Darʾ Taʿâroud al-ʿAql wa-n-Naql - Ibn Taimiya - (3/117)

Darʾ Taʿâroud al-ʿAql wa-n-NaqlIbn Taimiya

Likewise, one may say: An existing thing either has life in itself, has life through another, or is not alive.

It is known that beings which have life through another exist. A human being in his mother’s womb is not alive before the spirit is breathed into him, but becomes alive afterward. This establishes the existence of a being which has life through another who made it alive. The one who made it alive either has life in himself or through another. Whatever has life through another requires a living being. The sequence must therefore ultimately reach a being who has life in himself, bringing the impossible infinite regress to an end.

Thus, it is established that among existing things is that which has life in itself. Whatever has life in itself can only be necessarily existent and eternal in itself. For if its essence necessarily entails its life, such that its life does not come from another, then all the more certainly its essence must be necessarily existent in itself and not derive its existence from another. Life subsists in the living being characterized by it. If that life is eternal, beginningless, necessarily existent in itself, and incapable of nonexistence, then all the more certainly the living being characterized by it must be living, eternal, beginningless, and necessarily existent in itself.

The regress called the regress of causes and effects, causal agents and their effects, agents and what they produce, and creators and created things is impossible by the agreement of rational thinkers and by clear rational judgment. Indeed, its impossibility is self-evident to reason once it is conceived. It is against this that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, instructed one to seek refuge, saying:

“Satan comes to one of you and says, ‘Who created this? Who created that?’ He replies, ‘Allah.’ Then Satan says, ‘Who created Allah?’ If any of you experiences this, let him seek refuge in Allah and desist.”

He thus instructed him to seek refuge from Satan so that Allah would rid him of the corrupt whisperings

ومثل أن يقال الموجود: إما حي بنفسه وإما حي بغيره، وإما ليس بحي. ومعلوم أن الحي بغيره موجود، فإن الإنسان يكون في بطن أمه قبل نفخ الروح فيه ليس بحي ثم يصير حياً بعد ذلك. فثبت وجود الحي بغيره الذي جعله حياً. وذلك الذي جعله حياً إما أن يكون حياً بنفسه، وإما بغيره. والحي بغيره يحتاج إلى حي، فلا بد أن ينتهي الأمر إلى حي بنفسه قطعاً للتسلسل الممتنع، فثبت أن في الوجود ما هو حي بنفسه، والحي بنفسه لا يكون إلا واجباً قديماً بنفسه، فإن ذاته إذا كانت مستلزمة لحياته، بحيث لا تكون حياته حاصلة له من غيره، فغن تكون ذاته واجبة بنفسها، لا تكون حاصلة بغيرها أولى وأحرى فغن الحياة قائمة في الموصوف الحي بها، فإذا كانت الحياة قديمة أزلية واجبة بنفسها يمتنع عدمها، فالحي الموصوف بها أن يكون حياً قديماً أزلياً واجباً بنفسه أولى وأحرى. والتسلسل الذي يسمى التسلسل في العلل والمعلولات، والمؤثر والأثر والفاعل والمفعول، والخالق ولمخلوق هو ممتنع باتفاق العقلاء. وبصريح المعقول، بل هو ممتنع في بديهة العقل بعد التصور، وهو الذي أمر النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم بالاستعاذة منه في قوله صلى الله عليه وسلم «يأتي الشيطان أحدكم فيقول: من خلق كذا؟ من خلق كذا؟ فيقول: الله فيقول: من خلق الله فإذا وجد ذلك أحدكم فليستعذ بالله ولينته» فأمره بالاستعاذة منه ليقطع عنه الله الوساوس الفاسدة