The Hidden Secret (Al-Muddath-thir)
In the name of Allah, the Merciful, the Compassionate
O thou enveloped! 1 arise, and warn! 2 And thine Lord magnify! 3 And your garments purify! 4 And all abomination shun! 5 And show not favour, seeking wordly gain! 6 And be patient for the sake of your Lord (i.e. perform your duty to Allah)! 7 For when the Trump is sounded 8 that Day will be a hard and distressing Day. 9 Dolorous for the unbelievers. 10 Let Me alone with him whom I created lonely. 11 whom I have endowed with abundant riches, 12 and sons ever present with him, 13 and for whom I have smoothed the way (to power and riches), 14 And who yet coveteth that shall increase. 15 No! Indeed, he has been toward Our verses obstinate. 16 I shall inflict on him hardship, 17 Indeed he thought, and inwardly decided. 18 And woe to him! How he plotted!- 19 yea, he destroys himself, the way he meditates! 20 Then he looked round; 21 Then he frowned and scowled; 22 Then he turned back and was big with pride, 23 And said, “This is nothing but magic learnt from earlier men.” 24 Nothing more than the speech of a man!" 25 [Hence,] I shall cause him to endure hell-fire [in the life to come]! 26 - Ah, what will convey unto thee what that burning is! - 27 It shall not spare, nor leave. 28 scorching the flesh; 29 Over it are appointed nineteen. 30 We have appointed none but angels as the keepers of the Fire, and We have not made their number but as a trial for the unbelievers so that those who have been endowed with the Book will be convinced and the believers' faith will increase, and neither those who have been endowed with the Book nor the believers will fall into any doubt. As for those in whose hearts there is a sickness as well as the unbelievers, they will say: “What did Allah aim at by this strange parable?” Thus does Allah let whomsoever He pleases to go astray, and directs whomsoever He pleases to the Right Way. And none knows the hosts of your Lord but He. (And Hell has only been mentioned here) that people may take heed. 31