What does « Ruse / Stratagem » mean in the Quran?

Discover the meaning of the word Ruse / Stratagem (كيد) in the Quran, with 29 verses in which it appears, and a detailed explanation from Al-Raghib al-Asfahani's Mufradat fi gharib al-Qur'an.

كيد
Ruse / Stratagem
Root: ك - د
Creed (aqida) 29 verses

Updated on 29 May 2026 at 7:00 AM

📖 5 min read

Definition of Ruse / Stratagem

Al-Kayd refers to cunning and stratagem.

The Almighty says: 'Indeed, the plot of Satan is weak' (An-Nisa 76).

Kāda lahu means to set a trap for him.

The Almighty says: 'And their plot will not harm you at all' (Al-'Imran 120).

Ruse / Stratagem in the Quran (29)

Meccan: 25 Medinan: 4
Distribution of verses by surah
Yusuf 7
Ta-Ha 3
Al-A'raf 2
Al-Anbiya 2
Ghafir 2
At-Tur 2
At-Tariq 2
Âl 'Imrân 1
An-Nisa 1
Al-Anfal 1
+ 6 more surahs
Surah Âl 'Imrân : 120 Medinan
﴿إِن تَمْسَسْكُمْ حَسَنَةٌ تَسُؤْهُمْ وَإِن تُصِبْكُمْ سَيِّئَةٌ يَفْرَحُوا۟ بِهَا وَإِن تَصْبِرُوا۟ وَتَتَّقُوا۟ لَا يَضُرُّكُمْ كَيْدُهُمْ شَيْـًٔا إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ بِمَا يَعْمَلُونَ مُحِيطٌ
If good touches you, it distresses them; but if harm strikes you, they rejoice at it. And if you are patient and fear Allah, their plot will not harm you at all. Indeed, Allah is encompassing of what they do.
Surah An-Nisa : 76 Medinan
﴿ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ يُقَٰتِلُونَ فِى سَبِيلِ ٱللَّهِ وَٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ يُقَٰتِلُونَ فِى سَبِيلِ ٱلطَّٰغُوتِ فَقَٰتِلُوٓا۟ أَوْلِيَآءَ ٱلشَّيْطَٰنِ إِنَّ كَيْدَ ٱلشَّيْطَٰنِ كَانَ ضَعِيفًا
Those who believe fight in the cause of Allah, and those who disbelieve fight in the cause of Taghut. So fight against the allies of Satan. Indeed, the plot of Satan has ever been weak.
Surah Al-A'raf : 183 Meccan
﴿وَأُمْلِى لَهُمْ إِنَّ كَيْدِى مَتِينٌ
And I will give them time. Indeed, my plan is firm.
Surah Al-A'raf : 195 Meccan
﴿أَلَهُمْ أَرْجُلٌ يَمْشُونَ بِهَآ أَمْ لَهُمْ أَيْدٍ يَبْطِشُونَ بِهَآ أَمْ لَهُمْ أَعْيُنٌ يُبْصِرُونَ بِهَآ أَمْ لَهُمْ ءَاذَانٌ يَسْمَعُونَ بِهَا قُلِ ٱدْعُوا۟ شُرَكَآءَكُمْ ثُمَّ كِيدُونِ فَلَا تُنظِرُونِ
Do they have feet by which they walk? Or do they have hands by which they strike? Or do they have eyes by which they see? Or do they have ears by which they hear? Say, [O Muhammad], "Call your 'partners' and then conspire against me and give me no respite.
Surah Al-Anfal : 18 Medinan
﴿ذَٰلِكُمْ وَأَنَّ ٱللَّهَ مُوهِنُ كَيْدِ ٱلْكَٰفِرِينَ
That [is so], and [also] that Allah will weaken the plot of the disbelievers.
Surah Hud : 55 Meccan
﴿مِن دُونِهِۦ فَكِيدُونِى جَمِيعًا ثُمَّ لَا تُنظِرُونِ
Other than Him. So plot against me all together; then do not give me respite.
Surah Yusuf : 5 Meccan
﴿قَالَ يَٰبُنَىَّ لَا تَقْصُصْ رُءْيَاكَ عَلَىٰٓ إِخْوَتِكَ فَيَكِيدُوا۟ لَكَ كَيْدًا إِنَّ ٱلشَّيْطَٰنَ لِلْإِنسَٰنِ عَدُوٌّ مُّبِينٌ
He said, "O my son, do not relate your vision to your brothers or they will contrive against you a plan. Indeed Satan, to man, is a manifest enemy.
Surah Yusuf : 28 Meccan
﴿فَلَمَّا رَءَا قَمِيصَهُۥ قُدَّ مِن دُبُرٍ قَالَ إِنَّهُۥ مِن كَيْدِكُنَّ إِنَّ كَيْدَكُنَّ عَظِيمٌ
So when her husband saw his shirt torn from the back, he said, "Indeed, it is of the women's plan. Indeed, your plan is great.
Surah Yusuf : 33 Meccan
﴿قَالَ رَبِّ ٱلسِّجْنُ أَحَبُّ إِلَىَّ مِمَّا يَدْعُونَنِىٓ إِلَيْهِ وَإِلَّا تَصْرِفْ عَنِّى كَيْدَهُنَّ أَصْبُ إِلَيْهِنَّ وَأَكُن مِّنَ ٱلْجَٰهِلِينَ
He said, "My Lord, prison is more to my liking than that to which they invite me. And if You do not avert from me their plan, I might incline toward them and [thus] be of the ignorant."
Surah Yusuf : 34 Meccan
﴿فَٱسْتَجَابَ لَهُۥ رَبُّهُۥ فَصَرَفَ عَنْهُ كَيْدَهُنَّ إِنَّهُۥ هُوَ ٱلسَّمِيعُ ٱلْعَلِيمُ
So his Lord responded to him and averted from him their plan. Indeed, He is the Hearing, the Knowing.
Surah Yusuf : 50 Meccan
﴿وَقَالَ ٱلْمَلِكُ ٱئْتُونِى بِهِۦ فَلَمَّا جَآءَهُ ٱلرَّسُولُ قَالَ ٱرْجِعْ إِلَىٰ رَبِّكَ فَسْـَٔلْهُ مَا بَالُ ٱلنِّسْوَةِ ٱلَّٰتِى قَطَّعْنَ أَيْدِيَهُنَّ إِنَّ رَبِّى بِكَيْدِهِنَّ عَلِيمٌ
And the king said, "Bring him to me." But when the messenger came to him, [Joseph] said, "Return to your master and ask him what is the case of the women who cut their hands. Indeed, my Lord is Knowing of their plan."
Surah Yusuf : 52 Meccan
﴿ذَٰلِكَ لِيَعْلَمَ أَنِّى لَمْ أَخُنْهُ بِٱلْغَيْبِ وَأَنَّ ٱللَّهَ لَا يَهْدِى كَيْدَ ٱلْخَآئِنِينَ
That is so al-'Azeez will know that I did not betray him in [his] absence and that Allah does not guide the plan of betrayers.
Surah Yusuf : 76 Meccan
﴿فَبَدَأَ بِأَوْعِيَتِهِمْ قَبْلَ وِعَآءِ أَخِيهِ ثُمَّ ٱسْتَخْرَجَهَا مِن وِعَآءِ أَخِيهِ كَذَٰلِكَ كِدْنَا لِيُوسُفَ مَا كَانَ لِيَأْخُذَ أَخَاهُ فِى دِينِ ٱلْمَلِكِ إِلَّآ أَن يَشَآءَ ٱللَّهُ نَرْفَعُ دَرَجَٰتٍ مَّن نَّشَآءُ وَفَوْقَ كُلِّ ذِى عِلْمٍ عَلِيمٌ
So he began [the search] with their bags before the bag of his brother; then he extracted it from the bag of his brother. Thus did We plan for Joseph. He could not have taken his brother within the religion of the king except that Allah willed. We raise in degrees whom We will, but over every possessor of knowledge is one [more] knowing.
Surah Ta-Ha : 60 Meccan
﴿فَتَوَلَّىٰ فِرْعَوْنُ فَجَمَعَ كَيْدَهُۥ ثُمَّ أَتَىٰ
So Pharaoh went away, put together his plan, and then came [to Moses].
Surah Ta-Ha : 64 Meccan
﴿فَأَجْمِعُوا۟ كَيْدَكُمْ ثُمَّ ٱئْتُوا۟ صَفًّا وَقَدْ أَفْلَحَ ٱلْيَوْمَ مَنِ ٱسْتَعْلَىٰ
So resolve upon your plan and then come [forward] in line. And he has succeeded today who overcomes."
Surah Ta-Ha : 69 Meccan
﴿وَأَلْقِ مَا فِى يَمِينِكَ تَلْقَفْ مَا صَنَعُوٓا۟ إِنَّمَا صَنَعُوا۟ كَيْدُ سَٰحِرٍ وَلَا يُفْلِحُ ٱلسَّاحِرُ حَيْثُ أَتَىٰ
And throw what is in your right hand; it will swallow up what they have crafted. What they have crafted is but the trick of a magician, and the magician will not succeed wherever he is."
Surah Al-Anbiya : 57 Meccan
﴿وَتَٱللَّهِ لَأَكِيدَنَّ أَصْنَٰمَكُم بَعْدَ أَن تُوَلُّوا۟ مُدْبِرِينَ
And [I swear] by Allah, I will surely plan against your idols after you have turned and gone away."
Surah Al-Anbiya : 70 Meccan
﴿وَأَرَادُوا۟ بِهِۦ كَيْدًا فَجَعَلْنَٰهُمُ ٱلْأَخْسَرِينَ
And they intended for him harm, but We made them the greatest losers.
Surah Al-Hajj : 15 Medinan
﴿مَن كَانَ يَظُنُّ أَن لَّن يَنصُرَهُ ٱللَّهُ فِى ٱلدُّنْيَا وَٱلْءَاخِرَةِ فَلْيَمْدُدْ بِسَبَبٍ إِلَى ٱلسَّمَآءِ ثُمَّ لْيَقْطَعْ فَلْيَنظُرْ هَلْ يُذْهِبَنَّ كَيْدُهُۥ مَا يَغِيظُ
Whoever should think that Allah will not support [Prophet Muhammad] in this world and the Hereafter - let him extend a rope to the ceiling, then cut off [his breath], and let him see: will his effort remove that which enrages [him]?
Surah As-Saffat : 98 Meccan
﴿فَأَرَادُوا۟ بِهِۦ كَيْدًا فَجَعَلْنَٰهُمُ ٱلْأَسْفَلِينَ
And they intended for him a plan, but We made them the most debased.
Surah Ghafir : 25 Meccan
﴿فَلَمَّا جَآءَهُم بِٱلْحَقِّ مِنْ عِندِنَا قَالُوا۟ ٱقْتُلُوٓا۟ أَبْنَآءَ ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ مَعَهُۥ وَٱسْتَحْيُوا۟ نِسَآءَهُمْ وَمَا كَيْدُ ٱلْكَٰفِرِينَ إِلَّا فِى ضَلَٰلٍ
And when he brought them the truth from Us, they said, "Kill the sons of those who have believed with him and keep their women alive." But the plan of the disbelievers is not except in error.
Surah Ghafir : 37 Meccan
﴿أَسْبَٰبَ ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ فَأَطَّلِعَ إِلَىٰٓ إِلَٰهِ مُوسَىٰ وَإِنِّى لَأَظُنُّهُۥ كَٰذِبًا وَكَذَٰلِكَ زُيِّنَ لِفِرْعَوْنَ سُوٓءُ عَمَلِهِۦ وَصُدَّ عَنِ ٱلسَّبِيلِ وَمَا كَيْدُ فِرْعَوْنَ إِلَّا فِى تَبَابٍ
The ways into the heavens - so that I may look at the deity of Moses; but indeed, I think he is a liar." And thus was made attractive to Pharaoh the evil of his deed, and he was averted from the [right] way. And the plan of Pharaoh was not except in ruin.
Surah At-Tur : 42 Meccan
﴿أَمْ يُرِيدُونَ كَيْدًا فَٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ هُمُ ٱلْمَكِيدُونَ
Or do they intend a plan? But those who disbelieve - they are the object of a plan.
Surah At-Tur : 46 Meccan
﴿يَوْمَ لَا يُغْنِى عَنْهُمْ كَيْدُهُمْ شَيْـًٔا وَلَا هُمْ يُنصَرُونَ
The Day their plan will not avail them at all, nor will they be helped.
Surah Al-Qalam : 45 Meccan
﴿وَأُمْلِى لَهُمْ إِنَّ كَيْدِى مَتِينٌ
And I will give them time. Indeed, My plan is firm.
Surah Al-Mursalat : 39 Meccan
﴿فَإِن كَانَ لَكُمْ كَيْدٌ فَكِيدُونِ
So if you have a plan, then plan against Me.
Surah At-Tariq : 15 Meccan
﴿إِنَّهُمْ يَكِيدُونَ كَيْدًا
Indeed, they are planning a plan,
Surah At-Tariq : 16 Meccan
﴿وَأَكِيدُ كَيْدًا
But I am planning a plan.
Surah Al-Fil : 2 Meccan
﴿أَلَمْ يَجْعَلْ كَيْدَهُمْ فِى تَضْلِيلٍ
Did He not make their plan into misguidance?

Words from the same root as Ruse / Stratagem

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