Bethinkest thou not of one who contended with Ibrahim concerning his Lord, because Allah had vouchsafed unto him dominion! When Ibrahim said: my Lord is He Who giveth life and causeth death, he said: I give life and cause death. Ibrahim said: verily Allah bringeth the sun from the east, then bring it thou from the west. Thereupon he who disbelieved was dumb-founded, and Allah guideth not a wrong-doing people. 258 Or [art thou, O man, of the same mind] as he who passed by a town deserted by its people, with its roofs caved in, [and] said, "How could God bring all this back to life after its death?" Thereupon God caused him to be dead for a hundred years; where after He brought him back to life [and] said: "How long hast thou remained thus?" He answered: "I have remained thus a day, or part of a day." Said [God]: "Nay, but thou hast remained thus for a hundred years! But look at thy food and thy drink - untouched is it by the passing of years - and look at thine ass! And [We did all this so that We might make thee a symbol unto men. And look at the bones [of animals and men] - how We put them together and then clothe them with flesh!" And when [all this] became clear to him, he said: "I know [now] that God has the power to will anything!" 259 Remember, when Abraham said: "O Lord, show me how you raise the dead," He said: "What! Do you not believe?" "I do," answered Abraham. "I only ask for my heart's assurance." (The Lord) said: "Trap four birds and tame them, then put each of them on a (separate) hill, and call them, and they will come flying to you. Know that God is all-powerful and all-wise." 260