بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
– وَهُوَ شَدِيدُ ٱلۡمِحَالِ –
“And He is severe in Al-Mihâl [strong in plotting] ” (13:13)
– وَمَكَرُواْ وَمَكَرَ ٱللَّهُۖ وَٱللَّهُ خَيۡرُ ٱلۡمَٰكِرِينَ –
“And they (disbelievers) plotted and Allâh planned too. And Allâh is the Best of planners” (3:54)
– إِنَّهُمۡ يَكِيدُونَ كَيۡدٗا ° وَأَكِيدُ كَيۡدٗا –
“Verily, they are planning a plan, But I (too) am planning a plan” (86:15-16)
Shaykh Muhammad bin Sâlih Al-Uthaymîn said:
“Al-Makar, Al-Kaid, Al-Mihâl [attributes of plotting and planning] are among Allâh’s Attributes of Action.”
“Allâh is not described with it [these attributes] in a general way. One does not say ‘Allâh is a Mâkir (plotter) or a Kâid (secret plotter), not by calling Him as such nor by way of giving information, for they are sometimes commendable and sometimes condemnable.”
“Allâh is to be described with them in a situation when it will be commendable. Therefore, His plot will not be except goodness. That is why it is correct that we describe Him with that, by expressing opposition (i.e His opposition against whoever plots against Him). So we say, ‘Allâh is a plotter against those who plot’.
“Thus, it should be said ‘Allâh is the best of those who plot, He is the Best of those who plan’ or ‘Allâh is a plotter against the plotters, He deceives the one who tries to deceive Him’.”
Abridged from Sharh Al-‘Aqîdah Al-Wâsitiyyah. 1/436-444
Shaykh Ahmad ibn Yahyâ Al-Najmî said:
“These attributes have been mentioned in the context of response and retaliation [i.e He responds to the plots and deceptions of the disbelievers in like terms], thus such attributes are referred to as attributes of justice.”
“It is not permissible to describe Allâh as being a plotter, deceiver or a beguiler, because such names and attributes imply deficiencies that cannot be ascribed to Allâh. The same applies to any name or attribute that does not entail perfection.”
Abridged from Muqaddimah Al-Risâlah ibn Abî Zayd al-Qayrawânî p.63, Dar As-Sunnah English Translation.
Fawāid | Qur'ān | Sunnah | Knowledge Based Benefits 