Draft:Verse 54 of Surah Al-Imran

Verse 54 of Surah Al-Imran

Verse's Information
Sura	Al 'Imran (Qur'an 3)
Verse	54
Juz'	3
Content Information
Place of Revelation	Medina
Topic	The supremacy of God's stratagems over the schemes of conspirators
Related Verses	Qur'an 8:30, Qur'an 7:99, Qur'an 27:50, Qur'an 35:43, Qur'an 86:15

Qur'an 3:54 proclaims the triumph of God's will over the machinations of conspirators, identifying God as the "best of planners." Exegetes generally interpret the term makr (plotting or planning) in this verse as a reference to the conspiracy to assassinate Jesus (a). According to this account, God caused the would-be assassin to resemble Jesus, resulting in that individual's death while Jesus ascended to heaven. Other scholars, such as Sayyid 'Abd al-Husayn Tayyib, posit that this plot concerns the disciples who publicly pledged allegiance to Jesus (a) yet abandoned him in his hour of peril. Furthermore, narrations indicate that the night of Jesus's (a) ascension coincided with both the night Imam 'Ali (a) was struck and the Nights of Qadr.

“

وَمَكَرُوا وَمَكَرَ اللَّهُ ۖ وَاللَّهُ خَيْرُ الْمَاكِرِينَ

”

“

And they plotted, and Allah devised, and Allah is the best of devisers.

” — Qur'an 3:54

The verse establishes the preeminence of divine planning over all other schemes. Commentators have offered various explanations for this supremacy:

• Nasir Makarim Shirazi, a Shia commentator and jurist, asserts that God's planning is superior because His knowledge and power are infinite, whereas the knowledge and power of others are inherently limited and insignificant.

• Sultan Muhammad Gunabadi, author of Tafsir Bayan al-Sa'ada, attributes the superiority of God's planning to the reality that created beings are oblivious to the hidden dimensions of affairs, and their plots are often tainted by injustice.

• Other commentators suggest that the superiority of God's planning lies in His ability to respond to plotters in ways they cannot anticipate.

The attribution of makr to God has raised theological questions, as the term typically connotes scheming, deception, and harm, often motivated by fear or necessity. To resolve this apparent conflict, commentators offer several interpretations:

• Some scholars argue that linguistically, makr denotes planning or resourcefulness in an absolute sense, which can be either positive or negative; in this context, God's makr represents a form of benevolent resourcefulness.
• Others interpret God's makr as the retribution and punishment visited upon the plotters.
• A different view suggests that God's makr involves abandoning the plotters to their own devices, allowing the consequences of their actions to unfold naturally.
• Some link God's makr to the concept of divine istidraj, wherein plotters are seized suddenly following a period of apparent blessing.
• Murtada Mutahhari distinguishes between God's planning and human plotting by noting that while they may appear similar in form, their essences differ fundamentally: God's planning originates from wisdom and mercy, whereas human plotting stems from malice and injustice.

Graphic design of the theme of Qur'an 3:54

Qur'an 3:54 in Mualla script