As for knowing that the world came into being, the validity of revelation does not depend on knowing this to be true. For we can establish the existence of a Maker who acts by choice through the temporal origination of accidents, or through their contingency, as will be explained in detail later. We then establish that He knows all that can be known and sends messengers, and then establish through the Messenger’s reports that the world came into being.”

He said:

“This makes clear the error of those who claim that the first obligation is to resolve to undertake sound rational inquiry leading to knowledge that the world came into being.”

I say:

The view that al-Rāzī judged erroneous is the one Abū al-Ma'ālī set out at the beginning of al-Irshād, as did various groups of speculative theologians, including the Mu'tazilites and others. It is also the view of those affiliated with al-Ash'arī who agreed with him on this point. They said that the world’s temporal origination can be known only by knowing that bodies came into being, and that this, in turn, can be known only through the temporal origination of accidents. This, however, is not the position of al-Ash'arī or the leading scholars among his followers, for