The Hidden Secret (Al-Muddath-thir)
In the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
O YOU ENFOLDED in your mantle (of reform), 1 Arise and warn! 2 And your Lord do magnify, 3 Purify your inner self, 4 And all defilement shun! 5 and do not think that by doing such deeds, you have done a great favor to God. 6 And be patient for the sake of your Lord (i.e. perform your duty to Allah)! 7 For when the trumpet is sounded, 8 that Day will be a hard and distressing Day. 9 and for the disbelievers, in particular, it will not be at all easy. 10 Leave Me with him whom I alone have created, 11 And gave him vast wealth. 12 And sons always present by his side, 13 And for whom I smoothed everything. 14 and who still greedily desires that I should bestow upon him more. 15 Never! For he is an enemy to Our signs! 16 We shall make him suffer the torment of hell without relief. 17 For lo! he did consider; then he planned - 18 But may he be cursed how he plotted; 19 Again (self-)destroyed is he, how he planned! - 20 He looked (at others); 21 frowned and scowled, 22 Then turned he away in pride 23 And said, “This is nothing but magic learnt from earlier men.” 24 It is nothing but the word of a mortal' 25 I will soon fling him into hell. 26 Would that you really knew what hell is! 27 It does not allow anyone to live, and neither does it leave anyone to die; 28 scorching the flesh; 29 Over it are nineteen [angels]. 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