the act of creation; its becoming complete is therefore a new occurrence, and every new occurrence must have a cause. For if that act of creation did not require a newly arising cause, this would entail something coming into being without a newly arising cause.

If it is said that the complete cause is eternal, this would entail the effect being delayed beyond its complete cause, which is impossible.

Those who maintain that the act of creation is distinct from the created thing, and that the act of creation comes into being, offer four answers here.

The first is the position of those who say that the act of creation, though it comes into being, requires no newly arising cause—neither another act of creation nor anything else. They say:

“All of you who dispute our position maintain that something can come into being without a newly arising cause. For whoever says that the created thing is distinct from the act of creation holds that all created things come into being without a newly arising cause. And whoever says that the act of creation is eternal must acknowledge that what is eternal is not confined to any particular time. Thus, no newly arising cause has come about for the created thing that comes into being at its appointed time.”

They say:

“Since this consequence follows on every supposition, the burden of answering it does not fall on us alone. Rather, we say that the created thing came into being through the act of creation, and that the act of creation came about through Allah’s power and His eternal will, without requiring any other cause.”

This is the position of many groups among the adherents of hadith and speculative theology, such as the Karrāmiyyah and others.

The second answer is the position of those among the Mu‘tazilah who say that the act of creation, which comes into being, subsists in the created thing, or subsists without a substrate. Similarly, they say that the will comes into being without subsisting in a substrate and without any cause necessitating its coming into being; rather, He brings it into being solely through His power.