اللَّهُ وَلِيُّ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا يُخْرِجُهُمْ مِنَ الظُّلُمَاتِ إِلَى النُّورِ وَالَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا أَوْلِيَاؤُهُمُ الطَّاغُوتُ يُخْرِجُونَهُمْ مِنَ النُّورِ إِلَى الظُّلُمَاتِ أُولَئِكَ أَصْحَابُ النَّارِ هُمْ فِيهَا خَالِدُونَ ﴿۲۵۷﴾ 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 ﴿۲۵۸﴾
﴾257﴿ Allaahu waliyyul lazeena aamanoo yukhrijuhum minaz zulumaati ilan noori wallazeena kafarooo awliyaaa'uhumut Taaghootu yukhrijoonahum minan noori ilaz zulumaat; ulaaa'ika Ashaabun Naari hum feehaa khaalidoon
﴾258﴿ Alam tara ilal lazee Haaajja Ibraaheema fee Rabbiheee an aataahullaahul mulka iz qaala Ibraaheemu Rabbiyal lazee yuhyee wa yumeetu qaala ana uhyee wa umeetu qaala Ibraaheemu fa innal laaha yaatee bishshamsi minal mashriqi faati bihaa minal maghribi fabuhital lazee kafar; wallaahu laa yahdil qawmaz zaalimeen
﴾257﴿ Allah is the protector of the believers; He brings them out from darknesses (of doubts) into the light (of certainty). And those who disbelieve—their allies are the devils—they bring them out from the light into the darknesses. Those are the people of the Fire; they will remain therein forever.
﴾258﴿
[257] In the previous verse, two types of people were mentioned, and in this verse, the states of both are explained. The meaning of "al-ẓulumāt" (darknesses) is the religious darknesses, such as polytheism, disbelief, innovations, doubts, and the like. The meaning of "an-nūr" (the light) is the illumination of religion, such as monotheism, faith, the sunnah, certainty, and so on.
"Yukhrijuhum minaẓ-ẓulumāt" (He brings them out from darknesses) refers to the one who was previously in disbelief and polytheism and then embraced faith—or it can mean that Allah keeps him safe from falling into those darknesses.
Similarly, "yukhrijūnahum" (they bring them out) refers to those who become apostates, or it means they are being invited (to misguidance) through whispering and deception.
[258] Have you not seen the one who argued with Abraham (peace be upon him) about his Lord because Allah had given him kingship? When Abraham (peace be upon him) said, “My Lord is the One who gives life and causes death,” he replied, “I give life and cause death.” Then Abraham (peace be upon him) said, “Indeed, Allah brings the sun from the east—so bring it from the west.” So the disbeliever was dumbfounded. And Allah does not guide the wrongdoing people.
This incident is an example of the second type of person—like Nimrod—who was stubborn in opposition. He was accompanied by the false deity (ṭāghūt), and therefore did not come out of darkness by the call of Abraham (peace be upon him). Nimrod claimed that he had authority over life and death in this world, while Abraham (peace be upon him) declared that only Allah has control over life and death. So Abraham (peace be upon him) presented a tangible argument: If you claim authority, then reverse the sun’s rising—bring it from the west. The disbeliever was silenced and bewildered. He could not claim control over the sun because there were many people of high status present who would have denied his claim both publicly and privately.
Note: The phrase “fa-inna Allāha ya’tī” (Indeed, Allah brings...) is a refutation of Nimrod’s claim “I give life and cause death.” The reply shows: If you cannot control the visible sun, then how can you claim control over the more subtle matters of life and death? This shift in argument is not a fallacy but a valid method of debate to expose false claims.