Classes on Theology Sheikh Jaffer H. Jaffer Masumeen Islamic Centre February 21 st, 2012

Last Week We previously established the necessity of a Necessary existent In the Divine worldview – this NE is God We concluded with the following possibility: Some existents are necessary existents and some are possible existents Today we will prove the necessity for the NE to be One

Oneness of God Let us suppose there are two NE’s: First Possibility: –Each existent is created by both the NE’s together Each NE would provide an independent existence for that one existent –However each existent only has one existence –Therefore, this possibility is impossible

Oneness of God Second Possibility: –Some existents are created by one NE while others are created by the other NE –Each existent would be governed by their specific NE’s system and order And since there are two NE’s it would mean that there are two different systems and orders in this world –However, as we have proven, the harmony in this world proves there is only one order and system in this world

Oneness of God Second Possibility- Continued –Naqli Proof: –لَوْ كانَ فيهِما آلِهَةٌ إِلاَّ اللَّهُ لَفَسَدَتا فَسُبْحانَ اللَّهِ رَبِّ الْعَرْشِ عَمَّا يَصِفُونَ If there had been in them (heavens and earth)any gods except Allah, they would both have certainly been in a state of disorder. Clear is Allah, the Lord of the Throne, of what they allege concerning Him (al-Anbiya 21:22) Third possibility: –One NE controls everything while the second agrees with everything Defeats the purpose of this NE.

Attributes of God Two main goals of discussing the Attributes of God –By establishing the positive attributes so the Creator will be recognized as being worthy of worship –By establishing the negative attributes so that Creator is not compared to His creation

Attributes of God Previously established two attributes of the NE (واجب الوجود) –Not being dependent on any other existent –The necessary existent is the first cause of the possible existent The NE exists by means of its essence –Never required a cause to bring it to existence –Does not require a cause to continue its existence

Attributes of God Two more attributes are established God was without beginning, meaning that He never was preceded by nonexistence God is without end, meaning that He will never be non-existent. –سرمدي – everlasting/eternal Question: –What can we prove from these two attributes? Every existent that has a past of non-existence or has the possibility to become extinct will never be a necessary existent

Attributes of God The NE must be simple بسيط and non-compound غير مركب –i.e. not made up of physical parts or intellectual parts Proof of not having Physical Parts: –Anything made up of physical parts is compound and is dependent upon those parts NE is independent of everything – therefore NE cannot be compound and thus cannot be physical –Anything which is a physical organism is corporeal (tangible and material) Since NE is not physical; it is incorporeal or immaterial –NE cannot be limited to or subjected to time and space Space is only described for something which has a body, weight…etc Anything which can be described by time can be divided at intervals – Anything which has a beginning or an end is not eternal

Attributes of God We have proven certain negative attributes - الصفات السلبية which do not exist in the NE –Body - جسم –Space – مكان –Time – زمان Proof of not having Intellectual Parts: –Whenever we describe an existent, we can give an intellectual definition to it Anything which can be given an intellectual definition, can thus be intellectually annihilated –NE cannot have an intellectual definition – thus cannot be annihilated

Attributes of God If we understand that NE واجب الوجود is simple بسيط –We can further add to the proofs of the Oneness of God If there were two necessary existents There must be a way to distinguish one from the other –This would mean that they are each composed of two things »That which they have in common »That which they don’t have in common And we have established that the NE is simple and not composed of anything (physically or intellectually) Therefore it is impossible for there to be two NE’s.

Questions?