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

Imaam Al-Baghawi [may Allaah have mercy upon him] said: They (Qur’an commentators) hold a difference of opinion about the time of this debate. Muqatil [may Allaah have mercy upon him] said that when Ibraahim [peace be upon him] broke the idols, Namrood imprisoned him, then took him out to burn him with fire. He said to him, “Who is your Lord that you call us to worship?” Ibraaheem [peace be upon him] said, “My Lord is the one who gives life and causes death”. Other (Qur’an commentators) say that this was after he was thrown into the fire, then people were afflicted with drought and they used to come to Namrood to get some food, and if a man came to him looking for food, he asked him, “Who is your Lord?” If the man said, “You are my Lord”, he would offer to sell him 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 regarding that which there is no doubt?! Nothing led him to this behaviour except because “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 are 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 argue 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 utterance 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 [peace be upon him] 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 existence and creates everything that is in it, including absolute control of its planets and their movements. The sun rises every day from the east, so if you were god, as you claim, who gives life and causes death, then make the sun rise from the west. (3) This is the situation of an obstinate falsifier who wants to confront the 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)

[Ref 1:Tafseer Al-Baghawi. slightly paraphrased]

[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]