They then began to distinguish between the acquisition they affirmed and creation, saying:

“Acquisition means the concurrence of an act with created power, whereas creation is that which lies within the scope of eternal power.” They also said: “Acquisition is the act that occurs within the locus of the power to perform it, whereas creation is the act that occurs outside the locus of the power to perform it.”

Others replied:

“This establishes no distinction between saying that the servant acquired an act and saying that he performed it, brought it into existence, originated it, made it, did it, or similar expressions. For his performing, originating, doing, and making likewise fall within the scope of created power and occur within its locus.

“Moreover, this distinction has no real substance. Whether the act within the scope of a power occurs within that power’s locus or outside it has no bearing on the power’s actual influence upon it.”

This distinction rests upon “two principles.” The first is that Allah has no power to perform an act that subsists in His own being, and that His creation of the world is the world itself. Most rational people, Muslims and others alike, hold the contrary view.

The second is that whatever falls within the scope of the servant’s power can occur only within the locus where that power exists, and nothing within its scope can occur outside its locus. There is lengthy disagreement concerning this, which this is not the place to discuss.

Furthermore, if influence is explained as mere concurrence, it makes no difference whether the distinguishing factor is within the locus or outside it.

Their opponents also said:

“It is firmly rooted in human nature that whoever performs