its effects. They say: “The world proceeds from a cause that necessarily entails its effect, and everything other than that cause is its effect.” This has been shown to be self-evidently false.

Whoever says, “The parts of the world, taken together, are necessary or eternal,” makes a claim that is self-evidently invalid. Whoever says, “Temporally originated events proceed from a necessary part of the world,” likewise makes an evidently invalid claim, whether he identifies that part with the celestial spheres or with some of them. This is so for two reasons.

First, if that part—which is necessary through another—is a complete cause of something else, its effect must likewise be eternal alongside it. This would entail that nothing originates in time. If that necessary part is not a complete cause, nothing can proceed from it as an incomplete cause. Even if temporal origination without a complete cause were deemed possible, everything other than Allah could then originate in time. Thus, their claim is false on every supposition.

Second, it is known that no part of the world independently brings other parts into existence. Even if it is said, “Some parts of the world are causes of others,” their causal efficacy depends upon another cause and upon the absence of impediments. Hence, no part of the world can be regarded as a lord that is necessary in itself, eternal, and the originator of other things. Temporally originated events must have a Lord who is necessary in Himself, eternal, and the originator of other things. Since none of the parts of the world can possess these attributes, it follows that the Lord, Most High, is outside the world, its parts, and its attributes. All of this is discussed at length elsewhere.