أَلَمْ تَرَ إِلَى ٱلَّذِى حَآجَّ إِبْرَٰهِۦمَ فِى رَبِّهِۦٓ أَنْ ءَاتَىٰهُ ٱللَّهُ ٱلْمُلْكَ إِذْ قَالَ إِبْرَٰهِۦمُ رَبِّىَ ٱلَّذِى يُحْىِۦ وَيُمِيتُ قَالَ أَنَا۠ أُحْىِۦ وَأُمِيتُ ۖ قَالَ إِبْرَٰهِۦمُ فَإِنَّ ٱللَّهَ يَأْتِى بِٱلشَّمْسِ مِنَ ٱلْمَشْرِقِ فَأْتِ بِهَا مِنَ ٱلْمَغْرِبِ فَبُهِتَ ٱلَّذِى كَفَرَ ۗ وَٱللَّهُ لَا يَهْدِى ٱلْقَوْمَ ٱلظَّٰلِمِينَ
Apakah kamu tidak memperhatikan orang yang mendebat Ibrahim tentang Tuhannya (Allah) karena Allah telah memberikan kepada orang itu pemerintahan (kekuasaan). Ketika Ibrahim mengatakan: "Tuhanku ialah Yang menghidupkan dan mematikan," orang itu berkata: "Saya dapat menghidupkan dan mematikan". Ibrahim berkata: "Sesungguhnya Allah menerbitkan matahari dari timur, maka terbitkanlah dia dari barat," lalu terdiamlah orang kafir itu; dan Allah tidak memberi petunjuk kepada orang-orang yang zalim.
Tafsir Ibn Kathir
The Debate Between Ibrahim Al-Khalil and King Nimrod
The king who disputed with Ibrahim was King Nimrod, son of Canaan, son of Kush, son of Sam, son of Noah, as Mujahid stated. It was also said that he was Nimrod, son of Falikh, son of `Abir, son of Shalikh, son of Arfakhshand, son of Sam, son of Noah. Mujahid said, "The kings who ruled the eastern and western parts of the world are four, two believers and two disbelievers. As for the two believing kings, they were Sulayman bin Dawud and Dhul-Qarnayn. As for the two disbelieving kings, they were Nimrod and Nebuchadnezzar." Allah knows best.
Allah said,
(Have you not looked) meaning, "With your heart, O Muhammad!"
(at him who disputed with Ibrahim about his Lord) meaning, about the existence of Allah. Nimrod denied the existence of a god other than himself, as he claimed, just as Fir`awn said later to his people,
(I know not that you have a god other than me) 28:38.
What made Nimrod commit this transgression, utter disbelief and arrant rebellion was his tyranny and the fact that he ruled for a long time. This is why the Ayah continued,
(Because Allah had given him the kingdom. )
It appears that Nimrod asked Ibrahim to produce proof that Allah exists. Ibrahim replied,
(My Lord is He Who gives life and causes death) meaning, "The proof of Allah's existence is the creations that exist after they were nothing and perish after they had existed. This only proves the existence of the Creator, Who does what He wills, for these things could not have occurred on their own without a Creator who created them, and He is the Lord that I call to for worship, Alone without a partner."
This is when Nimrod said,
(I give life and cause death.)
Qatadah, Muhammad bin Ishaq and As-Suddi said that he meant, "Two men who deserved execution were to be brought before me, and I would command that one of them be killed, and he would be killed. I would command that the second man be pardoned, and he would be pardoned. This is how I bring life and death." However, it appears that since Nimrod did not deny the existence of a Creator, his statement did not mean what Qatadah said it meant. This explanation does not provide an answer to what Ibrahim said. Nimrod arrogantly and defiantly claimed that he was the creator and pretended that it was he who brings life and death. Later on, Fir`awn imitated him and announced,
(I know not that you have a god other than me) 28: 38.
This is why Ibrahim said to Nimrod,
(Verily, Allah brings the sun from the east; then bring it you from the west.)
This Ayah means, "You claim that it is you who brings life and death. He who brings life and death controls the existence and creates whatever is in it, including controlling its planets and their movements. For instance, the sun rises everyday from the east. Therefore, if you were god, as you claimed, bringing life and death, then bring the sun from the west." Since the king was aware of his weakness, inadequacy and that he was not able to reply to Ibrahim's request, he was idle, silent and unable to comment. Therefore, the proof was established against him. Allah said,
(And Allah guides not the people, who are wrongdoers) meaning, Allah deprives the unjust people of any valid proof or argument. Furthermore, their false proof and arguments are annulled by their Lord, and they have earned His anger and will suffer severe torment.
The meaning that we provided is better than the meaning that some philosophers offered, claiming that Ibrahim used the second argument because it was clearer than the first one. Rather, our explanation asserts that Ibrahim refuted both claims of Nimrod, all praise is due to Allah.
As-Suddi stated that the debate between Ibrahim and Nimrod occurred after Ibrahim was thrown in the fire, for Ibrahim did not meet the king before that day.
Hadits Terkait
Telah menceritakan kepada kami [Abu Bakar bin Abi Syaibah] telah menceritakan kepada kami [Abu al-Ahwash] dari [Abu Ishaq] dari [al-Bara' bin 'Azib] dia berkata, "Aku shalat bersama Nabi Shallallahu'alaihiwasallam menghadap Baitul Maqdis selama enam belas bulan hingga turun ayat tersebut yang ada dalam surat al-Baqarah, "Dan di mana pun kamu berada maka palingkanlah wajah-wajahmu ke arahnya." (QS.Albaqarah 124), ayat tersebut turun setelah Nabi Shallallahu'alaihiwasallam shalat, lalu seorang laki-laki dari suatu kaum bertolak pergi, lalu dia berjalan bersama beberapa manusia dari kalangan Anshar, dan mereka shalat, lalu beliau menceritakannya kepada mereka, maka mereka menghadapkan wajah-wajah mereka ke Baitullah
Telah menceritakan kepada kami [Yahya bin Yahya] telah mengabarkan kepada kami [Husyaim] dari [Ismail bin Abi Khalid] dari [al-Harits bin Syubail] dari [Abu Amru asy-Syaibani] dari [Zaid bin Arqam] dia berkata, "Dahulu kami bercakap-cakap dalam shalat. Seorang laki-laki bercakap-cakap dengan teman di sampingnya dalam keadaan shalat, hingga turun ayat, '...Shalatlah kamu karena Allah dengan khusyu'. (Al-Baqarah: 238). Lalu kami disuruh diam, dan dilarang bercakap-cakap'." Telah menceritakan kepada kami [Abu Bakar bin Abi Syaibah] telah menceritakan kepada kami [Abdullah bin Numair] dan [Waki'] dia berkata, --Lewat jalur periwayatan lain-- dan telah menceritakan kepada kami [Ishaq bin Ibrahim] telah mengabarkan kepada kami [Isa bin Yunus] mereka meriwayatkan dari [Ismail bin Abi Khalid] dengan isnad ini hadits semisalnya
Telah mengabarkan kepada kami [Abu Bakr bin Ishaq] dia berkata; Telah menceritakan kepada kami [Abu Zaid Sa'id bin Ar-Rabi'] dia berkata; Telah menceritakan kepada kami ['Ali bin Al Mubarak] dari [Yahya bin Abu Katsir] dia berkata; Telah menceritakan kepadaku [Abu Hafshah] -budak 'Aisyah- bahwasanya ['Aisyah] mengabarkan kepadanya bahwa pada masa Rasulullah shallallahu 'alaihi wasallam terjadi gerhana matahari, maka beliau berwudlu lalu memerintahkan untuk menyeru, 'Ash-Shalatul Jami'ah'. Lalu beliau berdiri dan memperlama berdirinya saat shalat." Kemudian Aisyah berkata; 'Aku memperkirakan beliau membaca surah Al-Baqarah, kemudian beliau ruku' dengan ruku' yang lama, lalu mengucapakan Sami' Allahu Liman Hamidah. Kemudian beliau berdiri seperti berdirinya semula tanpa sujud, lalu ruku' lagi dan sujud lagi. Kemudian berdiri dan berbuat seperti yang diperbuat pada dua ruku' dan satu kali sujud yang pertama. Lantas beliau duduk, sedangkan matahari telah terang
Dan dengan sanad ini (Yaitu; Telah menceritakan kepada kami ['Abd bin Humaid] telah mengabarkan kepada kami [Abdurrazzaq] dari [Ma'mar] dari [Hammam bin Munabbih] dari [Abu Hurairah]) dari Nabi shallallahu 'alaihi wasallam: "Lalu orang-orang yang zhalim mengganti perintah dengan (mengerjakan) yang tidak diperintahkan kepada mereka." QS Al-Baqarah: 59, Beliau bersabda: "Mereka berkata; biji dalam rambut." Abu Isa berkata; Hadits ini hasan shahih
Telah menceritakan kepada kami ['Abd bin Humaid] telah mengabarkan kepada kami [Yazid bin Harun] telah mengabarkan kepada kami [Abdul Malik bin Abu Sulaiman] ia berkata; Aku mendengar [Sa'id bin Jubair] menceritakan dari [Ibnu Umar] ia berkata; Nabi shallallahu 'alaihi wasallam pernah shalat sunnah di atas kendaraan beliau kemana pun kendaraan beliau menghadap, ketika itu beliau pergi dari Makkah menuju Madinah. Setelah itu Ibnu Umar membaca ayat ini: "Dan kepunyaan Allah-lah timur dan barat." QS Al-Baqarah: 115. Ibnu Umar berkata; "Berkenaan dengan peristiwa itulah, ayat ini turun." Abu Isa berkata; Hadits ini hasan shahih. Diriwayatkan dari Qatadah, ia berkata tentang ayat ini: Dan kepunyaan Allah-lah timur dan barat, maka kemanapun kamu menghadap di situlah wajah Allah." QS Al-Baqarah: 115 Qatadah berkata; Ayat ini mansukhah, dinasakh dengan firman Allah, "Palingkanlah mukamu ke arah Masjidil Haram." QS Al-Baqarah: 144 yaitu arahnya. Telah menceritakan kepada kami yang demikian itu Muhammad bin Abdul Malik bin Abu Asy Syawarib, telah menceritakan kepada kami Yazid bin Zurai' dari Sa'id dari Qatadah. Dan diriwayatkan pula dari Mujahid tentang ayat ini: "Maka kemanapun kamu menghadap, di situlah wajah Allah." QS Al-Baqarah: 115, ia berkata; "Di sanalah kiblat Allah." Telah menceritakan kepada kami seperti itu Muhammad bin Al Ala` telah menceritakan kepada kami Waki' dari An Nadlr bin Arabi dari Mujahid seperti itu