Argument of a querrelsome despot uprooted

In The Name of Allah, The Most Merciful, The Bestower of Mercy.

Allah [The Exalted] said:

أَلَمْ تَرَ إِلَى الَّذِي حَاجَّ إِبْرَاهِيمَ فِي رَبِّهِ أَنْ آتَاهُ اللَّهُ الْمُلْكَ إِذْ قَالَ إِبْرَاهِيمُ رَبِّيَ الَّذِي يُحْيِي وَيُمِيتُ قَالَ أَنَا أُحْيِي وَأُمِيتُ ۖ قَالَ إِبْرَاهِيمُ فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ يَأْتِي بِالشَّمْسِ مِنَ الْمَشْرِقِ فَأْتِ بِهَا مِنَ الْمَغْرِبِ فَبُهِتَ الَّذِي كَفَرَ ۗ وَاللَّهُ لَا يَهْدِي الْقَوْمَ الظَّالِمِينَ

Have you not seen (contemplated with your heart) him who disputed with Ibrahim (Abraham) about his Lord (Allah), because Allah had given him the kingdom? When Ibrahim (Abraham) said (to him): “My Lord (Allah) is He Who gives life and causes death.” He said, “I give life and cause death.” Ibrahim (Abraham) said, “Verily! Allah causes the sun to rise from the east; then cause it you to rise from the west.” So the disbeliever was utterly defeated. And Allah guides not the people, who are Zalimun (wrong-doers, etc.). [Al-Baqarah. 258]

Imam Al-Baghawi, may Allah have mercy upon him, said:

There is a difference of opinon among (the Mufassiroon) regarding the timing of this debate. Muqatil, may Allah have mercy on him, stated that after Ibrahim, peace be upon him, broke the idols, Namrud imprisoned him and later brought him out to be burned. Namrud asked, “Who is the Lord you urge us to worship?” Ibrahim, peace be upon him, replied, “My Lord is the one who gives life and causes death.” Others say that this (occurred) after Ibrahim was thrown into the fire, during a time of drought when people sought food from Namrud. If someone approached him for food, he would inquire, “Who is your Lord?” If the person responded, “You are my Lord,” he would then offer to sell them food. [1]

أَلَمۡ تَرَ إِلَى ٱلَّذِى حَآجَّ إِبۡرَٲهِـۧمَ فِى رَبِّهِۦۤ

“Have you seen (contemplated with your heart and eyes) him who disputed with Ibrahim (Abraham) about his Lord (Allah)”……Meaning, his insolence, ignorant attitude and obstinacy, and arguing about that which there is no doubt! Nothing led him to this behaviour except because” Allah had given him the kingdom”, thus, he transgressed and rebelled, and considered himself as one in control of those under his authority, which led him to argue with Prophet Ibrahim about Allah’s Lordship and claimed that he can do the same thing as Allah does.

Prophet Ibrahim said to him, “My Lord is He Who gives life and death” – Meaning, “Allah alone is in absolute control of everything”. Then Ibrahim mentioned two specific things – life and death. This is because they the greatest things in Allah’s absolute control. Life is the beginning of the worldly life and death is the beginning of what is to occur in the afterlife.

Then the one (the king) who sought to ague against Ibrahim said, “I give life and cause death”, but he never said, “I am the One Who gives life and death, because could not claim that he is not in need of anyone to interfere in the matter; instead, he only claimed that he could do what Allah does by killing someone and sparing someone’s life. Prophet Ibrahim saw the fallacy in his argument and utterence of speech that is not even worthy of being a Shubhah (i.e. an ambiguity portrayed as wholesome truth) let alone a proof, so he said to him, “Verily! Allah causes the sun to rise from the east”.

Ibrahim mentioned something that can be clearly seen and affirmed by everyone including this disbeliever. “Then cause it you to rise from the West”. This compelled him to bring proof if he is truthful in his claim.

When Ibrahim uttered this to him, about which he neither had the ability to present an ambiguity to make Ibrahim’s proof look confusing nor could he find something to disparage it, he was utterly defeated – lost for an answer, his proof cut off and his ambiguous statement toppled. (2)

He Who brings life and death (Allah) has absolute control over the existence and creates everything in it, including absolute control of its celestial bodies and their movements. The sun rises everyday from the east, thus, if you were god, as you claim, who gives life and cause death, make the sun rise from the west. (3)

This is the situation of an obstinate falsifier who wants to confront truth and overcome it, because he will be defeated and subdued. This is why Allah said:

وَٱللَّهُ لَا يَہۡدِى ٱلۡقَوۡمَ ٱلظَّـٰلِمِينَ

And Allah guides not the people, who are Zalimun (wrong-doers, etc.)]; instead He abandons them to their disbelief and misguidance. (4)

[1] An Excerpt from Tafsir Al-Baghawi

[2 ] An Excerpt from Tafseer As-Sadi.

[3] Tafseer Ibn Katheer

[4] An Excerpt from Tafseer As-Sadi