Al-Qur'an Surah Ali 'Imran Verse 54

Mufti Taqi Usmani

They (the opponents of ‘Īsā) devised a plan, and Allah devised a plan. And Allah is the best of all planners.

Dr. Mustafa Khattab, the Clear Quran

And the disbelievers made a plan ˹against Jesus˺, but Allah also planned—and Allah is the best of planners.

Ruwwad Translation Center

And [the disbelievers] devised a plan, but Allah also made a plan, and Allah is the best of planners.

A. J. Arberry

And they devised, and God devised, and God is the best of devisers.

Abdul Haleem

The [disbelievers] schemed but God also schemed; God is the Best of Schemers.

Abdul Majid Daryabadi

And they plotted, and Allah plotted, and Allah is the Best of plotters.

Abdullah Yusuf Ali

And (the unbelievers) plotted and planned, and Allah too planned, and the best of planners is Allah.

Abul Ala Maududi

Then they schemed (against the Messiah), and Allah countered their schemes by schemes of His own. Allah is the best of schemers.

Ahmed Ali

But they (the unbelievers) contrived a plot, and God did the like; and God's plan is the best.

Ahmed Raza Khan

And the disbelievers conspired (to kill Eisa), and Allah covertly planned to destroy them; and Allah is the best of secret planners.

Ali Quli Qarai

Then they plotted [against Jesus], and Allah also devised, and Allah is the best of devisers.

Ali Ünal

And they (the unbelievers) schemed (against Jesus), and God put His will into effect (and brought their schemes to nothing). God wills what is the best (for His believing servants) and makes His will prevail.

Amatul Rahman Omar

And they (- the persecutors of Jesus) planned (to crucify him) and Allâh planned (to save him) and Allâh is the best of the planners.

English Literal

And they cheated/deceived and God cheated/deceived, and God (is) the best (of) the cheaters/deceivers.

Faridul Haque

And the disbelievers conspired (to kill Eisa ), and Allah covertly planned to destroy them; and Allah is the best of secret planners.

Hamid S. Aziz

Behold! Allah said, "O Jesus! I will take you and raise you up to Myself, and will cleanse you (of the falsehoods) of those who disbelieve, and will set those who follow you above the faithless until the Day of Resurrection. Then unto Me is your return, and I will judge between you concerning that wherein you used to disagree.

Hilali & Khan

And they (disbelievers) plotted [to kill 'Iesa (Jesus)], and Allah planned too. And Allah is the Best of the planners.

Maulana Mohammad Ali

Our Lord, we believe in that which Thou has revealed and we follow the messenger, so write us down with those who bear witness.

Mohammad Habib Shakir

And they planned and Allah (also) planned, and Allah is the best of planners.

Mohammed Marmaduke William Pickthall

And they (the disbelievers) schemed, and Allah schemed (against them): and Allah is the best of schemers.

Muhammad Sarwar

The unbelievers plotted and God planned, but God is a much better planner;

Qaribullah & Darwish

They devised, and Allah devised. And Allah is the Best Devisor.

Safi-ur-Rahman al-Mubarakpuri

And they (disbelievers) plotted and Allah planned too. And Allah is the Best of those who plot

Wahiduddin Khan

And they schemed but God also schemed and God is the Best of Schemers.

Talal Itani

They planned, and God planned; but God is the Best of planners.

Tafsir jalalayn

God says; And they, the disbelievers among the Children of Israel, schemed, against Jesus, by assigning someone to assassinate him; and God schemed, by casting the likeness of Jesus onto the person who intended to kill him, and so they killed him, while Jesus was raised up into heaven; and God is the best of schemers, most knowledgeable of him [Jesus].

Tafseer Ibn Kathir

And they plotted, and Allah planned too. And Allah is the Best of those who plot.

Allah states that the Children of Israel tried to kill `Isa by conspiring to defame him and crucify him.

They complained about him to the king who was a disbeliever. They claimed that `Isa was a man who misguided people, discouraged them from obeying the king, caused division, and separated between man and his own son. They also said other lies about `Isa, which they will carry on their necks, including accusing him of being an illegitimate son.

The king became furious and sent his men to capture `Isa to torture and crucify him. When they surrounded `Isa's home and he thought that they would surely capture him, Allah saved him from them, raising him up from the house to heaven.

Allah put the image of `Isa on a man who was in the house; when the unjust people went in the house while it was still dark, they thought that he was `Isa. They captured that man, humiliated and crucified him. They also placed thorns on his head.

However, Allah deceived these people. He saved and raised His Prophet from them, leaving them in disarray in the darkness of their transgression, thinking that they had successfully achieved their goal.

Allah made their hearts hard, and defiant of the truth, disgracing them in such disgrace that it will remain with them until the Day of Resurrection. This is why Allah said,
وَمَكَرُواْ وَمَكَرَ اللّهُ وَاللّهُ خَيْرُ الْمَاكِرِينَ
(And they plotted, and Allah planned too. And Allah is the Best of those who plot).