Friday, June 13, 2025

The Deity of Truth: A Theological Critique of the Islamic Concept of Allah as a “Deceiver”

By Dr. Maxwell Shimba

Shimba Theological Institute

Introduction

Throughout history, the nature and character of God have been central to the world’s great monotheistic faiths. However, while both Islam and Christianity profess belief in one God, the conception of God’s character, particularly regarding truthfulness and deception, diverges significantly between the Bible and the Qur’an. This article offers a rigorous theological critique of the Islamic concept of Allah in light of key biblical doctrines, exposing critical incompatibilities and affirming the unique deity of Jesus Christ as revealed in Scripture.

I. The God of the Bible: The Impossibility of Deceit

In biblical theology, God’s truthfulness is not merely an attribute but an essential aspect of His very being. The Bible insists repeatedly that God cannot lie or act contrary to His own righteous nature:

“God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?”
Numbers 23:19, KJV ¹

Paul reiterates this foundational truth:

“In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began.”
Titus 1:2, KJV ²

The writer of Hebrews declares the impossibility of God lying:

“…in which it is impossible for God to lie…”
Hebrews 6:18, ESV ³

These verses collectively reveal that truthfulness is intrinsic to the divine identity. The impossibility of deceit is not a voluntary limitation, but a logical necessity of God’s nature as the ultimate moral being.

II. The Qur’anic Depiction of Allah: The “Best of Deceivers”?

A profound challenge to the biblical doctrine arises in the Qur’an, which describes Allah using terms associated with deception. Consider Surah 3:54:

“And they (the disbelievers) planned, but Allah planned. And Allah is the best of planners.”
Qur’an 3:54, Sahih International ⁴

The key Arabic word here is makara, which has a semantic range that includes “to plot,” “to scheme,” “to deceive,” or “to act with guile.” Notably, more literal translations render it:

“And they cheated/deceived and Allah cheated/deceived, and Allah is the best of the cheaters/deceivers.”
Qur’an 3:54, M. A. Samira ⁵

Classical Islamic commentaries do not dispute the usage of makara in this sense; rather, they interpret Allah’s “deception” as a righteous response to the deception of others. However, from a biblical perspective, such attribution of deceit—even in response to evil—stands in direct contradiction to the holy nature of God.

Other Qur’anic passages echo this troubling attribute:

“And (the unbelievers) schemed, and Allah schemed against them: and Allah is the best of schemers.”
Qur’an 8:30, Pickthall ⁶

The repeated use of makara for Allah’s actions raises critical theological questions: Can the one true God ever justifiably engage in deception? Does moral relativism apply to the divine nature?

III. Satan: The Biblical Paradigm of Deception

In stark contrast to the Qur’anic depiction, the Bible ascribes all deception, cunning, and falsehood to Satan, the great adversary of God and humanity:

“…that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world…”
Revelation 12:9, KJV ⁷

Jesus further clarifies the origin of all lies:

“You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father's desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies.”
John 8:44, ESV ⁸

Scripture is consistent and absolute: deception is wholly incompatible with the holy nature of God and is the very signature of Satan.

IV. The Uniqueness of Jesus Christ: Sinlessness and Divinity

Remarkably, both the Bible and the Qur’an bear witness to the sinlessness and unique holiness of Jesus Christ:

Biblical Testimony

“He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth.”
1 Peter 2:22, ESV ⁹
“Which of you convicts me of sin?”
John 8:46, ESV
“…Holy, innocent, unstained, separated from sinners, and exalted above the heavens.”
Hebrews 7:26, ESV
Qur’anic Testimony

“He said: ‘I am only a messenger of thy Lord, to announce to thee the gift of a holy son.’”
Qur’an 19:19, Yusuf Ali ¹⁰

No other prophet—neither Moses, Abraham, Muhammad, nor any other—is described as “holy” or sinless in such absolute terms in either scripture.

Jesus, furthermore, declares Himself to be the personification of truth:

“I am the way, and the truth, and the life: no one comes to the Father except through me.”
John 14:6, ESV ¹¹

If perfect truthfulness is the mark of God, and Jesus alone fulfills this without the stain of sin or deceit, then by biblical and Qur’anic testimony, Jesus alone is qualified to be called God.

V. Theological Implications and Critical Reflection

The Qur’an’s depiction of Allah as the “best of deceivers” presents a profound theological crisis. If the standard of deity is set by the biblical revelation—utter moral perfection and incapacity for falsehood—then the Qur’anic Allah cannot be identified as the same God as YHWH, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. The God of the Bible cannot lie. The Qur’anic Allah can and does.

This contrast is not a matter of semantics but of the very essence of God. As C.S. Lewis argued, “If God is not good, then He is not God at all.”¹² Any being who deceives, regardless of motivation, cannot be the God of truth and light.

Furthermore, the evidence points unerringly to Jesus Christ, who, according to both sacred texts, is uniquely sinless and absolutely true. As such, the only logical and theological conclusion is that Jesus is indeed God incarnate, and that the standard of deity is met in Him alone.

Conclusion

The integrity of God’s character stands or falls on the issue of truthfulness. The biblical God is a God who cannot lie; the Qur’anic Allah is described as a deceiver. By the standards set in Scripture, only Jesus Christ—the sinless, holy, and truthful Son—is truly God. To worship any other is to exchange the truth of God for a lie.

By Dr. Maxwell Shimba
Shimba Theological Institute

Footnotes

For further engagement or scholarly dialogue, please contact Shimba Theological Institute.

Would you like further expansion on any specific subtopic, additional rebuttals to common Islamic objections, or more references from classical Islamic sources?

Numbers 23:19, King James Version (KJV). ↩
Titus 1:2, KJV. ↩
Hebrews 6:18, English Standard Version (ESV). ↩
Qur’an 3:54, Sahih International. See also Yusuf Ali, Pickthall, and Arberry translations for similar renderings. ↩
Qur’an 3:54, M.A. Samira, Literal Translation from Arabic. ↩
Qur’an 8:30, Pickthall. Arabic: وَمَكَرُوا وَمَكَرَ اللَّهُ وَاللَّهُ خَيْرُ الْمَاكِرِينَ ↩
Revelation 12:9, KJV. ↩
John 8:44, ESV. ↩
1 Peter 2:22, ESV. See also Isaiah 53:9 (LXX and Hebrew). ↩
Qur’an 19:19, Yusuf Ali: غُلَامًا زَكِيًّا (“a holy son”). ↩
John 14:6, ESV. ↩
Paraphrased from C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity (HarperCollins, 1952), Book 2, Chapter 2. ↩