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

Allaah [The Exalted] said:

أَلَمۡ تَرَ إِلَى ٱلَّذِى حَآجَّ إِبۡرَٲهِـۧمَ فِى رَبِّهِۦۤ أَنۡ ءَاتَٮٰهُ ٱللَّهُ ٱلۡمُلۡكَ إِذۡ قَالَ إِبۡرَٲهِـۧمُ رَبِّىَ ٱلَّذِى يُحۡىِۦ وَيُمِيتُ قَالَ أَنَا۟ أُحۡىِۦ وَأُمِيتُ‌ۖ قَالَ إِبۡرَٲهِـۧمُ فَإِنَّ ٱللَّهَ يَأۡتِى بِٱلشَّمۡسِ مِنَ ٱلۡمَشۡرِقِ فَأۡتِ بِہَا مِنَ ٱلۡمَغۡرِبِ فَبُهِتَ ٱلَّذِى كَفَرَ‌ۗ وَٱللَّهُ لَا يَہۡدِى ٱلۡقَوۡمَ ٱلظَّـٰلِمِينَ

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.). [Surah Al-Baqarah. Aayah 258]

[أَلَمۡ تَرَ إِلَى ٱلَّذِى حَآجَّ إِبۡرَٲهِـۧمَ فِى رَبِّهِۦۤ – Have you seen (contemplated with your heart) him who disputed with Ibrahim (Abraham) about his Lord (Allah)]- Meaning, he argued with Ibraaheem, and this person – based on what a group of the scholars stated- was Namrood. Ibn Abbaas [may Allaah be pleased with him and his father] said, “The Kings who ruled the eastern and western regions of the earth were two believers and two disbelievers: the two believers were Prophet Sulaymaan and Dhul Qarnayn, and the two disbelievers were Namrood and Bukhtanasar”. Ibn Qutaybah said, “Namrood argued with Prophet Ibraaheem because he was given a kingdom, so he became self-amazed and amazed with his kingdom. (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 regarding that which there is no doubt?! Nothing led him to this behaviour except because that “Allah had given him the kingdom”, so he transgressed and rebelled, and considered himself as one in control of those under his authority, which led him to argue with Prophet Ibraaheem about Allaah’s Lordship and claimed that he can do the same thing as Allaah does. Prophet Ibraheem said to him, “My Lord is He Who gives life and death” – Meaning, Allaah alone is in absolute control of everything; then Ibraaheem mentioned two specific affairs – life and death, because they the greatest things in Allaah’s absolute control. That is because granting life is the beginning of the worldly life and death is the beginning of that which is to occur in the afterlife. So, the one who sought to ague against Ibraaheem said, “I give life and cause death”, but never said, “I am The One Who gives life and death”, because he could not claim that he was not in need of anyone to interfere in the affair; rather he only claimed that he could do what Allaah does by killing someone and sparing someone’s life. Prophet Ibraaheem saw the fallacy in his argument and his 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”- Meaning, Ibraaheem mentioned something that can be clearly seen and affirmed by everyone including this disbeliever; “Then cause it you to rise from the west”- Meaning, this compelled him to bring proof if he was truthful in his claim. So, when Ibraaheem uttered this to him about which he neither had the ability to present an ambiguity to make Ibraaheem’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 (Allaah) has absolute control over the existence and creates everything is in it, including absolute control of its planets and their movements. The sun rises everyday from the east, so if you were god, as you claim, who gives life and cause death, then 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 Allaah said: [وَٱللَّهُ لَا يَہۡدِى ٱلۡقَوۡمَ ٱلظَّـٰلِمِينَ – And Allah guides not the people, who are Zalimun (wrong-doers, etc.)]; rather He abandons them to their disbelief and misguidance. (4)

The Greatest King of all Time (Prophet Sulayman), The Ant, The Hoopoe, The Upright Scholar, The If’reet and The Intelligent Queen!

The Greatest King of all Time (Prophet Sulayman), The Ant, The Hoopoe, The Upright Scholar, The If’reet and The Intelligent Queen!

[Ref 1: An Excerpt from Zaadul Maseer Fee Ilmit Tafseer- By Imaam Ibnul Jawzi]

[Ref 2: An Excerpt from Tafseer As-Sadi. slightly paraphrased]

[Ref 3: Tafseer Ibn Katheer]

[Ref 4: An Excerpt from Tafseer As-Sadi. slightly paraphrased]