and so are its accidents; these, too, are undeniably established in external reality. A full treatment of such matters, however, lies outside the scope of the present discussion.

Our purpose here is simply to expose the root of their error concerning the so-called “composition” they posit—whether from genus and differentia, or from a common accident and a specific property—and their claim that such a composition is absent from the Necessary Existent. Once it is understood that this is no genuine composition at all—and that, whether one chooses to call it a composition or not, it cannot be negated of any being whatsoever, whether necessary or contingent—the misguidance of these people becomes evident. They themselves went astray, led many others astray, and wandered far from the straight path.

As for the alleged composition of essence and attributes, this too is no real composition. A human being, who is nothing other than a living, rational creature, does not possess an essence stripped of those attributes such that one might say he is “composed” of essence and attributes; the very reality of his essence is nothing but “a rational animal.” In the same way, the Creator—Exalted is He—Who is none other than Living, Knowing, and Able, has no essence bereft of these attributes so that one could claim He is composed of an essence and attributes.

If someone insists that an essence can be mentally posited apart from its attributes, such a “composition” exists only in his mind and imagination, as we have already explained. It is well known that mental and imaginative constructs are not identical with the realities that exist outside the mind.

Earlier we cited their remarks about the body’s composition from its sensible and intelligible parts. It has now become clear that the “composition” they allege is mistaken both in wording and in meaning; and even if we were to grant their use of the term, it would still be impossible to deny such a composition of any existent, whether necessary or contingent.

Thus the two points we announced have been established: first, that what they call a composition is in fact no composition at all; and second, that even if one should label it a composition, it cannot be negated of any being whatsoever.