intend to do it in this book. If God should grant us life and leisure
we shall write a book to show the kindness of God to which He has
called our attention.
It should be known that this kind of argument is just contrary to that
which the Asharites think leads to the knowledge of God. They think
that the creation does not lead us to the knowledge of God through any
of His goodness, but through possibility, that is, the possibility
which is found in all things, which we can understand to be of his
shape or of quite a contrary one. But if this possibility be found
alike in both the cases, then there is no wisdom in the creation of the
universe, and there is found no harmony between man and the parts of
it. For, as they think, if it is possible for the things to have any
other form than they have now, then there can exist no harmony between
man and other existent things by the creation of which God has obliged
man and commanded him to be thankful to Him. This opinion, by which the
creation of man, as a part of the universe, is just as possible, for
instance, as his creation in the void, is like the opinion of those who
say that man exists but he could have been created in quite a different
shape, and yet could perform actions like a man. According to them it
is also possible that he may have formed the part of another universe
quite different from the existing one. In that case the blessing of the
universe can have no obligation for man, for they are not necessary for
his purpose. Hence man is quite careless of them and they of him. So
their existence is no blessing to him. This is all against the nature
of man.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account