مَکَرُ

8:31; 27:51.

Important Words:

مکروا (they planned) and مکر (he planned) are from the same root. مکر means, he plotted or planned secretly with a view to circumventing the other; he practised an evasion or a device or a machination; he exercised art or cunning or skill in the manage-ment or ordering of affairs with excellent consideration and del-iberation; he tried to do harm or mischief secretly. مکر الله (God planned) may also mean, God requited the machination of a person or a people (Lane). See also 2:16. مکر is of two kinds: (1) مکر محمود i.e. a good plan by which a good object is sought, and (2) مکر مذموم i.e. an evil plan by which an evil object is sought (Mufradat). In view of the above, the word مکر when used with regard to the enemies of Jesus would signify their wicked designs and evil machinations to destroy his mission and bring him to ruin; and when used with regard to God, it would signify the plan of God to frustrate the evil designs of the Jews and bring punishment on their heads.

Commentary:

The Jews had planned that Jesus should die an accursed death on the cross (Deut. 21:23), but God’s plan was that he should be saved from that death. The plan of the Jews was frustrated and God’s plan was suc-cessful, because Jesus did not die on the cross but came down alive, dying a natural death, full of years, in Kashmir, far away from the scene of his crucifixion.

3:55; 8:31; 13:43; 27:51.

Important Words:

ان (even though) gives a number of meanings such as, if; though; even though, etc. It is also sometimes used to express negation i.e. not (Aqrab).

Commentary:

The words, they have already designed all their designs, mean that disbelievers did all that lay in their power and left no stone unturned and no plan untried to bring the Holy Prophet to grief.

The expression, their designs are with Allah, means that God knows their designs full well and, as it is God Who produces the result of men’s actions, He will frustrate their designs. The words "their designs" may also be taken to mean the designs of God concerning disbelievers. In this case the expression would mean that the designs which God will employ against the disbelievers are all with Him and He will carry them into effect as and when He deems fit. The words عند الله مکرھم may also mean, "the punishment of their designs is with Allah," for sometimes a word is repeated to signify the punishment thereof. See 2:16.

The word جبال (mountains), as already explained, also means, "great difficulties or insurmountable obstacles" (13:32). Taken in this sense, the verse would mean that though the designs of disbelievers against Islam are such that they can remove mountain-like obstacles yet, as disbelievers seek to frustrate God’s purpose, they will not succeed in their nefarious designs.

If the particle ان be taken in the sense of "not" (see Important Words), then the words ان کان مکرھم لتزول منه الجبال would mean, "and their designs are (surely) not such as to move mountains."

6:66; 17:69; 34:10; 67:17-18.

Commentary:

The verb یخسف when used with the preposition یا means, to make something or someone sink or disappear in the earth. It is used metaphorically in the sense of causing a person or thing to be entirely forgotten. Disbelievers are here warned that if they persist in their rejection of the Holy Prophet, they will meet with such destruction that even their posterity will forget them. How clearly fulfilled was the prophecy embodied in this verse about disbelievers of Mecca is writ large on the pages of history.

Every punishment that overtook disbelievers came to them from quarters from which they least expected it. This was particularly the case in the catastrophe which befell them after the Treaty of Hudaibiyyah. The Meccans suffered from the illusion that the terms of that treaty meant a great moral victory for them. But it proved to be the beginning of their end. The treaty laid down that any Meccan who became converted to Islam and went to Medina would be sent back to Mecca. The strict observance of this condition by the Holy Prophet proved a blessing in disguise for the cause of Islam. After the treaty it was not possible for those Meccans who became converted to Islam to go to Medina, nor could they remain at Mecca. They therefore established a settlement between Mecca and Medina, free from the control of the Medinite rule and beyond the reach of the Meccans. Their hostile activities against the enemies of their faith compelled Meccans to request the Holy Prophet to revoke that part of the treaty which prevented converts to Islam from going to Medina and settle there. The breach of the terms of the treaty by Meccans later on, however, led to the invasion and conquest of Mecca by the Holy Prophet. All these eventualities were entirely unexpected and came upon the Meccans as bolts from the blue.

3:55; 8:31; 13:43; 14:47.

Commentary:

Like Salih’s people the Meccan chiefs plotted against the life of the Holy Prophet as mentioned in 27:49 above. And like the plot against Salih, the plot against the Holy Prophet proved abortive. Ultimately it led to their own ruin. The Holy Prophet had to flee from Mecca but the flight eventually resulted in the destruction of the power of the Quraish. The Quraish did not realize that by compelling the Holy Prophet to flee from Mecca they were laying the foundation of their own destruction.

Commentary:

It seems that the people of Pharaoh had hatched a plot to kill the "believing man" or do him some other grievous injury. Not only did the plot itself fall through but a terrible punishment also encompassed the plotters.