The Quran does use the word "makr" for Allah in a few places, but it uses it in a restricted and just sense: Allah overturns the secret plots of evildoers. It does not make "deceiver" a divine name, nor does it imply that Allah lies in revelation.

The strongest form of the objection

The objection is not silly. In Arabic, "makr" can mean a hidden plan, stratagem, or cunning scheme, and it is often used negatively. So when critics read verses such as "they schemed, and Allah schemed," they argue that the Quran attributes deception to God Himself. If Allah is "the best of schemers," they ask, how can anyone trust His promises, His threats, or the Quran itself?

And they planned, but Allah planned. And Allah is the best of planners.

Quran 3:54

And when those who disbelieved plotted against you to restrain you or kill you or evict you - they plan, and Allah plans. And Allah is the best of planners.

Quran 8:30

What "makr" means in these verses

The first point is that "makr" is not identical to "lying." It refers to a concealed plan that brings about an outcome the other party did not expect. In ordinary Arabic usage, it can be evil when used to harm the innocent, and it can be just when used to defeat aggression.

The verses themselves show this. In Quran 3:54, the enemies of Jesus planned against him. In Quran 8:30, the Quraysh plotted to imprison, kill, or expel the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). Allah's "makr" is His counter-plan: He protects His messenger and makes the plotters' own scheme fail. The moral difference is decisive. Their plotting is unjust aggression; Allah's planning is just recompense.

This is why many translators prefer "plan" or "scheme" rather than "deceive." Not because the word is being softened, but because "deceive" in English normally implies falsehood and moral blame. That is not what the verse is asserting about Allah.

Why this does not make Allah untrustworthy

The Quran does not present "the Deceiver" as one of Allah's names. Nor does it praise deceit as a divine character trait. Rather, it mentions Allah's "makr" only in response to the wrongful makr of people. Classical scholars treated this as a restricted attribute: it is affirmed in the context Allah used it, without turning it into an unrestricted name or a general description.

The Quran repeatedly states the opposite of what the objection alleges: Allah does not lie, break His promise, or wrong His servants.

And who is more truthful than Allah in statement?

Quran 4:87

Indeed, Allah does not fail in His promise.

Quran 3:9

So there is no contradiction. Allah may bring a hidden plan against a tyrant, hypocrite, or persecutor, while still being perfectly truthful in speech. A judge setting a lawful trap for a criminal is not thereby a liar. A protector who outmaneuvers an assassin is not morally blameworthy. The blame belongs to the aggressor, not to the one who defeats aggression with justice.

What the verses do and do not establish

They do establish that no human plot can overpower Allah. Those who feel safe while plotting evil are warned that Allah's justice can reach them from where they do not expect.

Then did they feel secure from the plan of Allah? But none feels secure from the plan of Allah except the losing people.

Quran 7:99

They do not establish that Allah lies, cheats the innocent, or reveals falsehood. They do not make deceit a divine virtue. The Quranic point is simpler and stronger: people may scheme in darkness, but Allah sees, knows, and can turn their own plans against them.

So the phrase "best of schemers" is not a confession that God is a supreme liar. It is a warning to oppressors and a comfort to the faithful: evil plotting is never outside Allah's knowledge or power.