our knowledge as what exists changes is a condition only of knowledge that is an effect of what exists—that is, temporally originated knowledge.

Thus, eternal knowledge relates to what exists in a manner different from that of temporally originated knowledge; it is not wholly unrelated to it, as was reported of the philosophers, who supposedly said, because of this difficulty, that He does not know particulars.

Their position is not as was imagined. Rather, they hold that He does not know particulars through temporally originated knowledge, which must arise when they arise. He knows them through eternal knowledge, which need not arise when they arise, since it is their cause, rather than an effect of them as temporally originated knowledge is.

This is the fullest affirmation of His transcendence that must be acknowledged. For demonstrative proof has compelled the conclusion that He knows things, since they proceed from Him only by virtue of His knowing—not merely by virtue of His existing, or of His existing with such-and-such an attribute, but by virtue of His knowing. As the Most High says:

“Does He who created not know, while He is the Most Subtle, the All-Aware?” [al-Mulk: 14]

Demonstrative proof has also compelled the conclusion that He does not know them through knowledge of the same nature as knowledge