Yūnus 10:21
The verse
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. — Marmaduke Pickthall
The issue
The verse states that idolaters use a stratagem, a cleverly contrived trick, against Allah and then adds that Muḥammad should inform them that Allah is swifter than they are at scheming a stratagem: “God [Allah] is quicker at stratagem.” Muslim historian and Islamic commentator al-Ṭabarī states that Muḥammad was commanded to say that Allah was swifter at scheming than the idolaters, “as a lure [to destruction] for you and a punishment".
This supposition is blasphemous as it places Allah and the idolaters on a level playing field, where Allah succeeds at the end and beats the idolaters in the scheming and cunning race.
Arabic text of this item
تقول الآية إن للمشركين مكرًا في حق الله، ثم تضيف القول إن على محمدٍ أن يخبرهم بأن الله يفوقهم سرعةً في المكر: <قُلِ: الله أَسْرَعُ مَكْراً>. وكما جاء لدى الطبري، فإن محمدًا أُمر أن يقول إن الله أسرع منكم في المكر، «واسْتِدراجًا لكم وعقوبةً».
وهذا تصور تجديفي في حق الله، لأنه جعل الله والمشركين وكأنهم في حلبة صراع، ثم ينجح الله في نهاية المطاف في أن يبز المشركين في سباق المكر!
Sources cited
- al-Ţabarī, Tafsīr 12: 145.
- الطبري، تفسير 12: 145.