Tafsir of Al Imran 3:54

(And they plotted): That is, those from whom disbelief was sensed when they entrusted someone to kill him by stealth.

(And Allah plotted): By casting his likeness—peace be upon him—upon another; so he was crucified, and He raised him unto Himself. Ibn Abbas said: When the King of the Children of Israel wanted to kill Jesus (Isa), peace be upon him, he entered a small room that had a window. Gabriel (Jibril), peace be upon him, raised him from the window to the heaven. The King said to a wretched man among them: "Enter upon him and kill him." He entered the room, and Allah Almighty cast the likeness of Jesus, peace be upon him, upon him. He went out to his companions to inform them that he was not in the house, so they killed him and crucified him, thinking he was Jesus.

Wahb said: They captured him and erected a piece of wood to crucify him. The earth darkened, so Allah sent the angels who stood between him and them. They seized a man called Judas, who was the one who had pointed them to Jesus. This was because Jesus had gathered the disciples that night and entrusted them, then said: "One of you will surely disbelieve in me before the rooster crows, and he will sell me for a few dirhams." They left and dispersed. The Jews were seeking him, so one of the disciples came to them and said: "What will you give me if I guide you to him?" They gave him thirty dirhams; he took them and guided them to him. Allah Almighty cast the likeness of Jesus, peace be upon him, upon him. He was taken into the house and [Jesus] was raised. He [the man] said: "I am the one who guided you to him," but they did not pay attention to his words and crucified him, believing him to be Jesus.

When the one who resembled Jesus had been crucified, and he remained in that state for seven days, Allah Almighty said to Jesus: "Descend to Mary, then gather the disciples for yourself and spread them in the land as callers [to the faith]." So he descended to her, and the mountain glowed with light. She gathered the disciples for him, and he spread them in the land as callers. Then Allah—Glory be to Him—raised him. That night is the night on which the Christians kindle fires. When morning came, each of the disciples headed to the land to which Jesus had sent him.

It is narrated from more than one source that when the Jews resolved to kill him, peace be upon him, the disciples gathered in a room. The Messiah entered upon them through a niche in the room. Iblis informed the Jews of them, so four thousand men among them mounted [their horses] and took the door of the room. The Messiah said to the disciples: "Which of you will go out, be killed, and be with me in Paradise?" One of them said: "I, O Prophet of Allah." He cast his wool cloak and wool turban upon him, handed him his staff, and cast the likeness of Jesus, peace be upon him, upon him. He went out to the Jews, and they killed him and crucified him. As for Jesus, peace be upon him, Allah clothed him in light, severed from him the desire for food and drink, and raised him unto Himself.

Then, when his companions saw that, they split into three factions. One faction said: "Allah was among us and has ascended to heaven." Another faction said: "The Son of Allah—Exalted and Majestic is He—was among us, and Allah—Glory be to Him—has raised him unto Himself." Another faction among them said: "The servant of Allah and His messenger was among us, for as long as Allah willed, then He raised him unto Himself." These are the believers (Muslims). The two disbelieving factions overpowered them and killed them. Islam remained with its traces obliterated until Allah Almighty sent Muhammad—may Allah bless him and grant him peace.

It is narrated from Ibn Ishaq that the Jews tortured the disciples after the raising of Jesus, peace be upon him, and they encountered great distress from them. News of this reached the King of Rome, and the king of the Jews was among his subjects, named Dawud ibn Nawdha. It was said to him: "A man from the Children of Israel who is under your command used to tell them he was the Messenger of Allah, and he used to bring the dead to life and heal the blind and the leper; he did such-and-such." He replied: "Had I known that, I would not have left them to him." He sent for the disciples, rescued them from their hands, and questioned them about Jesus, peace be upon him. They informed him, so he pledged allegiance to them regarding their religion. He took down the crucified one and buried him, and he took the piece of wood and honored it. Then he raided the Children of Israel and killed a great number of them. From this, the origin of Christianity appeared among the Romans. Then another king came after him called Titus, and he raided Jerusalem about forty years after the raising of Jesus, peace be upon him. He killed and took captive and did not leave one stone upon another in Jerusalem. At that, the Qurayza and Nadir tribes left for the Hijaz.

As for the origin of the word makr (plotting), it is said: it is evil, and from this is "the makr of the night" when it darkens. It is also said to mean turning something away from its intended purpose by means of a trick. Others define it as deceiving a person to cause them harm. They distinguish it from heela (trickery/ruse) in that the latter may be used to display an action that is pleasing without intending harm, whereas makr is a ruse against a person that ensnares them like a noose. They said: It is not attributed to Allah Almighty except by way of mushakala (reciprocal correspondence), because He is exalted above its meaning and is not in need of a trick; therefore, it is not said initially "the makr of Allah, Glory be to Him." Al-Adud and a group went along with this. Al-Abhari and others differed from them, permitting the attribution without mushakala, citing the saying of the Almighty: {Are they safe from the makr of Allah? So do not be safe from the makr of Allah}, for it is attributed to Him—Glory be to Him—initially.

It is reported from the Imam [al-Razi] that makr is the causing of something detested to reach another in a way that is hidden, and that it is permissible for it to proceed from Him, the Almighty, in reality. More than one has said: It is an expression of perfect decree (planning), which is not impossible for Him, the Almighty. In the Hadith: "O Allah, plot for me and do not plot against me." Those who hold that it is not to be used except by way of mushakala answered the evidence of the verse and its like by saying that it is mushakala taqdiriyya (hypothetical correspondence), as in His saying: {The sibghah (dye/religion) of Allah}. It is not hidden what is in that [view], so it is better to say that its attribution to Him, Glory be to Him, is initially valid in a meaning befitting His Majesty—Great is His Majesty. What supports this is His saying—Glory be to Him: {And Allah is the best of the makirin (plotters)}.

That is: the most powerful of them in plotting and the most intense of them, or that His plotting is the most excellent and the most fitting, for it is far removed from injustice; for it is remote from [the concept of] mushakala.