Allah The Best Deceiver

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Allah the Best Deceiver
The Qur'an openly states many times that Allah is the 'best deceiver'.
The root word used in these verses is Makr which means deception.
Contents
Introduction
Definitions
Qur'an
Qur'an 3:54
Qur'an 7:99
Qur'an 8:30
Qur'an 10:21
Qur'an 13:42
Literal Meaning of Makr
Lane's Lexicon
Hans Wehr
Arabic Lexicon
Miscellaneous Dictionaries
Deceptive Translators
Qur'an 3:54
Qur'an 7:99
Qur'an 8:30
Qur'an 10:21
Qur'an 13:42
Analysis
Apologetics
Jamal Badawi
Islam Q&A
Harun Yahya
Allah Only Deceives Enemies
Allah Deceives Muslims
Allah Created Christianity Through Deception
Conclusion
Responses to Apologetics
See Also
External Links
References
Introduction
The Qur'an openly states many times that Allah is the 'best deceiver'.
The root word used in these verses is Makr which means deception.
The literal translations presented here, referenced from a Muslim
website, make this very clear. However, the majority of Qur'anic
translations erroneously translate this term; as can be seen in the
following quotes and analysis.
Although there are many places in the Qur'an that use the same
word (makir) in reference to Allah,[1] this article will focus only on the
verses in which Allah describes himself as the 'best deceiver'.
Definitions
de·ceive (dē sēv′, di-)
transitive verb deceived -·ceived′, deceiving -·ceiv′·ing
1. to make (a person) believe what is not true; delude; mislead

2. Archaic to be false to; betray
3. Archaic to while away (time)
Etymology: ME deceiven < OFr deceveir < L decipere, to ensnare,

deceive < de-, from + capere, to take.
intransitive verb to use deceit; lie
Related Forms:
• deceivable de·ceiv′·able adjective
• deceiver de·ceiv′er noun
• deceivingly de·ceiv′·ingly adverb
Deceive definition
Webster's New World College Dictionary
Qur'an
In the following Qur'an verses, Allah reveals to us that he is the "best
deceiver".
Qur'an 3:54
Arabic: ‫ﺧﻴﺮ اﻟﻤﺎﻛﺮﻳﻦ‬ ‫وا‬ ‫وﻣﻜﺮوا وﻣﻜﺮ ا‬
Transliteration: Wamakaroo wamakara Allahu waAllahu khayru

almakireena
Literal: And they cheated/deceived and God cheated/deceived,

and God (is) the best (of) the cheaters/deceivers.[2]
Qur'an Text/Transliteration 3:54
Qur'an 7:99
Arabic: ‫اﻻ اﻟﻘﻮم اﻟﺨﺎﺳﺮون‬ ‫ﻓﻼﻳﺎﻣﻦ ﻣﻜﺮ ا‬ ‫اﻓﺎﻣﻨﻮا ﻣﻜﺮ ا‬

Transliteration: Afaaminoo makra Allahi fala ya/manu makra Allahi
illa alqawmu alkhasiroona
Literal: Did they secure God's scheme/deceit ? So no(one) trusts

God's scheme/deceit except the nation the losers.[3]
Qur'an 8:30
Arabic: ‫واذ ﻳﻤﻜﺮ ﺑﻚ اﻟﺬﻳﻦ ﻛﻔﺮوا ﻟﻴﺜﺒﺘﻮك او ﻳﻘﺘﻠﻮك او ﻳﺨﺮﺟﻮك وﻳﻤﻜﺮون وﻳﻤﻜﺮ‬
‫ﺧﻴﺮ اﻟﻤﺎﻛﺮﻳﻦ‬ ‫وا‬ ‫ا‬
Transliteration: Wa-ith yamkuru bika allatheena kafaroo

liyuthbitooka aw yaqtulooka aw yukhrijooka wayamkuroona
wayamkuru Allahu waAllahu khayru almakireena
Literal: And when those who disbelieved deceive/scheme at you to

affix/affirm you, or kill you, or bring you out, and they
scheme/deceive , and God deceives/schemes and God (is) best
(of) the deceivers/schemers.[4]
Qur'an 10:21
Arabic: ‫واذا اذﻗﻨﺎ اﻟﻨﺎس رﺣﻤﺔ ﻣﻦ ﺑﻌﺪ ﺿﺮاء ﻣﺴﺘﻬﻢ اذا ﻟﻬﻢ ﻣﻜﺮ ﻓﻲ اﻳﺎﺗﻨﺎ ﻗﻞ ا‬
‫اﺳﺮع ﻣﻜﺮا ان رﺳﻠﻨﺎ ﻳﻜﺘﺒﻮن ﻣﺎﺗﻤﻜﺮون‬
Transliteration: Wa-itha athaqna alnnasa rahmatan min baAAdi
darraa massat-hum itha lahum makrun fee ayatina quli Allahu
asraAAu makran inna rusulana yaktuboona ma tamkuroona
Literal: And if We made the people taste/experience mercy from

after calamity/disastrous distress touched them, then for them (is)
cheatery/deceit/schemes in Our verses/evidences . Say: "God (is)
quicker/faster (in) cunning/scheming , that Our messengers write
what you cheat/ deceive/scheme."[5]
Qur'an 13:42
Arabic: ‫وﻗﺪ ﻣﻜﺮ اﻟﺬﻳﻦ ﻣﻦ ﻗﺒﻠﻬﻢ ﻓﻠﻠﻪ اﻟﻤﻜﺮ ﺟﻤﻴﻌﺎ ﻳﻌﻠﻢ ﻣﺎﺗﻜﺴﺐ ﻛﻞ ﻧﻔﺲ وﺳﻴﻌﻠﻢ‬
‫اﻟﻜﻔﺎر ﻟﻤﻦ ﻋﻘﺒﻰ اﻟﺪار‬
Transliteration: Waqad makara allatheena min qablihim falillahi

almakru jameeAAan yaAAlamu ma taksibu kullu nafsin
wasayaAAlamu alkuffaru liman AAuqba alddari
Literal: And those from before them had

cheated/deceived/schemed, so to God (is) all the
cheatery/deceit/scheme. He knows what every self
gains/acquires , and the disbelievers will know to whom (is) the
house's/home's end/turn (result).[6]
The word makir is always used disparagingly, and never in a positive
context. It is often used to describe someone sly and dishonest.
This is because of the way a makir deceives - they set out to cheat
you by deception. It is highly inappropriate for Allah to use this word
to describe himself; especially when two of his names are ‫( اﻟﺤﻖ‬the
truth) and ‫( اﻟﻮﻛﻴﻞ‬the dependable).
Literal Meaning of Makr

This section quotes numerous academic sources to study the
meaning of Makr.
Lane's Lexicon
Edward William Lane's Arabic-English Lexicon is the most revered

and scholarly English dictionary of the Arabic language. From Lane's
Lexicon (the full entry can be viewed here):
Miim-Kaf-Ra = To practice deceit or guile or circumvention,

practice evasion or elusion, to plot, to excercise art or craft or
cunning, act with policy, practice strategem.
makara vb. (1)

perf. act. 3:54, 3:54, 7:123, 13:42, 14:46, 16:26, 16:45, 27:50, 40:45,
71:22
impf. act. 6:123, 6:123, 6:124, 8:30, 8:30, 8:30, 10:21, 12:102,
16:127, 27:70, 35:10
n.vb. 7:99, 7:99, 7:123, 10:21, 10:21, 12:31, 13:33, 13:42, 14:46,
14:46, 14:46, 27:50, 27:50, 27:51, 34:33, 35:10, 35:43, 35:43, 71:22
pcple. act. 3:54, 8:30
LL, V7, p: 256

Lane's Lexicon: "Miim"
Hans Wehr
The Hans Wehr dictionary is regarded as the standard scholarly

dictionary of Arabic for English-speaking students and scholars of
the language. It also confirms the meaning of the term:
Hans Wehr dictionary, page 917
Arabic Lexicon
Arabic Lexicon on Al-Makr

Arabic Lexicon on Makir
Miscellaneous Dictionaries
Meanings from other dictionaries and sources have been compiled

below:
Dictionary Word Meaning
Google Translate ‫( ﻣﺎﻛﺮ‬Makir) sly, cunning, deceitful (read more )
n. calculating, cunning, astuteness, craftiness, foxiness, craft, slyness, archness, deceit, double-dealing, artifice,
Babylon.com ‫( ﻣﻜﺮ‬Makr)
deception, wiliness, artfulness, furtiveness, ploy, trick, guile, ruse, roguery
TranStar ‫( ﻣﻜﺮ‬Makr) wiliness (means: "Full of wiles" Merriam-Webster )
‫( اﻟﻤﻜﺮ‬Al-
ArabEyes.com deception
Makr)
Ibn Masr deception
Makr)
SYSTRAnet.com ‫( ﻣﻜﺮ‬Makr) deception
Translated.net ‫( ﻣﻜﺮ‬Makr) deception
ImTranslator.com deviousness
Makr)
ImTranslator.com ‫( ﻣﻜﺮ‬Makr) wiliness
Ectaco ‫( ﻣﻜﺮ‬Makr) deception
Deceptive Translators
The following are the English translations of the selected verses. As
mentioned above, makir is never used in a positive sense - it
denotes a shifty, sly person who uses deception as a means to their
ends.
We see that most of the translators have taken makir (with one of its
possible translations 'scheme') to mean 'a systematic plan of action',
and have translated makir to mean 'planner' or 'plotter'. However this
completely disregards the accepted connotations of the word and
the context of the given verses. Makir does not mean planner. Just
because makir can be translated as scheme, and scheme can mean
plan/plot, this does not mean that you can translate makir as
planner/plotter. This is dishonesty on the part of those translators.
Since the same word is used for both the unbelievers and Allah, in
most cases the translators have opted for the more benign (and
incorrect) translation in order to avoid revealing what, according to
the Qur'an, Allah has truly said about himself.
Qur'an 3:54
Yusuf Ali: And (the unbelievers) plotted and planned, and Allah too
planned, and the best of planners is Allah. [7]
Pickthal: And they (the disbelievers) schemed, and Allah schemed

(against them): and Allah is the best of schemers.[7]
Arberry: And they devised, and God devised, and God is the best of
devisers. [7]
Shakir: And they planned and Allah (also) planned, and Allah is the
best of planners. [7]
Sarwar: The unbelievers plotted and God planned, but God is a

much better planner;[7]
Khalifa: They plotted and schemed, but so did GOD, and GOD is the
best schemer.[7]
Hilali/Khan: And they (disbelievers) plotted (to kill Iesa (Jesus) ),

and Allah planned too. And Allah is the Best of the planners. [7]
H/K/Saheeh: And the disbelievers planned, but Allah planned. And

Allah is the best of planners. [7]
Malik: The unbelievers among the children of Israel plotted against

Jesus and Allah also devised a plan to raise him up, and Allah is
the best in planning. [7]
QXP: The opponents made some plans, but so did Allah. And Allah
is the Virtuous of planners. (They schemed to arrest and crucify
Jesus but Allah assured him). [7]
Maulana Ali: And (the Jews) planned and Allah (also) planned. And
Allah is the best of planners. [7]
Free Minds: And they schemed and God schemed, but God is the
best schemer. [7]
Qaribullah: They devised, and Allah devised. And Allah is the Best
Devisor. [7]
George Sale: And the Jews devised a stratagem against him; but
God devised a stratagem against them; and God is the best
deviser of stratagems. [7]
JM Rodwell: And the Jews plotted, and God plotted: But of those
who plot is God the best. [7]
Asad: And the unbelievers schemed [against Jesus]; but God

brought their scheming to nought: for God is above all schemers.
[7]
Palmer: But they (the Jews) were crafty, and God was crafty, for
God is the best of crafty ones! [8]
Qur'an 7:99
Yusuf Ali: Did they then feel secure against the plan of Allah?- but
no one can feel secure from the Plan of Allah, except those
(doomed) to ruin! [9]
Pickthal: Are they then secure from Allah's scheme? None

deemeth himself secure from Allah's scheme save folk that perish.
[9]
Arberry: Do they feel secure against God's devising? None feels

secure against God's devising but the people of the lost. [9]
Shakir: What! do they then feel secure from Allah's plan? But none
feels secure from Allah's plan except the people who shall perish.
[9]
Sarwar: Did they consider themselves secure from the retribution
of God? No one can have such attitude except those who are lost.
[9]
Khalifa: Have they taken GOD's plans for granted? None takes
GOD's plans for granted except the losers. [9]
Hilali/Khan: Did they then feel secure against the Plan of Allah.
None feels secure from the Plan of Allah except the people who
are the losers. [9]
H/K/Saheeh: Then did they feel secure from the plan of Allah? But
no one feels secure from the plan of Allah except the losing
people. [9]
Malik: Do these people feel secure against the plan of Allah? In

fact, only those people feel secure from the plan of Allah who are
doomed to destruction. [9]
QXP: Do they feel secure from the subtle progression of the Divine
Laws? Do they think that the Divine Law grants them unconditional
security? Only the losers feel secure from the subtle progression
of Allah's Law of Requital. [9]
Maulana Ali: Are they secure from Allah’s plan? But none feels
secure from Allah’s plan except the people who perish. [9]
Free Minds: Have they become sure about God's scheming? None
are sure about God's scheming except the people who are losers.
[9]
Qaribullah: (In reply to your devising) do they feel secure from the
devising of Allah? None feels secure from the devising of Allah
except the loosing nation. [9]
George Sale: Were they therefore secure from the stratagem of

God? But none will think himself secure from the stratagem of
God, except the people who perish. [9]
JM Rodwell: Did they, therefore, deem themselves secure from the

deep counsel of God? But none deem themselves secure from the
deep counsel of God, save those who perish. [9]
Asad: Can they, then, ever feel secure from God's deep devising?
But none feels secure from God's deep devising save people who
are [already] lost.' [9]
Palmer: were they secure from the craft of God? none feel secure
from the craft of God except a people that shall lose. [10]
Qur'an 8:30
Yusuf Ali: Remember how the Unbelievers plotted against thee, to

keep thee in bonds, or slay thee, or get thee out (of thy home).
They plot and plan, and Allah too plans; but the best of planners is
Allah. [11]
Pickthal: And when those who disbelieve plot against thee (O

Muhammad) to wound thee fatally, or to kill thee or to drive thee
forth; they plot, but Allah (also) plotteth; and Allah is the best of
plotters. [11]
Arberry: And when the unbelievers were devising against thee, to

confine thee, or slay thee, or to expel thee, and were devising, and
God was devising; and God is the best of devisers. [11]
Shakir: And when those who disbelieved devised plans against you
that they might confine you or slay you or drive you away; and they
devised plans and Allah too had arranged a plan; and Allah is the
Sarwar: The unbelievers planned to imprison, murder or expel you

(Muhammad) from your city. They make evil plans but God too
plans and God's plans are the best. [11]
Khalifa: The disbelievers plot and scheme to neutralize you, or kill

you, or banish you. However, they plot and scheme, but so does
GOD. GOD is the best schemer. [11]
Hilali/Khan: And (remember) when the disbelievers plotted against

you (O Muhammad SAW) to imprison you, or to kill you, or to get
you out (from your home, i.e. Makkah); they were plotting and
Allah too was planning, and Allah is the Best of the planners. [11]
H/K/Saheeh: And [remember, O Muúammad], when those who

disbelieved plotted against you to restrain you or kill you or evict
you [from Makkah]. But they plan, and Allah plans. And Allah is the
Malik: Remember, how the unbelievers plotted against you. They

sought to take you captive or kill you or exile you. They planned -
and Allah also planned - Allah is the best planner of all. [11]
QXP: Remember (O Messenger), when the rejecters were making

schemes to arrest you, slay you, or expel you. That was their plan,
but Allah's Law of Requital is designed to work in a way unfailing.
Allah is the Best of planners. [11]
Maulana Ali: And when those who disbelieved devised plans

against thee that they might confine thee or slay thee or drive thee
away -- and they devised plans and Allah, too, had arranged a plan;
and Allah is the best of planners. [11]
Free Minds: And the rejecters plot against you to arrest you, or to
kill you, or to expel you. And they plot, and God plots, and God is
the best of plotters. [11]
Qaribullah: And when the unbelievers plotted against you (Prophet
Muhammad). They sought to either take you captive or have you
killed, or expelled. They plotted but Allah (in reply) also plotted.
Allah is the Best in plotting. [11]
George Sale: And call to mind when the unbelievers plotted

against thee, that they might either detain thee in bonds, or put
thee to death, or expel thee the city; and they plotted against thee:
But God laid a plot against them; and God is the best layer of plots.
[11]
JM Rodwell: And call to mind when the unbelievers plotted against

thee, to detain thee prisoner, or to kill thee, or to banish thee: They
plotted-but God plotted: and of plotters is God the best! [11]
Asad: AND [remember, O Prophet,] how those who were bent on

denying the truth were scheming against thee, in order to restrain
thee [from preaching], or to slay thee, or to drive thee away: thus
have they [always] schemed:'° but God brought their scheming to
nought-for God is above all schemers. [11]
Palmer: And when those who misbelieve were crafty with thee to
detain thee a prisoner, or kill thee, or drive thee forth; they were
crafty, but God was crafty too, for God is best of crafty ones! [12]
Qur'an 10:21
Yusuf Ali: When We make mankind taste of some mercy after
adversity hath touched them, behold! they take to plotting against
Our Signs! Say: "Swifter to plan is Allah!" Verily, Our messengers
record all the plots that ye make! [13]
Pickthal: And when We cause mankind to taste of mercy after

some adversity which had afflicted them, behold! they have some
plot against Our revelations. Say: Allah is more swift in plotting.
Lo! Our messengers write down that which ye plot. [13]
Arberry: When We let the people taste mercy after hardship has
visited them, lo, they have a device concerning Our signs. Say: 'God
is swifter at devising; surely Our messengers are writing down
what you are devising. [13]
Shakir: And when We make people taste of mercy after an

affliction touches them, lo ! they devise plans against Our
communication. Say: Allah is quicker to plan; surely Our
messengers write down what you plan. [13]
Sarwar: When people are granted mercy after having suffered

hardship, they begin to plot against Our revelations. Say, "God is
the most swift in His plans." Our angelic messengers record all
that you plot. [13]
Khalifa: When we bestow mercy upon the people, after adversity

had afflicted them, they immediately scheme against our
revelations! Say, "GOD's scheming is far more effective. For our
messengers are recording everything you scheme." [13]
Hilali/Khan: And when We let mankind taste of mercy after some

adversity has afflicted them, behold! They take to plotting against
Our Ayat (proofs, evidences, verses, lessons, signs, revelations,
etc.)! Say: "Allah is more Swift in planning!" Certainly, Our
Messengers (angels) record all of that which you plot. [13]
H/K/Saheeh: And when We give the people a taste of mercy after

adversity has touched them, at once they conspire against Our
verses. Say, "Allah is swifter in strategy." Indeed, Our messengers
record that which you conspire. [13]
Malik: When We show mercy to mankind after some calamity had

afflicted them, they begin to plot against Our revelations! Tell them:
"Allah is more swift in plotting than you; indeed Our angels are
recording all the plots you make." [13]
QXP: When We cause people to taste of Mercy after they have

suffered a hardship, they start scheming to defy Our Commands.
Say, "Allah is more Swift in planning. Our couriers write down what
you plot." [13]
Maulana Ali: And when We make people taste of mercy after an

affliction touches, lo! they devise plans against Our messages.
Say: Allah is quicker to plan. Surely Our messengers write down
what you plan. [13]
Free Minds: And if We let the people taste a mercy after some
harm had afflicted them, they take to scheming against Our
revelations! Say: "God is faster in scheming;" Our messengers
record what you scheme. [13]
Qaribullah: When We let people taste (Our) mercy after they had
been afflicted by hardship, they devise against Our verses. Say:
'Allah is more swift in devising. ' Indeed, Our Messengers (the
angels) are writing down whatever you devise. [13]
George Sale: And when We caused the men of Mecca to taste

mercy, after an affliction which had befallen them, behold, they
devised a stratagem against our signs. Say unto them, God is
more swift in executing a stratagem, than ye. Verily our
messengers write down that which ye deceitfully devise. [13]
JM Rodwell: And when after a trouble which you befallen them, we

caused this people to taste of mercy, lo! a plot on their part against
our signs! SAY: Swifter to plot is God! Verily, our messengers note
down your plottings. [13]
Asad: And [thus it is:] whenever We let [such] people taste [some
of Our] grace after hardship has visited them-lo! they forthwith turn
to devising false arguments against Our messages." Say: "God is
swifter [than you] in His deep devising!" Behold, Our [heavenly]
messengers are recording all that you may devise! [13]
Palmer: When we have let men taste of mercy after distress which
has touched them, lo! they use a stratagem against our signs! Say,
'God is quicker at stratagem.' Verily, our messengers write down
what stratagem ye use. [14]
Qur'an 13:42
Yusuf Ali: Those before them did (also) devise plots; but in all
things the master-planning is Allah's He knoweth the doings of
every soul: and soon will the Unbelievers know who gets home in
the end. [15]
Pickthal: Those who were before them plotted; but all plotting is
Allah's. He knoweth that which each soul earneth. The disbelievers
will come to know for whom will be the sequel of the (heavenly)
Home. [15]
Arberry: Those that were before them devised; but God's is the
devising altogether. He knows what every soul earns. The
unbelievers shall assuredly know whose will be the Ultimate
Abode. [15]
Shakir: And those before them did indeed make plans, but all
planning is Allah's; He knows what every soul earns, and the
unbelievers shall come to know for whom is the (better) issue of
the abode. [15]
Sarwar: Certain people who lived before plotted evil plans but God
is the Master of all plans. He knows what every soul does. The
unbelievers will soon learn who will achieve the blissful end. [15]
Khalifa: Others before them have schemed, but to GOD belongs

the ultimate scheming. He knows what everyone is doing. The
disbelievers will find out who the ultimate winners are. [15]
Hilali/Khan: And verily, those before them did devise plots, but all
planning is Allahs. He knows what every person earns, and the
disbelievers will know who gets the good end (final destination).
[15]
H/K/Saheeh: And those before them had plotted, but to Allah

belongs the plan entirely. He knows what every soul earns, and the
disbelievers will know for whom is the final home. [15]
QXP: Now those who lived before these people, also devised
schemes, but the most Subtle devising is that of Allah. He knows
what every "Self" earns. The rejecters will soon find out as to
whom belongs the Future. [15]
Maulana Ali: And those before them planned indeed, but all
planning is Allah’s. He knows what every soul earns. And the
disbelievers will come to know for whom is the (good) end of the
Abode. [15]
Free Minds: And those before them have schemed, but to God is
all scheming. He knows what every soul earns and the rejecters
will come to know to whom is the better abode. [15]
Qaribullah: Those who have gone before them devised, but to Allah
is the devising altogether. He knows what every soul earns. The
unbelievers shall know without doubt for whom is the Ultimate
Abode. [15]
George Sale: Their predecessores formerly devised subtle plots

against their prophets; but God is master of every subtle device.
He knoweth that which every soul deserveth: And the infidels shall
surely know, whose will be the reward of paradise. [15]
JM Rodwell: Those who lived before them made plots: but all
plotting is controlled by God: He knoweth the works of every one,
and the infidels shall know whose will be the recompense of the
abode. [15]
Asad: Now those who lived before these [sinners] did, too, devise
many a blasphemy"-but the most subtle devising is that of God,
who knows what each human being deserves :12 and the deniers
of the truth will [in time] come to know to whom the future
belongs." [15]
Palmer: And those who were before them were crafty too; but
God's is the craft altogether! He knows what every soul earns; and
the misbelievers shall know whose is the recompense of the
abode. [16]
Analysis
The translations of Yusuf Ali, Sarwar Hilali/Khan and Malik have

furthered their dishonesty in the translation of makir by translating
the same word differently in two places (in the same verse). When
referring to the unbelievers, they state that they 'plotted and planned'
but that Allah only 'planned'. This implies that Allah's intentions and
planning were completely benign, but that the unbelievers' intentions
were not - as 'plotter' itself has negative connotations. This
translation completely disregards the meaning and connotations of
makir, but if they insisted in using the word 'plan', then they should
have rendered both usages the same, or they should have used
'devious/deceitful planner' instead of just 'planner' in order to convey
the intended meaning.
Arberry and Qaribullah use the word 'devised', Rodwell uses the word
'plotted', Sale uses 'devised a strategem' and Shakir, HK/Saheeh,
QXP and Maulana Ali all use the word 'planned' in reference to both
the unbelievers and Allah. As stated before, using any of these
words (all synonyms for 'planner') is dishonest because the
translators have completely disregarded the context and meaning of
the word in question. Just because makir can mean scheme and
scheme can mean plan/plot/devise, does not mean that you can
translate makir as plan/plot/devise. This is a non-sequitor.
In this way, Pickthal, Khalifa, Free Minds and Shakir are the best
translations here, because they have correctly translated makir -
which can mean scheme. However they have left it a little open
ended in that they have not conveyed the full meaning of the word.
In English, although the word 'scheme' usually has a negative
connotation, this is not always the case. Makir is always used in a
negative context. Palmer's use of 'crafty' in this verse, although
accurate, presents the same problem.
Apologetics
Jamal Badawi
Although Dr. Badawi admits that makir is a negative word with

negative connotations, he seeks to justify its usage in the Qur'an
when referring to Allah, by claiming that it has a different meaning
than that which we mere mortals have assigned it when referring to
each other. This is from a Live Q & A session held on the 16th of
April, 2007, on the readingislam.com website. The question and
answer are as follows:
Question: The quran refers sometimes to the MAKR of Allah. Hos
[sic] is possible to desscribe [sic] God as MAKIR? Wa yamkuruna
wa yamkuru Allah
Answer: The terms that we use in our human language do not

necessarily have the identical meaning when referring to Allah. For
example, terms such as “hear” and “see” have totally different
meaning when we speak about Allah, as He does not have eyes or
ears like ours (Qur’an 42/11).
Likewise, the Arabic term “makr” for humans refers to conspiracy;

for Allah, however, in reverence to Him, to [sic] means “plan”.
Therefore, it means then that they conspire, but Allah has his own
plans to thwart their evil schemes.
Ask About Islam Q&A Session
Dr. Jamal Badawi, Reading Islam, April 16, 2007
Dr. Badawi's evidence for his claim is from Quran 42:11:
The Originator of the heavens and the earth; He made mates for
you from among yourselves, and mates of the cattle too,
multiplying you thereby; nothing like a likeness of Him; and He is
the Hearing, the Seeing.
Quran 42:11
When reading this verse, it is immediately apparent that this verse is

talking about physical characteristics; the Qur'an is saying that
although we have been created in pairs (male and female), Allah is
not like this as he has no partner. Reviewing the relevant portion of
Kathir's Tafsir confirms this:
[‫ـﻮ ِت َواﻻ ْر ِض‬

َ ‫ﺎﻃ َﺮ اﻟﺴ َﻤ‬ َ
ِ ‫]ﻓ‬
(The Creator of the heavens and the earth.) means, the Maker of
them both and everything in between.
[‫اﺟﺎ‬ ُ ‫]ﺟ َﻌ َﻞ ﻟَﻜُ ْﻢ ﻣ ْﻦ ا‬

ً ‫ﻧﻔ ِﺴﻜُ ْﻢ ا ْز َو‬ َ
(He has made for you mates from yourselves,) means, of your own
kind. As a blessing and a favor from Him, He has made your kind
male and female.
ً ‫]و ِﻣ َﻦ اﻻ ْﻧ َﻌ ِـﻢ ا ْز‬

[‫وﺟﺎ‬ َ
(and for the cattle (also) mates.) means, and He has created for
you eight pairs of cattle.
ِ ‫]ﻳ ْﺬ َر ُؤﻛُ ْﻢ ِﻓ‬

[‫ﻴﻪ‬ َ
(By this means He creates you.) means, in this manner He creates

you, male and female, generation after generation of men and
cattle.
[‫]ﻟَ ْﻴ َﺲ ﻛ َ ِﻤ ْﺜ ِﻠ ِﻪ َﺷ ْﻰ ٌء‬
(There is nothing like Him,) means, there is nothing like the Creator
of these pairs, for He is the Unique, the Self-Sufficient Master, Who
has no peer or equal.
Allah is the Protector, Ruler and Creator (42:11)
Tafsir 'ibn Kathir
Therefore Qur'an 42:11 is saying that Allah has no likeness to that

which he has created on this Earth because Allah created everything
in pairs. Since Allah has no equal, he has no partner. This is why
among his creation he 'has no likeness'. Stating that "see" and "hear"
have different meanings when referring to Allah, is, again referring to
physical characteristics (the 5 senses in this case) and bears no
relevance to the meaning of words.
It is therefore in error for Dr. Badawi to submit this verse as evidence

that words have different meanings when referring to Allah, because
it is clearly talking about physical creation and not the meanings of
words as they should be defined when Allah uses them to describe
himself.
Even though we see that Dr. Badawi has no legitimate basis for his
claim, his claim can be proven wrong based on the following lines of
enquiry:
1. How many words have different meanings when referring to

Allah? We've already seen that Dr. Bardawi has taken a word with a
negative meaning and turned it into a positive, claiming 'reverence'.
Does this mean that all negatively slanted words that Allah uses
about himself must be turned into a positive, even if that means
completely redefining the word in question? Isn't this a case of
Special pleading?[17]
2. Who decides what words have a different meaning when referring

to Allah? This is just a way to hide and excuse the negative
attributes of Allah by way of misdirecting those who are not as
knowledgeable about Islam, the Qur'an and the Arabic language.
3. The Qur'an tells us:
And certainly We know that they say: Only a mortal teaches him.
The tongue of him whom they reproach is barbarous, and this is
clear Arabic tongue.
Quran 16:103
Since the Qur'an says it is in clear Arabic, then this implies that the
meaning of its words are as we understand them, and should not be
applied in a different way to Allah. If makir has a different meaning
when Allah uses it to refer to himself, then Qur'an 16:103 is
obviously wrong. Is the Qur'an wrong here?
4. Dr. Badawi claimed that makir has a different meaning when

referring to Allah and that the common Arabic meaning is not
correct. However the Qur'an states:
He it is Who has revealed the Book to you; some of its verses are
decisive, they are the basis of the Book, and others are allegorical;
then as for those in whose hearts there is perversity they follow
the part of it which is allegorical, seeking to mislead and seeking
to give it (their own) interpretation. but none knows its
interpretation except Allah, and those who are firmly rooted in
knowledge say: We believe in it, it is all from our Lord; and none do
mind except those having understanding.
Quran 3:7
The Qur'an says that some people seek to mislead by giving their
own interpretation to portions. Is not Dr. Badawi doing the same? If
the "true" [when referring to Allah] meaning is unknown to most,
what evidence does Dr. Bardawi provide in support of his
unorthodox "truth"?
Islam Q&A
Islam Q&A says that "plotting/deceiving" may be used to describe

Allah, but only in a positive way:
Question: Can Allaah be described as plotting, deceiving and

betraying as in the verses (interpretation of the meaning):
“they were plotting and Allaah too was plotting” [al-Anfaal 8:30]
“Verily, the hypocrites seek to deceive Allaah, but it is He Who
deceives them” [al-Nisa’ 4:142]?.
Answer: Praise be to Allaah.
The attributes of Allaah are all attributes of perfection, pointing to

the best and most perfect of meanings. Allaah says (interpretation
of the meaning):
“and for Allaah is the highest description. And He is the All-Mighty,

the All-Wise”
[al-Nahl 16:60]
“His is the highest description (i.e. none has the right to be

worshipped but He, and there is nothing comparable unto Him) in
the heavens and in the earth. And He is the All-Mighty, the All-
Wise”
[al-Room 30:27]
Al-Sa’di said in his Tafseer (commentary) – p. 718, 1065:
The highest description means the most perfect attributes.
Attributes are of three types:

1 – Attributes of perfection – in which there is no shortcoming
whatsoever. These attributes apply to Allaah in absolute terms and
are not limited or restricted in any way. Examples of that include
His knowledge, power, hearing, seeing, mercy, etc.
2 – Attributes which imply imperfection and shortcomings. These

can never be ascribed to Allaah, such as sleeping, being unable,
doing wrong or oppressing, betraying, etc.
3 – Attributes which may be perfect or imperfect, depending on

the context. These cannot be ascribed to Allaah in absolute terms,
and they cannot be denied in the case of Allaah in absolute terms.
If the context implies perfection then they can be ascribed to
Allaah; if it implies imperfection then they cannot be ascribed to
Allaah. Examples include: plotting, deceiving and mocking.
Plotting against, betraying and mocking the enemy are attributes

of perfection, because that is indicative of complete knowledge,
power and might, and so on.
But plotting against the sincere believers is an attribute of

imperfection.
Hence these characteristics are not ascribed to Allaah in absolute

terms, rather they are mentioned in such a context as to indicate
that these are attributes of perfection.
Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

deceives them” [al-Nisa’ 4:142]
This is deceiving the hypocrites.
And He says (interpretation of the meaning):
“And (remember) when the disbelievers plotted against you (O

Muhammad) to imprison you, or to kill you, or to get you out (from
your home, i.e. Makkah); they were plotting and Allaah too was
plotting; and Allaah is the Best of those who plot”
[al-Anfaal 8:30]
This is a plot against the enemies of Allaah who were plotting

against the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be
upon him).
Allaah says of the hypocrites (interpretation of the meaning):
“And when they meet those who believe, they say: ‘We believe,’ but
when they are alone with their Shayaateen (devils — polytheists,
hypocrites), they say: ‘Truly, we are with you; verily, we were but
mocking.’
Allaah mocks at them and gives them increase in their wrong-
doing to wander blindly”
[al-Baqarah 2:14-15]
This is mocking the hypocrites.
These attributes are to be regarded as indicating perfection in this

context. Hence we say that Allaah mocks the hypocrites and
deceives them, and that He plots against His enemies, and so on.
But it is not permissible to describe Allaah as mocking or
deceiving in absolute terms, because that does not indicate
perfection.
Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (may Allaah have mercy on him) was

asked: Can Allaah be described as plotting and named as such?
He replied:
Allaah cannot be described as plotting except in a limited sense;

He cannot be described as such in absolute terms. Allaah says
(interpretation of the meaning):
“Did they then feel secure against the Plan of Allaah? None feels
secure from the Plan of Allaah except the people who are the
losers”
[al-A’raaf 7:99]
This verse indicate that Allaah has a plan or plot, which was to
confound them without them realizing it. This is akin to the
hadeeth narrated by al-Bukhaari: “War is deceit.”
If it is asked: How can Allaah be described as plotting when this

seems to be something blameworthy?
The answer is that plotting in the right circumstances may be

something praiseworthy that points to the strength of the plotter,
and that he is superior to his enemy. Hence Allaah cannot be
described as plotting in absolute terms, and we cannot say “Allaah
is a Plotter.” Rather this attribute is mentioned in a context where it
is positive, such as the verses (interpretation of the meaning):
“they were plotting and Allaah too was plotting”
[al-Anfaal 8:30]
“So they plotted a plot, and We planned a plan, while they

perceived not”
[al-Naml 27:50]
And we cannot say in absolute terms that this cannot be ascribed

to Allaah, rather in contexts where it is something positive it may
be ascribed to Him, and in contexts where it is not something
positive, it should not be ascribed to Him. So Allaah should not be
called by a name which refers to this, so we cannot say that one of
the names of Allaah is “the Plotter”. Plotting is one of His actions,
because it has to do with the Will of Allaah.
Fataawa al-Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen, 1/170.
He was also asked: Can Allaah be described as betraying, or as

deceiving, as in the verse (interpretation of the meaning):

deceives them” [al-Nisa’ 4:142]?
He replied:
With regard to betrayal, this is something that can never be

ascribed to Allaah, because it is something shameful in all
circumstances, and it is plotting at a time of trust, which is
blameworthy. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
“But if they intend to betray you (O Muhammad), they indeed

betrayed Allaah before. So He gave (you) power over them. And
Allaah is All-Knower, All-Wise”
[al-Anfaal 8:71]
And He did not say: So He betrayed them.
With regard to deceiving, it is like plotting. It may be ascribed to

Allaah when it is something positive, but it cannot be ascribed to
Him in absolute terms. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

deceives them” [al-Nisa’ 4:142]
Fataawa al-Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen, 1/171
And Allaah knows best.

Can Allaah be described as plotting etc?
Islam Q&A, Fatwa No. 39803
As with Jamal Badawi's apologetics, this is again a case of Special

pleading [17]. This is adding meaning to the text which is not there,
but comes only from a certain set of beliefs that Islam Q&A hold:
namely:
1. that Allah is God

2. that Allah is perfect
3. that 'perfection' is synonymous with 'good'
4. that 'perfection' is synonymous with 'truthful'
5. that Allah never lies or deceives
However when we look at the verses in question, the same word is
applied to the unbelievers and also Allah. So you must also accept
that since Allah is perfect, the meaning of the word changes
depending on who it's referring to. There is absolutely no evidence
that this is the case. Nowhere does the Qur'an implicitly state or
even imply that words mean different things when referring to Allah,
nor are there any ahadith to this effect. This is a clear cut case of
special pleading, invented by Muslims to excuse the fact that the
exact words of their god state that he is the best deceiver.
If one who claims to be perfect, displays an imperfect trait

(deception, plotting etc..) then we know two things:
1. They are a liar

2. They are imperfect
Allah has told us in the Qur'an that he is the best deceiver - we have
his own admission that he is imperfect and a liar.
Harun Yahya
Harun Yahya includes Al-Makir in his listing of Allah's 99 names:
AL-MAKIR
The Planner
When those unbelievers were plotting against you to imprison
you or to kill or expel you: they were plotting and Allah was
plotting, but Allah is the Best of Planners . (Surat al-Anfal, 8:30)
Those who plotted against the just religion throughout history

strove to distance people from it for their own selfish desires (e.g.,
greed for power, personal interests, and so on). In the Hereafter,
they will be told: “No, it was your scheming night and day when you
commanded us to reject Allah and assign equals to Him.” (Surah
Saba', 34:33) Yet there is a very important point that we need to
remember here:
Those before them plotted, but all planning belongs to Allah. He

knows what each self earns, and the unbelievers soon will know
who has the Ultimate Abode. (Surat ar-Ra‘d, 13:42)
As is related in the verse above, “all planning belongs to Allah.”

Thus, against all of the unbelievers' plots, Allah devises the best
plan. Allah calls attention to the deadlock facing unbelievers:
They concocted their plots, but their plots were with Allah, even
if they were such as to make the mountains vanish. (Surah
Ibrahim, 14:46)
As this verse relates, Allah protects all believers from these plots.
This is very easy for Allah, Who turns all plots against His
Messengers and believers into failures and makes unbelievers
suffer the ensuing dire consequences, for “… Allah is swifter at
planning...” (Surah Yunus, 10:21)
No doubt, Allah creates every incident with a purpose and for the
ultimate good. He uses the unbelievers' plots against believers to
test them. He then extends His help to those servants who can
discern the good and beauties in the events He creates, and turns
all of these to their benefit.
Names of Allah/ No. 16 (Al-Makir)
Harun Yayha
Like Dr. Badawi's apologetics regarding Makir, Harun Yahya

attempts to spin the meaning of the word when referring to Allah.
Rather disturbingly, the first verse quoted above (Qur'an 8:30) has
actually been quoted incorrectly by Yahya on this portion of his
website. The translation given, referring to people as plotters, but
Allah as a planner, does not actualy exist. This is not an error or
oversight by Yahya, because we find elsewhere on his website[18][19]
that the verse has been quoted correctly; referring to both as
'plotters'. Again in his quote of Qur'an 13:42, Yahya has misquoted
the verse - labelling the unbelievers as "plotters" but Allah as a
"planner".
These misquotes have been deliberately presented on this page

because Harun Yahya is attributing the name Al Makir directly to
Allah, but claiming it simply means "The planner". In order to spin
makir into having a positive connotation, translating the same word
differently in Qur'an 8:30 and 13:42 was necessary in order to
portray Allah as being righteous, and the non believers (referred to in
the verses) as devious. If they had been presented correctly - in that
'plotter' is attributed to Allah as well as the unbelievers, then it
implies that Allah is also plotting the same type of activities that the
unbelievers were [allegedly] plotting. This would serve to cast Allah
in a bad light, as well as Muslims - since they are the ones who carry
out his wishes (as relayed through Muhammad).
Allah Only Deceives Enemies
While claims from Muslims such as 'you're taking it out of context'

are usually not legitimate, on the face of this apologetic claim it
appears to have merit. Given the context of the verses provided in
the above article, it is clear that they discuss Allah deceiving his
(perceived) enemies only. However, what the verses also contain is a
definitive statement from Allah - Allah is the best deceiver. It does
not state "Allah is better at deceiving than his enemies" Therefore, in
these verses, we have the (supposedly) omniscient (all-knowing)
being Allah, telling us outright that he is the best deceiver. Being all-
knowing, he would be aware of anyone higher at deception than he
is.
If someone who is all-knowing tells you he is the best deceiver, and
you accept this (as Muslims) how can you say that you trust him not
to deceive you as well? After all, since he is the self-admitted 'best'
at deception, if he chose to deceive you, it would be highly unlikely
that you would be able to detect such a deception if you are using
solely his words as a guide to your life. Who's to say he is being
truthful about anything else in the Qur'an? Even if he says he is being
truthful to you, you already know that you cannot trust him because
he has already admitted to being the 'best deceiver' - it could be
another deception.
Furthermore, there are verses in the Qur'an that show us that Allah
did not only confine his deception to his enemies, as in the above
quoted verses.
Allah Deceives Muslims
When Allah showed them to you in your dream as few; and if He

had shown them to you as many you would certainly have become
weak-hearted and you would have disputed about the matter, but
Allah saved (you); surely He is the Knower of what is in the
breasts. And when He showed them to you, when you met, as few
in your eyes and He made you to appear little in their eyes, in order
that Allah might bring about a matter which was to be done, and to
Allah are all affairs returned.
Qur'an 8:43-44
In the above verses, we can see that Allah admits to deceiving

Muhammad himself, in a dream, by portraying the opposing forces
as less than there actually were, in order to trick him into false
confidence because he did not want the Muslims to become
intimidated (and then back off from fighting). Here is Kathir's tafsir
regarding this:
ِ َ‫ﻴﺮا ﻟ َﻔ ِﺸ ْﻠ ُﺘ ْﻢ وَ ﻟَ َﺘ َﻨ َـﺰﻋْ ُﺘ ْﻢ ِﻓﻰ اﻻﻣْ ِﺮ وَ ﻟ‬

[‫ـﻜﻦ‬ ً ‫ﺎﻣ َﻚ َﻗ ِﻠﻴﻼً وَ ﻟَ ْﻮ ارَ اﻛ َ ُﻬ ْﻢ ﻛ َ ِﺜ‬
ِ ‫ا ْذ ُﻳ ِﺮﻳﻜ َ ُﻬ ُﻢ ا ُ ِﻓﻰ ﻣَ َﻨ‬
ً‫ﻮﻫ ْﻢ ا ِذ ْاﻟ َﺘ َﻘ ْﻴ ُﺘ ْﻢ ِﻓﻰ اﻋْ ُﻴ ِﻨﻜُ ْﻢ َﻗ ِﻠﻴﻼ‬
ُ ُ‫ وَ ا ْذ ُﻳ ِﺮﻳﻜُﻤ‬- ‫ور‬ ِ ‫ات اﻟﺼ ُﺪ‬ ِ ‫ا َ َﺳﻠﻢَ اﻧ ُﻪ ﻋَ ِﻠﻴﻢٌ ِﺑ َﺬ‬
ً ْ‫] وَ ُﻳ َﻘﻠ ُﻠﻜُ ْﻢ ِﻓﻰ اﻋْ ُﻴ ِﻨﻬ ْﻢ ِﻟ َﻴ ْﻘ ِﻀ َﻰ ا ُ اﻣ‬
ُ‫ﺮا ﻛَﺎنَ ﻣَ ْﻔ ُﻌﻮﻻً وَ اﻟَﻰ ا ِ ُﺗﺮْ ﺟَ ُﻊ اﻻﻣُ ﻮر‬ ِ
(43. (And remember) when Allah showed them to you as few in
your dream; if He had shown them to you as many, you would
surely have been discouraged, and you would surely have disputed
in making a decision. But Allah saved (you). Certainly, He is the All-
Knower of that is in the breasts.) (44. And (remember) when you
met, He showed them to you as few in your eyes and He made you
appear as few in their eyes, so that Allah might accomplish a
matter already ordained, and to Allah return all matters (for
decision).)
Mujahid said, "In a dream, Allah showed the Prophet the enemy as
few. The Prophet conveyed this news to his Companions and their
resolve strengthened. Similar was said by Ibn Ishaq and several
others. Allah said,
[‫ﻴﺮا ﻟ َﻔ ِﺸ ْﻠﺘُ ْﻢ‬

ً ‫]وﻟَ ْﻮ ا َراﻛ َ ُﻬ ْﻢ ﻛ َ ِﺜ‬
َ
(If He had shown them to you as many, you would surely, have
been discouraged,) you would have cowardly abstained from
meeting them and fell in dispute among yourselves,
ِ َ‫]وﻟ‬
[‫ـﻜﻦ ا َ َﺳﻠ َﻢ‬ َ
(But Allah saved), from all this, when He made you see them as
few,
ِ ‫ﻴﻢ ِﺑ َﺬ‬
ِ ُ‫ات اﻟﺼﺪ‬
[‫ور‬ ٌ ‫]اﻧ ُﻪ َﻋ ِﻠ‬
(Certainly, He is the All-Knower of that is in the breasts.) [8:43].
Allah knows what the heart and the inner-self conceal,
ُ ُ‫] َﻳﻌْ ﻠَ ُﻢ َﺧﺂ ِﺋﻨ ََﺔ اﻻﻋْ ُﻴ ِﻦ َو َﻣﺎ ُﺗ ْﺨ ِﻔﻰ اﻟﺼﺪ‬

[‫ور‬
(Allah knows the fraud of the eyes, and all that the breasts
conceal) [40:19].
Allah's statement,
ً ‫ﻮﻫ ْﻢ ا ِذ ْاﻟﺘَ َﻘ ْﻴﺘُ ْﻢ ِﻓﻰ اﻋْ ُﻴ ِﻨﻜُ ْﻢ َﻗ ِﻠﻴ‬

[‫ﻼ‬ ُ ‫]وا ْذ ﻳُ ِﺮﻳﻜُ ُﻤ‬
َ
(And (remember) when you met, He showed them to you as few in
your eyes) demonstrates Allah's compassion towards the
believers. Allah made them see few disbelievers in their eyes, so
that they would be encouraged and feel eager to meet them. Abu
Ishaq As-Subaiì said, that Abu Ùbaydah said that Àbdullah bin
Masùd said, "They were made to seem few in our eyes during
Badr, so that I said to a man who was next to me, `Do you think
they are seventy' He said, `Rather, they are a hundred.' However,
when we captured one of them, we asked him and he said, `We
were a thousand. Ibn Abi Hatim and Ibn Jarir recorded it. Allah
said next,
[‫]وﻳُ َﻘﻠ ُﻠﻜُ ْﻢ ِﻓﻰ اﻋْ ُﻴ ِﻨ ِﻬ ْﻢ‬

َ
(and He made you appear as few in their eyes,) Allah said,
[‫ﻮﻫ ْﻢ ا ِذ ْاﻟﺘَ َﻘ ْﻴﺘُ ْﻢ‬

ُ ‫]وا ْذ ﻳُ ِﺮﻳﻜُ ُﻤ‬
َ
(And (remember) when you met. He showed them to you...), He

encouraged each of the two groups against the other, according to
Ìkrimah, as recorded by Ibn Abi Hatim.
Some Details of the Battle of Badr (8:43)
Tafsir 'ibn Kathir
Kathir claims it was 'compassion' on the part of Allah to show a 'few'

to Muhammad when there were many more than that, but this does
not negate the fact that Allah deceived the Muslims in this matter - it
was deception plain and simple. If we say to you that you get 3
years in jail in return for your sworn testimony, but we know (and
conceal) the fact that you will actually get 6 years, this is not
compassion, it is deception. In the same way we can say that Allah
has deliberately deceived the Muslims in these verses in order to get
them to do what he wants (ie. fight). This example alone negates the
apologetic claim that "Allah only deceives his enemies" as we can
see that Allah deceived Muhammad - uswa hasana - so it is not
unlikely that Allah will (and has) deceived other Muslims before and
after this event.
Allah Created Christianity Through Deception
According to Islam, Jesus is not God, and he was not crucified, yet
an entire religion sprung from Jesus' death on the cross and
subsequent resurrection. This is the central focus of Christianity.
Allah however, makes it clear in the Qur'an that Jesus was not
crucified (died) and he is not God's son, meaning that Christian's are
in error to follow these beliefs. But why do Christians think he was
crucified? Because Allah admits that he made it appear so:
And their saying: Surely we have killed the Messiah, Isa son of
Marium, the messenger of Allah; and they did not kill him nor did
they crucify him, but it appeared to them so (like Isa) and most
surely those who differ therein are only in a doubt about it; they
have no knowledge respecting it, but only follow a conjecture, and
they killed him not for sure. Nay! Allah took him up to Himself; and
Allah is Mighty, Wise.
Qur'an 4:157-158
So we see that Allah admits to making it appear (to the people) that
Jesus was crucified on the cross (and died), and that Allah then
raised Jesus to himself (ascended him to heaven). Therefore Allah
admits to deceiving the people. For the next 600 years, Allah sat
back and watched all these people converting to, and following
Christianity; a religion that was started by his deception, but he did
not bother to lift a finger to correct anything until 600 years later,
when he sent Muhammad with the Quran - to sort out the mess that
he himself (Allah) had created.
Let's look at it from another point of view; Allah sent Jesus to 'fix' the
errors that had crept into Judaism, but then undoes any corrections
that were made from the intervention (and Jesus' message) by
making it appear (in the end) that Jesus was crucified and then
raised from the dead. This negates the entire purpose of sending
Jesus. This leaves the people with not only one alternative to Allah's
'true' religion, but two; Judaism or Christianity which entails (among
other things) following the message of Jesus, which Allah himself
had corrupted by making it appear that he had risen from the dead.
So for 600 years, Allah's pure religion was not to be found on this
Earth and now (thanks to Allah's deception) had two competing
faiths to deceive the people and tempt them away from the 'straight
path'. This makes no sense.
Conclusion
In conclusion we can see that this objection (of context) is irrelevant

because the statement in the verses is definitive (not dependent on
context) and from the Qur'an itself we see that Allah has no problem
deceiving:
"Enemies of Islam"
Muslims
Innocent people - who lived in the 600 years that it took Allah to
send the Qur'an
Responses to Apologetics
1. "According to the Quranic Arabic Corpus website, 'Makr' means
'Planner'"
The Quranic Arabic Corpus website also claimed at one time that
Idriboohunna in Qur'an 4:34 meant "separate from them" (i.e. the
husbands from their wives) rather than to "beat them" for the fear of
disobedience. However, Idriboohunna (‫ )أﺿﺮﺑﻮﻫﻦ‬means "beat them"
(for female plural). Adriboo Anhunna (‫ )اﺿﺮﺑﻮا ﻋﻨﻬﻦ‬is the phrase that
means abandon or leave them. They are completely different
phrases with completely different meanings, and the attempts to
mix up the two is only a modern development used by a few western
Muslim apologists. To their credit, the website has acknowledged
this error by now having corrected this blatant mistranslation, but
they have also shown themselves to be an unreliable source
concerning the Arabic language.
In any case, Edward William Lane's Arabic-English Lexicon (the most

revered and scholarly dictionary of the Arabic language), Hans Wehr
Dictionary of Modern Written Arabic, and the Arabic Lexicon all
disagree with the Quranic Arabic Corpus website's rendering of the
word. And every single one of these sources are more reliable than
that website. In addition to these reliable sources, there are Dr.
Jamal Badawi and Shaykh Muhammad Saalih al-Munajjid who are
both native Arabic speakers and respected individuals (in relation to
issues concerning Islam). Although they may make excuses for the
use of that particular word, they do both actually admit that makr
means deceiver.
This page is
featured in the
core article, Islam
and the People of
the Book which
serves as a
starting point for
anyone wishing to
learn more about
this topic
See Also
Lying - A hub page that leads to other articles related to Lying
Allah - A hub page that leads to other articles related to Allah
Mistranslated Verses - A hub page that leads to other articles
related to Mistranslated Verses
Translations
A version of this page is also available in the following languages:

French. For additional languages, see the sidebar on the left.
External Links
Allah the greatest deceiver of them all
Allah: Truthful or Deceiver?
Deceptive God, Incompetent Messiah
Resources
Hans-Wehr Dictionary - mkr (page 917) (40MB PDF file)

Lane's Lexicon - mkr - Volume 7, Page 256
Lane's Lexicon online summary - Mim-Kaf-Ra
References
1. Quran root browser - ‫ م ك ر‬- m-k-r
2. 3. Ali-Imran - The Family Of 'Imran (‫ )ﺳﻮرة آل ﻋﻤﺮان‬- Revealed in
Madinah (English: Literal) - IslamicNature, accessed August 25,
2011
3. 7. Al-A'raf - The Heights (‫ )ﺳﻮرة اﻷﻋﺮاف‬- Revealed in Makkah
(English: Literal) - IslamicNature, accessed August 25, 2011
4. 8. Al-Anfal - Spoils Of War (‫ )ﺳﻮرة اﻷﻧﻔﺎل‬- Revealed in Madinah
5. 10. Yunus - Jonah (‫ )ﺳﻮرة ﻳﻮﻧﺲ‬- Revealed in Makkah (English:
Literal) - IslamicNature, accessed August 25, 2011
. 13. Ar-Ra'd - The Thunder (‫ )ﺳﻮرة اﻟﺮﻋﺪ‬- Revealed in Makkah
7. Islam Awakened - Qur'an 3:54
. Quran Browser - Quran 3:54
10. Quran Browser - Quran 7:99
1 . Quran Browser - Quran 13:42
17. Special pleading is a form of spurious argumentation where a
position in a dispute introduces favorable details or excludes
unfavorable details by alleging a need to apply additional
considerations without proper criticism of these considerations
themselves. Essentially, this involves someone attempting to cite
something as an exemption to a generally accepted rule, principle,
etc. without justifying the exemption. For more information about
this logical fallacy, see the associated articles on The Fallacy Files ,
The Nizkor Project and the Princeton University websites.
1 . The School of Yusuf - Harun Yahya
19. The Prophet Yusuf - Harun Yahya
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Literal Meaning of Makr

Allah Only Deceives Enemies

Allah Deceives Muslims

Allah Created Christianity Through Deception

de·ceive (dē sēv′, di-)

transitive verb deceived -·ceived′, deceiving -·ceiv′·ing

1. to make (a person) believe what is not true; delude; mislead

Etymology: ME deceiven < OFr deceveir < L decipere, to ensnare,

intransitive verb to use deceit; lie

Arabic: ‫ﺧﻴﺮ اﻟﻤﺎﻛﺮﻳﻦ‬ ‫وا‬ ‫وﻣﻜﺮوا وﻣﻜﺮ ا‬

Transliteration: Wamakaroo wamakara Allahu waAllahu khayru

Literal: And they cheated/deceived and God cheated/deceived,

Arabic: ‫اﻻ اﻟﻘﻮم اﻟﺨﺎﺳﺮون‬ ‫ﻓﻼﻳﺎﻣﻦ ﻣﻜﺮ ا‬ ‫اﻓﺎﻣﻨﻮا ﻣﻜﺮ ا‬

Literal: Did they secure God's scheme/deceit ? So no(one) trusts

Transliteration: Wa-ith yamkuru bika allatheena kafaroo

Literal: And when those who disbelieved deceive/scheme at you to

Literal: And if We made the people taste/experience mercy from

Transliteration: Waqad makara allatheena min qablihim falillahi

Literal: And those from before them had

Literal Meaning of Makr

Edward William Lane's Arabic-English Lexicon is the most revered

Miim-Kaf-Ra = To practice deceit or guile or circumvention,

makara vb. (1)

LL, V7, p: 256

The Hans Wehr dictionary is regarded as the standard scholarly

Hans Wehr dictionary, page 917

Arabic Lexicon on Al-Makr

Meanings from other dictionaries and sources have been compiled

Dictionary Word Meaning

Google Translate ‫( ﻣﺎﻛﺮ‬Makir) sly, cunning, deceitful (read more )

TranStar ‫( ﻣﻜﺮ‬Makr) wiliness (means: "Full of wiles" Merriam-Webster )

SYSTRAnet.com ‫( ﻣﻜﺮ‬Makr) deception

Translated.net ‫( ﻣﻜﺮ‬Makr) deception

ImTranslator.com ‫( ﻣﻜﺮ‬Makr) wiliness

Ectaco ‫( ﻣﻜﺮ‬Makr) deception

Pickthal: And they (the disbelievers) schemed, and Allah schemed

Sarwar: The unbelievers plotted and God planned, but God is a

Hilali/Khan: And they (disbelievers) plotted (to kill Iesa (Jesus) ),

H/K/Saheeh: And the disbelievers planned, but Allah planned. And

Malik: The unbelievers among the children of Israel plotted against

Asad: And the unbelievers schemed [against Jesus]; but God

Pickthal: Are they then secure from Allah's scheme? None

Arberry: Do they feel secure against God's devising? None feels

Malik: Do these people feel secure against the plan of Allah? In

George Sale: Were they therefore secure from the stratagem of

JM Rodwell: Did they, therefore, deem themselves secure from the

Yusuf Ali: Remember how the Unbelievers plotted against thee, to

Pickthal: And when those who disbelieve plot against thee (O

Arberry: And when the unbelievers were devising against thee, to

Sarwar: The unbelievers planned to imprison, murder or expel you

Khalifa: The disbelievers plot and scheme to neutralize you, or kill

Hilali/Khan: And (remember) when the disbelievers plotted against

H/K/Saheeh: And [remember, O Muúammad], when those who

Malik: Remember, how the unbelievers plotted against you. They

QXP: Remember (O Messenger), when the rejecters were making

Maulana Ali: And when those who disbelieved devised plans

George Sale: And call to mind when the unbelievers plotted