with neither preceding the other. Rather, it is known by plain reason that causal influence—in the sense of originating and creating a thing and bringing it into existence—can occur only after that thing’s nonexistence. Otherwise, an eternal existent that has always existed would never need an originator and creator to bring it into existence, nor would it be a possible existent capable of either existence or nonexistence. Rather, that whose beginninglessness is necessary cannot possibly cease to exist and therefore cannot admit of nonexistence.

The eighth argument:

Describing the Lord’s causal influence upon His creatures as an act, a making, an origination, an initiation, a creation, or a bringing-forth (1), and using similar expressions, is something recurrently transmitted from the prophets. Indeed, (2) it is also something upon which the overwhelming majority of rational thinkers agree. These expressions are widely used by the learned and ordinary people alike. Expressions of this kind cannot have an intended or conventionally established meaning that (3) only the learned can understand. That would entail that most people do not understand from one another what they mean by their words, whereas it is well known that the purpose of speech is to convey understanding.

Moreover, if what these expressions meant were different from what is ordinarily understood from them, addressing people in such terms would be obfuscation (4), deception, and misguidance.

Moreover, even if it were supposed that the prophets intended by them something contrary to their apparent meaning, this would have been known to their closest followers.

It is known by necessity that both the leading and ordinary Companions affirmed that