Is Allah Almighty described with cunning (makr), deception (khidāʿ), and betrayal (khiyānah), as in His saying: "And they plot, and Allah plots" (Quran 8:30) and His saying: "Indeed, the hypocrites seek to deceive Allah, and He is deceiving them" (Quran 4:142)?

The attributes of Allah the Almighty are attributes of perfection, and they can be divided into three types:

1. Attributes of absolute perfection: These have no deficiency, such as knowledge and power, and are absolutely ascribed to Allah.

2. Attributes of deficiency: These have no perfection, and thus are never ascribed to Allah, such as sleep and inability.

3. Attributes that are either perfection or deficiency depending on the situation: These are neither absolutely ascribed to Allah nor absolutely negated from Him, but rather are detailed; they are considered perfection if mentioned in a context that necessitates perfection, such as cunning (makr), deception (khadi’ah), and mockery (istihza’) when dealing with disbelievers and hypocrites, as in His saying, the Almighty: (And they conspire, and Allah conspires) Al-Anfal/30, and (Indeed, the hypocrites [think to] deceive Allah, but He is deceiving them) An-Nisa/142, and (Allah ridicules them) Al-Baqarah/15. However, Allah is not described with these attributes absolutely (e.g., one does not say: Allah is cunning). As for betrayal, Allah is never described with it, as it is blameworthy in all circumstances.