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Surah Ale-Imran (The Family Of Imran ) 3 : 54

وَمَكَرُوا۟ وَمَكَرَ ٱللَّهُ ۖ وَٱللَّهُ خَيْرُ ٱلْمَٰكِرِينَ

Translations

 
 Muhsin Khan
 Pickthall
 Yusuf Ali
Quran Project
And they [i.e., the disbelievers] planned, but Allāh planned. And Allāh is the best of planners.

Qur'an Dictionary

Click word/image to view Qur'an Dictionary
Word Arabic word
(3:54:1)
wamakarū
And they schemed
(3:54:2)
wamakara
and planned
(3:54:3)
l-lahu
Allah
(3:54:4)
wal-lahu
And Allah
(3:54:5)
khayru
(is the) best
(3:54:6)
l-mākirīna
(of) the planners

1. Lessons/Guidance/Reflections/Gems

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Explanatory Note

“They schemed, and God also schemed. God is the best of schemers.” We note here that the Qur’ān uses the same term to describe what the Jews plotted against Jesus and what God plans for them. This, in effect, ridicules their scheming, since it will have to be set against what God schemes. How can their scheming be compared to what God plans? Indeed, how can their power be compared to God’s might?
 
They wanted to crucify and kill Jesus. God, on the other hand, willed to gather him and cause him to ascend to Himself. He further willed to purify and cleanse him from mixing with the unbelievers and remaining with them. Such a purification is necessary since all unbelievers are impure. It was also the will of God to elevate the followers of Jesus above the unbelievers until the Day of Resurrection.

Practical Implication

  • لا تحزن لكثرة ما يحاك للدين وأهله من المؤامرات والمكائد؛ فإن الله سبحانه حافظ لدينه وأوليائه، ﴿ وَمَكَرُوا۟ وَمَكَرَ ٱللَّهُ ۖ وَٱللَّهُ خَيْرُ [Be first to translate this....]
  •  احذر أن تكون موغلاً في معصية الله تعالى، ونعم الله تنساق إليك؛ فإن هذا مكر واستدراج بك للهلاك، نعوذ بالله من ذلك، ﴿ وَمَكَرُوا۟ وَمَكَرَ ٱللَّهُ ۖ وَٱللَّهُ خَيْرُ ٱلْمَٰكِرِينَ  [Be first to translate this....]

2. Linguistic Analysis

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Frequency of Root words in this Ayat used in this Surah *


3. Surah Overview

4. Miscellaneous Information

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5. Connected/Related Ayat

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6. Frequency of the word

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7. Period of Revelation

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“This Surah consists of four discourses:

  • The first discourse (v. 1-32) was probably revealed soon after the Battle of Badr.
  • The second discourse (v. 33-63) was revealed in 9 A.H. (After Hijrah - migration from Makkah to Madinah) on the occasion of the visit of the deputation from the Christians of Najran.
  • The third discourse (v. 64-120) appears to have been revealed immediately after the first one.
  • The fourth discourse (v. 121-200) was revealed after the Battle of Uhud.” [Mawdudi]

8. Reasons for Revelation

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1. The Believers had met with all sorts of trials and hardships about which they had been forewarned in Al-Baqarah. Though they had come out victorious in the Battle of Badr they were not out of danger yet. Their victory had aroused the enmity of all those powers in Arabia which were opposed to the islamic Movement. Signs of threatening storms had begun to appear on all sides and the Muslims were in a perpetual state of fear and anxiety. It looked as if the whole Arabian world around the tiny state of Madinah - which was no more than a village state at that time - was bent upon blotting out its very existence. This state of war was also adversely affecting its economy which had already been badly disturbed by the influx of the Muslim refugees from Makkah.

2. Then there was the disturbing problem of the Jewish clans who lived in the suburbs of Madinah. They were discarding the treaties of alliance they had made with the Prophet after his migration from Makkah. So much so that on the occasion of the Battle of Badr these people of the Book sympathized with the evil aims of the idolaters in spite of the fact that their fundamental articles of Faith - Monotheism, Prophethood and Life-after-death - were the same as those of the Muslims. After the Battle of Badr they openly began to incite the Quraysh and other Arab clans to wreak their vengeance on the Muslims. Thus those Jewish clans set aside their centuries-old friendly and neighbourly relations with the people of Madinah. At last when their mischievous actions and breaches of treaties became unbearable the Prophet attacked the Bani-Qaynuqah, the most mischievous of all the other Jewish clans who had conspired with the hypocrites of Madinah and the idolatrous Arab clans to encircle the Believers on all sides. The magnitude of the peril might be judged from the fact that even the life of the Prophet himself was always in danger. Therefore his Companions slept in their armours during that period and kept watch at night to guard against any sudden attack and whenever the Prophet happened to be out of sight even for a short while they would at once set out in search of him.

3. This incitement by the Jews added fuel to the fire which was burning in the hearts of the Quraysh and they began to make preparations to avenge the defeat they had suffered at Badr. A year after this an army of 3000 strong marched out of Makkah to invade Madinah and a battle took place at the foot of Mount Uhud. The Prophet came out of Madinah with one thousand men to meet the enemy. While they were marching to the battlefield three hundred hypocrites deserted the army and returned to Madinah but there still remained a small band of hypocrites among the seven hundred who accompanied the Prophet. They played their part and did their utmost to create mischief and chaos in the ranks of the Believers during the Battle. This was the first clear indication of the fact that within the fold of the Muslim Community there was quite a large number of saboteurs who were always ready to conspire with the external enemies to harm their own brethren.

4. Though the devices of the hypocrites had played a great part in the set-back at Uhud, the weaknesses of the Muslims themselves contributed no less to it. And it was but natural that the Muslims should show signs of moral weakness for they were a new community which had only recently been formed on a new ideology and had not as yet got a thorough moral training. Naturally in this second hard test of their physical and moral strength some weaknesses came to the surface. That is why a detailed review of the Battle of Uhud was needed to warn the Muslims of their shortcomings and to issue instructions for their reform. It should also be noted that this review of the Battle is quite different from the reviews that are usually made by generals on similar occasions.

9. Relevant Hadith

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10. Wiki Forum

Comments in this section are statements made by general users – these are not necessarily explanations of the Ayah – rather a place to share personal thoughts and stories…

11. Tafsir Zone

 

Overview (Verses 54 - 57)

Full Heavenly Reward
 
They schemed, and God also schemed. God is the best of schemers. God said: ‘Jesus, I shall gather you and cause you to ascend to Me, and I shall cleanse you of those who disbelieve, and I shall place those who follow you above those who disbelieve until the Day of Resurrection. Then to Me you shall all return, and I shall judge between you with regard to everything on which you used to differ. As for those who disbelieve, I shall inflict on them severe suffering in this world and in the life to come; and they shall have none to help them. But to those who believe and do good works, He will grant their reward in full. God does not love the wrongdoers.” (Verses 54-57)
 
We come now to the end of the account of the relationship between Jesus and the Israelites. This begins with the verse: “They schemed, and God also schemed. God is the best of schemers.” The Jews who did not believe in Jesus, the messenger God sent to them, schemed against him in the most terrible, wicked and relentless of manners. They made all sorts of accusations against him and against his mother, the pure, and her fiancée, Joseph the carpenter, who, according to the Gospels, had not actually married her. They also accused Jesus of lying and taking advantage of people. They reported him to Pontius Pilate, the Roman Governor, describing him as an agitator who stirred up the masses and encouraged rioting and rebellion. They further accused him of being an impostor who tried to corrupt the faith of the masses.
 
They continued with this line of false accusations until Pilate granted them their request of punishing him themselves as they saw fit. Pilate, a pagan ruler, dared not take upon himself the responsibility of punishing a man whom he could not condemn on the basis of any real evidence. These are only a few examples of the endless scheming by the Jews.
 
“They schemed, and God also schemed. God is the best of schemers.” We note here that the Qur’ān uses the same term to describe what the Jews plotted against Jesus and what God plans for them. This, in effect, ridicules their scheming, since it will have to be set against what God schemes. How can their scheming be compared to what God plans? Indeed, how can their power be compared to God’s might?
 
They wanted to crucify and kill Jesus. God, on the other hand, willed to gather him and cause him to ascend to Himself. He further willed to purify and cleanse him from mixing with the unbelievers and remaining with them. Such a purification is necessary since all unbelievers are impure. It was also the will of God to elevate the followers of Jesus above the unbelievers until the Day of Resurrection. What God willed came true, and the scheming of the Jews was of no consequence whatsoever: “God said: ‘Jesus, I shall gather you and cause you to ascend to Me, and I shall cleanse you of those who disbelieve, and I shall place those who follow you above those who disbelieve until the Day of Resurrection.’” (Verse 55) How Jesus was gathered and how he ascended to God are matters which lie beyond our human perception. They are unknown except to God. To try to pursue these matters is of no use whatsoever in respect of faith or its implementation. Those who pursue them will inevitably end up more confused, struggling with complicated and endless arguments, gaining no certainty or satisfaction whatsoever. For the whole matter is part of God’s own knowledge.
 
It is not difficult, on the other hand, to explain God’s statement that He has placed those who follow Jesus above the unbelievers, and that this elevation continues until the Day of Resurrection. Those who follow Jesus are the ones who believe in God’s true religion, Islam, or surrender to God. Every Prophet is fully aware of the true nature of this religion. Every messenger preached the same religion and everyone who truly believes in the Divine faith believes in it. These believers are indeed far superior to the unbelievers, according to God’s measure, and they will continue to be so until the Day of Judgement. Moreover, they prove their superiority in our practical life every time they confront the forces of un-faith with the true nature of faith and the reality of following God’s messengers. The Divine faith is one, preached by Jesus, son of Mary, as preached by every messenger sent before him and by the messenger sent after him. Those who follow Muĥammad at the same time follow all the messengers sent by God, starting with Adam until the last messenger.
 
This comprehensive outlook conforms with the theme of the sūrah and its presentation. It is also in conformity with the essence of faith.
 
The destiny of both the believers and the unbelievers is stated in the form of information given by God to Jesus: “Then to Me you shall all return, and I shall judge between you with regard to everything on which you used to differ. As for those who disbelieve, I shall inflict on them severe suffering in this world and in the life to come; and they shall have none to help them. But to those who believe and do good works, He will grant their reward in full. God does not love the wrongdoers.” (Verses 55-57)
 
This statement proves the seriousness of reward and punishment, the Divine justice which is absolute and which cannot be influenced by people’s wishes or fabrications. The return to God, then, is inevitable. His judgement on all matters of dispute is irrevocable. The punishment He inflicts on the unbelievers in this world and in the life to come shall overwhelm them and they can have none to help them against it. The believers who do good works, on the other hand, will have their reward in full, without favouritism, but with great generosity. “God does not love the wrongdoers.” Far be it from Him, then, to do anyone any wrong when He Himself does not love the wrongdoers.
 
All that people of other religions claim in variance with this, particularly when they say that their stay in hell will last only for a few days, and all their deceptive, wishful thinking of God’s reward and their flimsy concept of Divine justice are incorrect and without foundation.

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