servants, and then explains why this is impossible for Him. The further an impossibility is removed from resembling what exists, the greater its impossibility.

The generation claimed by the Christians, and then by these philosophers, bears less resemblance to generation as we know it than does the generation claimed by some Arab polytheists and ordinary Christians and Jews. This intellectual generation is therefore more impossible than that physical generation. Physical generation is conceivable among self-subsisting entities, whereas intellectual generation is not conceivable among such entities at all.

Moreover, the former affirmed generation from two sources, which is an intelligible form of generation, whereas the latter affirmed generation from a single source. The former affirmed generation through the separation of a part, which is intelligible, whereas the latter affirmed generation without this, which is unintelligible. The former affirmed generation by analogy with the generation of self-subsisting entities from other such entities, whereas the latter affirmed it by analogy with accidents arising from self-subsisting entities. Thus, the former position is evidently closer to what is intelligible, yet it is false, as Allah has explained its falsity and condemned it. The latter position is therefore all the more deserving of rejection as false.

Likewise, if Allah declares someone a disbeliever for affirming a created being that is taken as an intercessor and worshipped besides Allah, then someone who affirms an eternally pre-existent being other than Allah, worshipped and taken as an intercessor, is all the more deserving of being judged a disbeliever. Allah has declared whoever denies the Resurrection a disbeliever even when he maintains that this world came into existence; someone who denies it while maintaining that the world is eternal is therefore greater in disbelief before Allah Most High.

Similarly, when the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, forbade his community to imitate