment of hell. 26 Would that you really knew what hell is! 27 It does not allow to live, and neither leaves [to die,] 28 It shrivelleth the man. 29 Over it are nineteen. 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