the whole universe must perish and then be restored. Thus, if Paradise had been created, it would perish along with everything else, then be restored and never perish again. Jahm, however, says that it will perish and never be restored, while Abū al-Hudhayl says that the movements of the inhabitants of Paradise and Hell will cease.

The second position holds that an infinite number cannot exist in the past, though it can in the future, because the past has already existed, whereas the future has not yet come into existence. This is the position of most of the Mu'tazilah, the Ash'ariyyah, the Karrāmiyyah, and those who agree with them.

The third position holds that an infinite number can exist in both the past and the future. This is the position of the leading authorities among the religious communities and the leading philosophers.

However, the leading authorities among the religious communities, and others who acknowledge that Allah is the Creator of everything and that everything other than Him is originated and preceded by nonexistence, say that an infinite succession of events can proceed only from a single eternal being.

As for those who affirm two eternal entities in motion, such as those who hold that the celestial spheres are eternal, these people—Aristotle and his followers—do not allow events with neither a beginning nor an end to exist in each of the two eternal entities—or, indeed, in multiple eternal entities—even though the events in one are more numerous than those in another. Thus, they allow that something with neither a beginning nor an end can be exceeded in number by something else and can admit of increase. This contrasts with the preceding group, who allow this only in the case of a single eternal being: if His acts have neither a beginning nor an end, it does not follow that they admit of increase.