DECEPTION AND BEING DECEIVED IN THE QURAN...
O man! What has deceived you about your generous Lord,
The word in the verse that expresses human deception is the verb غَرَّ (gharra). This verb and words derived from the same root are always used in a negative sense in the Quran.
Deception is essentially one of the defining characteristics of Satan. The first blow that Adam and Eve, whom we can call the parents of humankind, suffered at the hands of Satan was a blow of deception.
Thus he brought about their fall by deception. So when they tasted of the tree, their nakedness became exposed to them, and they began to stitch over themselves with the leaves of paradise. Their Lord called out to them, ‘Did I not forbid you from that tree, and tell you, ‘‘Satan is indeed your manifest enemy?’’ ’
The Quran emphatically underlines this point regarding Satan: Satan promises nothing but deception and misleading information.
He [Shaitan (Satan)] makes promises to them, and arouses in them false desires; and Shaitan's (Satan) promises are nothing but deceptions.
And mislead those whom you can among them with your voice, and raise an army against them with your cavalry and infantry, and be their partner in wealth and children, and give them promises”; and Satan does not promise them except with deception.
Interestingly, we witness a similar point of concern when speaking of tyrants: the promises tyrants make to one another are nothing but deception and self-deception.
Say, "Have you ever considered your associate gods whom you call on besides Allah? Show me what it is that they have created on earth. Or have they a share in the creation of the heavens?" Or have We given them a book so that they may act on evidence from it? Indeed, the wrongdoers'(Zalimun) promises to one another are nothing but deception.
We have already seen that polytheism is described in the Quran as the greatest injustice. Therefore, those who commit this injustice are the polytheists.
There are two major destructive forces that use deception as their primary tool: Satan and the forces of oppression…
It has also been pointed out that both humans and jinn are becoming almost devilish through their actions of deceiving one another.
That is how for every prophet We appointed as enemy the devils from among humans and jinn, who inspire each other with flashy words, deceptively. Had your Lord wished, they would not have done it. So leave them with what they fabricate,
Being deceived is one of humanity's fundamental weaknesses. This weakness will gradually give rise to one of the fundamental acts of oppression in humans: deception. To the extent that humans surrender to Satan, whose attribute is also 'Gharur' (the deceiver), they will also be perpetrators of deception. In short, among the typical characteristics of humanity is the tendency to be both susceptible to deception and to continue deceiving others.
The deceptive nature of worldly life is one of the greatest deceivers of mankind.
Know that the life of this world is only play and amusement, pomp and mutual boasting among you, and rivalry in respect of wealth and children, as the likeness of vegetation after rain, thereof the growth is pleasing to the tiller; afterwards it dries up and you see it turning yellow; then it becomes straw. But in the Hereafter (there is) a severe torment (for the disbelievers, evil-doers), and (there is) Forgiveness from Allah and (His) Good Pleasure (for the believers, good-doers), whereas the life of this world is only a deceiving enjoyment.
This, because you took the revelations of Allah (this Quran) in mockery, and the life of the world deceived you. So this Day, they shall not be taken out from there (Hell), nor shall they be Yusta'tabun (i.e. they shall not return to the worldly life, so that they repent to Allah, and beg His Pardon for their sins).
Everyone shall taste death. And only on the Day of Resurrection shall you be paid your wages in full. And whoever is removed away from the Fire and admitted to Paradise, he indeed is successful. The life of this world is only the enjoyment of deception (a deceiving thing).
Let not the free disposal (and affluence) of the disbelievers throughout the land deceive you.
None disputes in the Ayat (proofs, evidences, verses, lessons, signs, revelations, etc.) of Allah but those who disbelieve. So let not their ability of going about here and there through the land (for their purposes) deceive you!
O you assembly of jinns and mankind! "Did not there come to you Messengers from amongst you, reciting unto you My Verses and warning you of the meeting of this Day of yours?" They will say: "We bear witness against ourselves." It was the life of this world that deceived them. And they will bear witness against themselves that they were disbelievers.
And leave alone those who take their religion as play and amusement, and are deceived by the life of this world. But remind (them) with it (the Quran) lest a person be given up to destruction for that which he has earned, when he will find for himself no protector or intercessor besides Allah, and even if he offers every ransom, it will not be accepted from him. Such are they who are given up to destruction because of that which they have earned. For them will be a drink of boiling water and a painful torment because they used to disbelieve
50 And the dwellers of the Fire will call to the dwellers of Paradise: "Pour on us some water or anything that Allah has provided you with." They will say: "Both (water and provision) Allah has forbidden to the disbelievers."
51. "Who took their religion as an amusement and play, and the life of the world deceived them." So this Day We shall forget them as they forgot their meeting of this Day, and as they used to reject Our Ayat (proofs, evidences, verses, lessons, signs, revelations, etc.).
It is also stated that deception and being deceived can be done through fabrications and slanders introduced into religion.
This is because they say: "The Fire shall not touch us but for a number of days." And that which they used to invent regarding their religion has deceived them.
When the hypocrites and those in whose hearts was a disease (of disbelief) said: "These people (Muslims) are deceived by their religion." But whoever puts his trust in Allah, then surely, Allah is All-Mighty, All-Wise.
It was there that the hypocrites and those whose hearts were sick, said, "The promise of God and His Messenger has proved to be nothing but deceit".
And finally, deceiving with the name of Allah:
O mankind! Be afraid of your Lord, and fear a Day when no father can avail aught for his son, nor a son avail aught for his father. Verily, the Promise of Allah is true, let not then this (worldly) present life deceive you, nor let the chief deceiver (Satan) deceive you about Allah.
O mankind! Verily, the Promise of Allah is true. So let not this present life deceive you, and let not the chief deceiver (Satan) deceive you about Allah.
Al-Hadid, verse 14.
(The hypocrites) will call the believers: "Were we not with you?" The believers will reply: "Yes! But you led yourselves into temptations, you looked forward for our destruction; you doubted (in Faith); and you were deceived by false desires, till the Command of Allah came to pass. And the chief deceiver (Satan) deceived you in respect of Allah."
The destructiveness of deceiving and being deceived in the name of Allah is amplified by the fact that Allah is the ultimate refuge in all forms of deception and delusion. What will become of humanity when even the last and safest refuge is used as a tool of deception? Deceiving in the name of Allah is, so to speak, an immortal calamity, because it employs an immortal tool. Whereas the calamity of other forms of deception eventually ends, because neither they nor their tools are immortal.
The most agonizing crises of humankind are those stemming from the deception of using Allah as a tool. The most poisonous injustices also arise from this deception. Blocking the paths leading to deception in the name of Allah, in other words, preventing the exploitation and commercialization of religion, is the fundamental guarantee for a happy and peaceful world.