The reason for this is that they followed Avicenna in allowing that a thing may be contingent in itself yet perpetually necessary through another, beginninglessly and everlastingly. Rather, this notion is false. That is the position held by the overwhelming majority of people—whether adherents of religions, philosophers, or others—and is also the conclusion of Muslim rational inquiry. [The leading philosophers—Aristotle and his followers—also held this] (1): according to them, nothing is contingent unless it is nonexistent at one time and existent at another; contingency and nonexistence are therefore inseparable.

Since everything other than the Lord Most High does not exist through itself but is contingent, it must have been nonexistent at some point; this is necessary for it to be validly described as contingent.

This is an independent proof that everything other than Allah is originated, coming into existence after not having existed, and that He [glory be to Him] (2) is the Creator of every thing after it had been nothing. Glory be to the One who alone possesses (3) everlastingness and beginninglessness, and who made everything besides Him necessarily originate from nonexistence.

This becomes clear as follows. Either it must be said (4): The existence of every thing in external reality is identical with its essence. This is the position of the speculative thinkers of Ahl al-Sunnah, who say:

“The nonexistent is not a thing in external reality [at all] (5).”

They also say:

“In external reality (6), existent things have no essences other than what actually exists there.”

They thus disagree with those among the Muʿtazila and others who say:

“The nonexistent is a thing,”

and with those who say:

“The existence of every thing established in external reality is distinct from its essence and from its reality as established in external reality,”

as is maintained by some philosophers and others like them.