Allah

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.

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, this article will focus only on the verses in which Allah describes himself as the 'best deceiver'.

Qur'an

In the following Qur'an verses, Allah reveals to us that he is the "best deceiver".

Qur'an 13:42

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 الحق (the truth) and الوكيل (the 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):

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:

Miscellaneous Dictionaries

Meanings from other dictionaries and sources have been compiled below:

Dictionary	Word	Meaning
Google Translate	ماكر (Makir)	sly, cunning, deceitful (read more)
Babylon.com	مكر (Makr)	n. calculating, cunning, astuteness, craftiness, foxiness, craft, slyness, archness, deceit, double-dealing, artifice, deception, wiliness, artfulness, furtiveness, ploy, trick, guile, ruse, roguery
TranStar	مكر (Makr)	wiliness (means: "Full of wiles" Merriam-Webster)
ArabEyes.com	المكر (Al-Makr)	deception
Ibn Masr	المكر (Al-Makr)	deception
SYSTRAnet.com	مكر (Makr)	deception
Translated.net	مكر (Makr)	deception
ImTranslator.com	المكر (Al-Makr)	deviousness
ImTranslator.com	مكر (Makr)	wiliness
Ectaco	مكر (Makr)	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 13:42

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 16^th of April, 2007, on the readingislam.com website. The question and answer are as follows:

Snið:Quote Dr. Badawi's evidence for his claim is from Quran 42:11: Snið:Quote

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:

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?

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: Snið:Quote

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: Snið:Quote

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:

As with Jamal Badawi's apologetics, this is again a case of Special pleading . 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:

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 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

Snið:Quote 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:

Snið:Quote 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: Snið:Quote 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 (أضربوهن) means "beat them" (for female plural). Adriboo Anhunna (اضربوا عنهن) is 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.

External Links

• [[[:Snið:Reference archive]] Allah the greatest deceiver of them all]
• [[[:Snið:Reference archive]] Allah: Truthful or Deceiver?]
• [[[:Snið:Reference archive]] Deceptive God, Incompetent Messiah]

Resources

• Hans-Wehr Dictionary - mkr (page 917) (40MB PDF file)
• [[[:Snið:Reference archive]] Lane's Lexicon - mkr - Volume 7, Page 256]
• [[[:Snið:Reference archive]] Lane's Lexicon online summary - Mim-Kaf-Ra]

Quran root browser - م ك ر - m-k-r

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.

The School of Yusuf - Harun Yahya

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