Development of Muslim Theology, Jurisprudence, and Constitutional TheoryMacDonald, Duncan Black
ReligionIslamic
Development of Muslim Theology, Jurisprudence, and Constitutional Theory
MacDonald, Duncan Black
Constitutional law (Islamic law); Islam -- Doctrines -- History; Islam and state -- History; Islamic law -- History
But as for the proof that the world has had an origin, know that the
world consists of bodies and accidents only, as has preceded. And the
accidents, like motion and rest, are originated, because you observe
their changing from existence to non-existence and from non-existence
to existence. You see it is so in the motion of Zayd. His motion is
lacking if he is at rest; and his rest is lacking if he is in motion.
Then his rest, which comes after his motion, exists after that it has
been lacking through motion; and his motion, which comes after his rest,
exists after that it has been lacking through his rest. And existence
after non-existence means having an origin. And bodies are inseparable
from attributes, because they are never free from either motion or
rest. And whatever is inseparable from a thing having origin must have
origin; _i.e._, must be an entity after non-existence. So, the bodies are
originated also, like the attributes. The proof, in short, is that you
say: Bodies are inseparable from attributes and these have an origin;
everything that is inseparable from that which has an origin, itself has
an origin; therefore, bodies have an origin. And the origin of the two
things—bodies and attributes—that is their existence after non-existence,
is a proof of the existence of Him Most High, because everything having
an origin must have an originator, and there is no originator of the
world save God Most High alone, who has no partner (_sharik_) as shall
be shown in the proof of His Unity. This, then, is the general proof, a
knowledge of which is incumbent upon every _mukallaf_, male and female,
according to the opinion of Ibn al-Arabi and as-Sanusi, who hold those
who do not know it to be unbelievers. So, beware lest there be a
contradiction in your faith.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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