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The plotter is the one who loses

ByShaykh Haytham Tamim

The Quran is filled with stories of prophets and messengers who faced immense challenges from their people. Each nation had its own test.

Take, for example, Prophet Ibrahim (peace be upon him). His people reacted with hostility and violence when he challenged their worship of idols. After he destroyed the idols to demonstrate their futility, they plotted to kill him by burning him alive. But Allah intervened and said:

‫قَالَ أَفَتَعۡبُدُونَ مِن دُونِ ٱللَّهِ مَا لَا یَنفَعُكُمۡ شيئاً وَلَا یَضُرُّكُمۡ

He said, “Do you worship, apart from Allah, what can neither benefit you in anything nor harm you? Al-Anbiyāʾ, Ayah 66

‫أُفࣲّ لَّكُمۡ وَلِمَا تَعۡبُدُونَ مِن دُونِ ٱللَّهِۚ أَفَلَا تَعۡقِلُونَ

Fie on you and on what you worship apart from Allah. Do you not reason?” Al-Anbiyāʾ, Ayah 67

‫قَالُوا۟ حَرِّقُوهُ وَٱنصُرُوۤا۟ ءَالِهَتَكُمۡ إِن كُنتُمۡ فَـٰعِلِینَ

They said, “Burn him and support your gods, if you are going to act.” Al-Anbiyāʾ, Ayah 68

‫قُلۡنَا یَـٰنَارُ كُونِی بَرۡدࣰا وَسَلَـٰمًا عَلَىٰۤ إِبۡرَ ٰ⁠هِیمَ

We said, “O fire, be cool and peaceful upon Abraham.” Al-Anbiyāʾ, Ayah 69

‫وَأَرَادُوا۟ بِهِۦ كيداً فَجَعَلۡنَـٰهُمُ ٱلۡأَخۡسَرِینَ

For they wanted to plot against him, so We made them the biggest losers. Al-Anbiyāʾ, Ayah 70

قَالُوا۟ ٱبۡنُوا۟ لَهُۥ بُنياناً فَأَلۡقُوهُ فِی ٱلۡجَحِیمِ

They said, “Build a structure for him and throw him into purgatory.” Aṣ-Ṣāffāt, Ayah 97

‫فَأَرَادُوا۟ بِهِۦ كَیۡدࣰا فَجَعَلۡنَـٰهُمُ ٱلۡأَسۡفَلِینَ

So they desired to plot against him, but We made them the lowest. Aṣ-Ṣāffāt, Ayah 98

Their plan was to destroy him, but Allah foiled their plot and made them the greatest losers:

وَأَرَادُوا بِهِ كَيْدًا فَجَعَلْنَاهُمُ الْأَخْسَرِينَ
“And they intended to harm him, but We made them the worst losers.”
(Al-Anbiya, 21:70)

This is not an isolated incident. Prophet Yusuf (peace be upon him) faced a different kind of plot—from his own brothers. Driven by jealousy, they threw him into a well to get rid of him. But the very plan they made became part of Allah’s greater plan: Yusuf was rescued, sold into slavery, imprisoned—and ultimately rose to become the Aziz of Egypt.

Amazingly, it all began with a dream… and it was through the interpretation of a dream that Yusuf was elevated. If his brothers hadn’t plotted against him, he wouldn’t have become the ruler of Egypt.

فَأَرَادُوا بِهِ كَيْدًا فَجَعَلْنَاهُمُ الْأَسْفَلِينَ
“So they plotted against him, but We made them the lowest.”
(Surah As-Saffat, 37:98)

A pattern that repeats

This divine pattern repeats across prophetic history: the people plot, but Allah’s plan prevails. The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ was once praised as Al-Sadiq, Al-Amin—the truthful and trustworthy. But after the revelation began, the same people turned against him. They called him a liar, a madman, and a magician. They plotted to assassinate him, boycotted him, and left him isolated. Even then, Allah turned their plans against them.

A termite even ate the document of their unjust boycott, symbolising the beginning of their defeat. Years later, the Prophet ﷺ would return to Makkah victorious, despite every attempt to bring him down.

Have taqwa and be patient

This is a message of hope for anyone facing injustice today. The righteous are always challenged. The evil ones will always try to destroy what is good. But Allah has already told us:

إِنَّهُۥ مَن يَتَّقِ وَيَصْبِرْ فَإِنَّ ٱللَّهَ لَا يُضِيعُ أَجْرَ ٱلْمُحْسِنِينَ
“Indeed, whoever has taqwa and is patient—Allah never wastes the reward of those who do good.”
(Surah Yusuf, 12:90)

This applies to every plot—big or small, ancient or modern. The plot may look powerful, but it will rebound on the plotter. As Allah reminds us elsewhere in the Qur’an:

“The evil plot does not encompass except its own people.”

Victory doesn’t always come the way we imagine. Sometimes, victory isn’t visible in the dunya, but real victory is to gain complete and everlasting bliss in the akhirah. Death may even be a form of victory if it leads to Paradise. A temporary worldly gain for the oppressor does not equal success.

True victory is to remain firm upon truth, to maintain taqwa, and to place your full trust in Allah’s wisdom and justice.

As the Prophet ﷺ would say in his du‘a:

اللَّهُمَّ لَكَ أَسْلَمْتُ، وَبِكَ آمَنتُ، وَعَلَيْكَ تَوَكَّلْتُ، وَإِلَيْكَ أَنَبْتُ4o

“O Allah, to You I submit, in You I believe, upon You I rely, to You I turn and repent.”

Let us not lose hope, even in the darkest moments. The story of Yusuf (peace be upon him) teaches us that Allah’s plan is always unfolding, even when it seems like all is lost. The enemies of truth may plot—but they can never outdo the wisdom of Allah.

We ask Allah to enable us to stay firm, have taqwa, be patient and do our part. We trust that victory will come—at the right time, in the right way, by the will of Allah. Ameen.

Delivered by Shaykh Haytham Tamim on 28th Marcj 2025.

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