it must subsist in the agent who produces it. This entails the perpetuity of the states and affairs that subsist in His essence and are effects of His power and will.

These three arguments rest on the possibility of an infinite succession of effects. The Karrāmiyya do not endorse this, but others among Muslims, adherents of religious communities, and those outside such communities do.

The Karrāmiyya answer those who agree with them regarding infinite succession by means of the counterarguments or objections already mentioned.

[Al-Āmidī’s fourth argument]

Al-Āmidī said: The fourth argument is that, if newly arising events subsisted in His essence, He would be subject to change, whereas change is impossible for Allah. This is why Abraham, the intimate friend of Allah, peace be upon him, said:

“I do not love those that set.”

Al-Anʿām: 76—that is, those that change.

He said: Someone might reply: If by change you mean newly arising events subsisting in His essence, then the consequent and the antecedent are identical. The conditional premise thus amounts to saying: If newly arising events subsisted in His essence, newly arising events would subsist in His essence. This conveys nothing. The assertion that change, in this sense, is impossible for Allah would then be a claim concerning the point