The mention of the debate between the Prophet of Allah, Ibrahim al-Khalil, and a tyrannical disbeliever
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
The Shaykh : And I am mentioning to you now a debate that took place between Ibrahim al-Khalil (peace and blessings be upon him) and a rebellious polytheist: [Al-Baqarah 2:258] So when your Lord brings life and causes death, I bring life and cause death. So I am the Lord of your Lord. So Ibrahim said to him: [Al-Baqarah 2:258] How did he debate him? With that which is best. He debated him with a matter to which he could not respond. And for this reason he said: [Al-Baqarah 2:258] At first, he responded to Ibrahim when Ibrahim said: [Al-Baqarah 2:258] He debated and said: [Al-Baqarah 2:258] Is this a claim on his part that he brings life and causes death? Or that he is in a state of one of the conditions? The apparent meaning is that he is in a state of one of the conditions. The conditions are: that the man who has earned the death penalty is brought to him, and he does not kill him, and he claims that this is bringing life, whereas in reality it is not bringing life, for the man was alive before. Or that the man who has not earned the death penalty is brought to him, and he kills him, and he says: This is causing death. And this is not correct. This is not causing death, but he performed an action that necessitates death. If Allah had willed that this one who was killed not die, he would not have died. Do you not know that the Dajjal will have a young man brought to him who says: I testify that you are the Dajjal about whom the Messenger of Allah informed us? So he cuts him in two and walks between the two parts, then he calls him, and he stands up, his face brightening. Who brought him to life? Allah (Mighty and Majestic). So the important point is that this man—some scholars said that by his statement "I bring life and cause death," he meant that the man who has not earned the death penalty is brought to him and he kills him, and he claimed that this is causing death, and that the man who has earned the death penalty is brought to him and he lifts the death penalty from him, and he claimed that this is bringing life. And it was said: that this is a claim on his part, and he does not intend to bring it down to a state of one of the conditions, meaning he claimed that he brings life and causes death. And in any case, Ibrahim turned away from this which could have been a debate; he turned away from it to a matter from which he could not escape. And what is that? [Al-Baqarah 2:258] Can he claim that he brings it from the west? It is not possible, because this is a matter known by self-evidence. [Al-Baqarah 2:258] And for this reason, the debater should take the shortest path to silencing the opponent. He should not follow him, because if he follows him, he may lead you up a mountain that you cannot climb. But bring a matter from which he cannot escape, and turn away from his answer in which he introduced the doubt, so that you may defeat him finally.
The important point is that our situation regarding the calling of people is divided into: who knows?
Please proceed.
The student: ... .
The Shaykh : The first: calling with wisdom.
And the second: if he is not convinced, we admonish him with encouragement and warning.
And the third: if he debates, we debate him with that which is best.
Have you not considered the one who argued with Abraham about his Lord [merely] because Allah had given him kingship? When Abraham said, "My Lord is the one who gives life and causes death," he said, "I give life and cause death."
أَلَمْ تَرَ إِلَى الَّذِي حَاجَّ إِبْرَاهِيمَ فِي رَبِّهِ أَنْ آتَاهُ اللَّهُ الْمُلْكَ إِذْ قَالَ إِبْرَاهِيمُ رَبِّيَ الَّذِي يُحْيِي وَيُمِيتُ قَالَ أَنَا أُحْيِي وَأُمِيتُIndeed, Allah brings up the sun from the east, so bring it up from the west.
فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ يَأْتِي بِالشَّمْسِ مِنَ الْمَشْرِقِ فَأْتِ بِهَا مِنَ الْمَغْرِبِSo the disbeliever was overwhelmed [by astonishment]
فَبُهِتَ الَّذِي كَفَرَMy Lord is the one who gives life and causes death
رَبِّيَ الَّذِي يُحْيِي وَيُمِيتُI give life and cause death
أَنَا أُحْيِي وَأُمِيتُIndeed, Allah brings up the sun from the east, so bring it up from the west.
إِنَّ اللَّهَ يَأْتِي بِالشَّمْسِ مِنَ الْمَشْرِقِ فَأْتِ بِهَا مِنَ الْمَغْرِبِSo the disbeliever was overwhelmed [by astonishment], and Allah does not guide the wrongdoing people.
فَبُهِتَ الَّذِي كَفَرَ وَاللَّهُ لا يَهْدِي الْقَوْمَ الظَّالِمِينَThe important point is that our situation regarding the calling of people is divided into: who knows?
Please proceed.
The student: ... .
The Shaykh : The first: calling with wisdom.
And the second: if he is not convinced, we admonish him with encouragement and warning.
And the third: if he debates, we debate him with that which is best.