Āl-‘Imrān 3:54
The verse
وَمَكَرُوا۟ وَمَكَرَ ٱللَّهُ ۖ وَٱللَّهُ خَيْرُ ٱلْمَٰكِرِينَ ٥٤
And they (the disbelievers) schemed, and Allah schemed (against them): and Allah is the best of schemers. — Marmaduke Pickthall
The issue
The closest translation to the Arabic is found in the Pickthall translation: “Allah is the best of schemers” (Q 3.54). The Arabic text is clear in discussing Allah’s fight against evil by stating that Allah answers deception with deception, and that he is the best of all mākirīn (“deceivers, schemers”). (For more information about this term mākirīn, see the article “Key to Reading Part II” on page 150.)
Question: Is it appropriate for a book that is believed to be heavenly to attribute deception to Allah?
Arabic text of this item
في معرض الحديث عن محاربة الله للشر، تقول الآية إن الله يرد المكر بالمكر، وإنه <خَيْرُ الْمَاكِرِينَ>.
فهل من اللائق لكتاب المفترض أنه كتاب سماوي أن يصف الله بالمكر؟
Sources cited
Sources added in review (the original item cited none)
- al-Ṭabarī, Jāmiʿ al-bayān, on Q 3:54 (Shākir ed., vol. 6, p. 454 ff.) · link checked 2026-10-12