the Ash'arites (1). As for the Mu'tazilites, they hold that a body may be devoid of many accidents; they make the contrary claim only with regard to locative states or colors (2).”

They further said:

“We do not concede either that accidents are temporally originated or that they do not persist for two successive instants. This position is self-evidently known to be false by the majority of rational people. Moreover, it is neither your position nor that of your Mu'tazilite and Rāfidī shaykhs.”

[If] (3) the Imāmī who denies corporeality says:

“The proof that a body is never devoid of (4) temporally originated things is that it is never devoid of locative states, and locative states are temporally originated, (* for it is never devoid (5) of motion and rest, both of which are temporally originated.”

They replied:

“We do not concede that all (6) locative states are temporally originated *) (7), nor do we concede that rest is temporally originated. Rather, it is possible for there to be a pre-eternal, beginningless body at rest which then began to move after not having been in motion (8); for if rest is a privation, something positive may arise, and if it is something positive, it may cease through something temporally originated (9).”

The one who denies corporeality said:

“What is pre-eternal cannot cease.”

His brethren replied:

“If that which is pre-eternal is a privation, its cessation is possible by the consensus of (10) [rational people] (11), (11 for every temporally originated thing was pre-eternally nonexistent 11) (12), and rest, according to many,”