The Hidden Secret (Al-Muddath-thir)
In the Name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful
O the Cloaked One! (Prophet Mohammed – peace and blessings be upon him) 1 Rise up and warn! 2 Proclaim the glory of your Lord; 3 And thy garments keep free from stain! 4 And pollution shun. 5 And give not a thing in order to have more (or consider not your deeds of Allah's obedience as a favour to Allah). 6 And for the sake of your Lord, patiently endure. 7 Finally, when the Trumpet is sounded, 8 that will surely be a hard day, 9 It will not be easy for those who deny the truth. 10 Let Me alone with him whom I created lonely. 11 and designated for him ample wealth, 12 and children as [love's] witnesses, 13 And made several preparations for him. 14 Yet he desireth that I should give more. 15 By no means! surely he offers opposition to Our communications. 16 I will constrain him to a hard ascent. 17 For he thought and he plotted;- 18 So may he be destroyed [for] how he deliberated. 19 May be then be accursed, how he plotted! 20 Then he considered [again]; 21 then he frowned, and scowled, 22 and in the end he turns his back [on Our message,] and glories in his arrogance, 23 Then said he: "This is nothing but magic, derived from of old; 24 this is nothing but the word of a mere mortal!” 25 [Hence,] I shall cause him to endure hell-fire [in the life to come]! 26 And what will make you realize what hell is? 27 It spares not (any sinner), nor does it leave (anything unburnt)! 28 Blackening the skins. 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