Exegesis of the saying of Allah the Exalted: “Have you not seen the one who disputed with Abraham concerning his Lord?”
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Question:
Explain to us the saying of the Truth, (Exalted and Majestic is He): [al-Baqarah:258]?
Answer:
This verse is clear to anyone who reflects upon it.
So Abraham (peace be upon him), the intimate friend of the Merciful, was sent by Allah to his people to call them to the oneness of Allah and to warn them against associating partners with Allah. In his time, there was a king called al-Namrud who claimed to be the Lord and the Lord of the worlds. It is reported that he was granted sovereignty over the earth; for the earth has been ruled by four: two disbelievers, namely this al-Namrud and Bakhitanasr, and two Muslims, namely Dhul-Qarnayn and Sulayman ibn Dawud (peace be upon them).
The result is that this al-Namrud was a tyrant and stubborn. He claimed kingship, claimed to be the Lord of the worlds, and claimed to give life and cause death. Therefore, Abraham said to him:[Al-Baqarah 2:258]. The wicked al-Namrud said: [Al-Baqarah 2:258]. The exegetes mentioned that he told Abraham that he would bring two people who deserved to be killed, then he would pardon one and kill the other, and he claimed that this was the meaning of giving life and causing death; he would pardon one who deserved death and say, “I have given him life.”
This is stubbornness and deception. This is not what is intended. Rather, what is intended is that a living being emerges from a stone, from a drop of fluid, and from the earth after death. This is something no one can do except Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He). He is the One who brings forth plants and gives life to the drop of fluid until it becomes animals.
The point is that no one can do this except Allah, but he was stubborn and deceptive. So Abraham moved on with him to a clearer argument for people and more evident for people, so that he would not be able to say anything about it. He showed him (peace be upon him) that Allah brings the sun from the east. If you are a Lord, then bring it from the west! He was confounded, and it became clear to people the falsity of his scheme, and that he is a weak created being who cannot bring the sun from the west instead of the east. It also became clear to people his misguidance, his stubbornness, and the truth of what Abraham (peace be upon him) said.
Explain to us the saying of the Truth, (Exalted and Majestic is He):
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." Abraham said, "Indeed, Allah brings up the sun from the east, so bring it up from the west." So the disbeliever was overwhelmed [by astonishment], and Allah does not guide the wrongdoing people.
أَلَمْ تَرَ إِلَى الَّذِي حَآجَّ إِبْرَاهِيمَ فِي رِبِّهِ أَنْ آتَاهُ اللّهُ الْمُلْكَ إِذْ قَالَ إِبْرَاهِيمُ رَبِّيَ الَّذِي يُحْيِي وَيُمِيتُ قَالَ أَنَا أُحْيِي وَأُمِيتُ قَالَ إِبْرَاهِيمُ فَإِنَّ اللّهَ يَأْتِي بِالشَّمْسِ مِنَ الْمَشْرِقِ فَأْتِ بِهَا مِنَ الْمَغْرِبِ فَبُهِتَ الَّذِي كَفَرَ وَاللّهُ لاَ يَهْدِي الْقَوْمَ الظَّالِمِينَAnswer:
This verse is clear to anyone who reflects upon it.
So Abraham (peace be upon him), the intimate friend of the Merciful, was sent by Allah to his people to call them to the oneness of Allah and to warn them against associating partners with Allah. In his time, there was a king called al-Namrud who claimed to be the Lord and the Lord of the worlds. It is reported that he was granted sovereignty over the earth; for the earth has been ruled by four: two disbelievers, namely this al-Namrud and Bakhitanasr, and two Muslims, namely Dhul-Qarnayn and Sulayman ibn Dawud (peace be upon them).
The result is that this al-Namrud was a tyrant and stubborn. He claimed kingship, claimed to be the Lord of the worlds, and claimed to give life and cause death. Therefore, Abraham said to him:
My Lord is the one who gives life and causes death
رَبِّيَ الَّذِي يُحْيِي وَيُمِيتُI give life and cause death
أَنَا أُحْيِي وَأُمِيتُThis is stubbornness and deception. This is not what is intended. Rather, what is intended is that a living being emerges from a stone, from a drop of fluid, and from the earth after death. This is something no one can do except Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He). He is the One who brings forth plants and gives life to the drop of fluid until it becomes animals.
The point is that no one can do this except Allah, but he was stubborn and deceptive. So Abraham moved on with him to a clearer argument for people and more evident for people, so that he would not be able to say anything about it. He showed him (peace be upon him) that Allah brings the sun from the east. If you are a Lord, then bring it from the west! He was confounded, and it became clear to people the falsity of his scheme, and that he is a weak created being who cannot bring the sun from the west instead of the east. It also became clear to people his misguidance, his stubbornness, and the truth of what Abraham (peace be upon him) said.
Source
binbaz.org.sa
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.