Selasa, 23 April 2013

Ibn Taymiyyah On the Creation of the Universe


On the creation of the universe
Anyone who tries to understand Ibn Taymiyyahs doctrine of creation throughout his works will be struck by the simplicity of his discourse. Not only does he not agree with the theories and ramifications of the philosophers on cosmological doctrine, but apparently he dares not speculate beyond the revealed knowledge of the QurÉn and the information given by the prophets. This is for this reason, he contends, that knowledge of the creation cannot be attained simply from logical proof. It must be referred to the revelation that should initially be preceded by the knowledge of the veracity (Îidq) of the prophets.134
Close examination of Ibn Taymiyyahs concept of creation suggests that he maintains the createdness of the universe and denies its qualification of being eternal. This section will discuss in detail his teaching based on his principle of  creation in relation  to the concept of time,  the eternity of Gods acts of creation,  the attributes of will and action, and finally his description of the creation of the heavens and earth from matter.
The general principle of Ibn Taymiyyah about  the creation is that the  universe (al-‘Élam),  is “everything other than God, and this must be discerned as  created (makhlËq), brought into being in time (hÉdith) and existing after it previously did not  (kÉ’in ba‘da an lam yakun).  It is only God, the Eternal, Sempiternal (qadÊm azalÊ) who creates the universe.135 Moreover, he asserts that the creation of creatures (al-makhlËqÉt) is preceded by non-being (adam) and does not coexist with the existence of the Creator.136 
The first point emphasised by Ibn Taymiyyah to prove the createdness of the universe and to refute the idea of its  being eternal is the concept of time in creation. If the Creator and the creature are discerned in the sense of the relationship between the perfect cause (al-muthir al-tÉmm), and the effected object, it should be understood that an effect (athar) comes after it has been caused. This is based on the pronouncement of the QurÉn that God creates something directly without any intermediate means: Verily, when He wishes a thing, His command is ‘Be and it is.137 Moreover, if creation is viewed from the perspective that God is the First (al-awwal ) and  the Preceding (al-mutaqaddim), it should be perceived that He precedes everything, meaning that every other existing things must, subsequently,  come  after Him in time.138  Employing the principle of causality, he shows  that God created everything and His creatures came into being after they were created, just like the brokenness of a thing that comes after the act of breaking or the articulation of the words of divorce that happens before the occurrence of divorce.139 
Thus, Ibn Taymiyyah understands the precedence of the act of creation over the existence of things created, or  the cause (illah) over  the caused object (ma‘lËl), in the general  sense of time. This is fundamentally different from the philosophers idea that the cause is contemporaneous with its effect.
A further aspect of Ibn Taymiyyahs concept of creation is his delineation of Gods eternal creation.  In this matter Ibn Taymiyyah explains that ‘eternal (al-azal) means without beginning and limit of time. To him, to state that God is eternally omnipotent would imply that He is continuously omnipotent and His being omnipotent is an eternal attribute of His, without beginning and limit of time. But, to say that He is speaking and acting eternally, indicates that He is speaking and acting eternally by His wish and power,140 hence the eternity of  His act of creation. The idea of the eternity of Gods act of creation is a crucial point that led the theologians and philosophers raised different view concerning the existing world. The philosophers, for instance, postulated that since God is eternal and eternally creating, the world is an eternal creation from eternal God.141 The problem rests on perceiving two different beings, God and the creature, in one process of Gods eternal action. How can the eternal action produce something temporal or how can temporal things  (al-hawÉdith) come from eternity?
Observing different points of view, particularly those which declare the eternity of the universe, Ibn Taymiyyah put forwards his own opinion. He insists that all things other than God are created, preceded by non being and cannot be eternal like the Creator as there is nothing eternal like His eternity. The eternity of His creation, should be understood in the sense that He creates the created creatures one after the other. In the creature the creation is indicated in the occurrence of the temporal phenomena and movements. In God it indicates nothing more than the eternity of His action, for the created object is not conjoint with Him.142 Besides, Gods act of creation is also different from the created creature, because one is the source and the other is the object.  The former has no time limit, while the latter exists with a beginning and limit of time. The act of creation is attached to the source, while the created creature is separated from it.143
Looking at Ibn Taymiyyahs idea about gradual creation, it appears to follow, if not to coincide with, Ibn Rushds idea of gradual creation from moment to moment in a series of phenomena.144 The two have similar attitudes in rejecting the idea of Neoplatonic emanation. However, Ibn Taymiyyah disagrees with Ibn Rushds concept of direct emanation of all the ever-changing existence from The First (al-wÉhid al-awwal). To him, the One creates (khalaq) everything and yet it does not emanate from him; He is not the cause but the agent ( fÉil ) of everything by His will and power.
In the context of Gods will and power that we shall now move to another thought of Ibn Taymiyyah about creation. In this respect Ibn Taymiyyahs conviction is that any attempt to understand the concept of creation and the affirmation of the maker of the universe or the temporal phenomena (al-muhdathÉt) should be preceded necessarily by the affirmation of  Gods attributes ( ÎifÉtih ) and acts ( af‘Élih).145 It is because, he believes, without attributes  such a being cannot create this universe.
In explaining his concept of creation, Ibn Taymiyyah begins with his contention that God creates everything since He has permanent attributes, such as power of autonomous action (al-qudrah).146 He is also voluntarily omnipotent (qÉdir mukhtÉr) and creates by will (mashÊ’ah) and choice (ikhtiyÉr), without any compulsion, as He is necessary by His will and power.147  In  consequence, he infers, ‘we have to admit whenever it is Gods will to  create something, it comes to exist, and whenever  it is not His will, the thing will never exist. Thus, everything in the universe  exists by His power and will.148 This implies that the agent (fÉil) will never act  unless with His will and power, while every object of will (murÉd) and power (maqdËr) is the indication of their being created creatures or in other words is a proof that they were brought into being (muhdath).149
As in Gods eternal creation, there is also an obscure problem faced by the theologians and the philosophers regarding the eternal will and acts of God in relation to the production of temporal phenomena from it.  If the ‘will and ‘acts are eternal, they must produce eternal creatures. The solution of Ibn Taymiyyah to this problem is clear. To him, Gods attributes are eternal, some are eternally necessary for His essence, like living, and some others,  like knowledge (al-ilm), will (irÉdah), speech (kalÉm) and the like, are eternal,  but  there are units ( ÉhÉd ) of Gods essence from which the temporal phenomena occur.  The attribute of ‘will, for instance, is an eternal attribute, but there are particular ‘wills (irÉdÉt juziyyah) from which the new ‘willed object flows.150 This solution allows the possibility of producing temporal phenomena from the eternal will and acts of God, without attributing eternity to the creature like the eternity of God.  Thus, God is eternal and by His eternal acts of creation, He creates many creatures with quality of temporality.
Moving aside from Ibn Taymiyyahs description of the principle of creation, now we shall look at his discourse on the creation of the heaven and the earth (al-samÉwÉt wa al-ard}). With reference to the QurÉn, Ibn Taymiyyah holds that the creation mentioned in the QurÉn is only about the creation of the heaven and the earth while there were many other things that existed before, though no detailed information is provided by the QurÉn.
According to Ibn Taymiyyah God created (khalaqa) and  brought this heavens and the earth into being (ahdatha) from matter that was created before.151 He also mentions that before this, there were other creatures, namely the throne and the water.152  The creation of the heaven and the earth from matter, he says,  agrees with the ideas of  the People of  the Book as well as the ancient philosophers.153  He even  concludes that  the heavens and earth were  created from matter (mÉddah) before their form (ÎËrah).154  However, he does not explain further how this idea agrees with that of the ancient philosophers, just as he does not subsequently speculate whether the matters from which all the universe is made are eternal entities or created after they were previously not. He just believes in the basic concept that everything other than God is created and hence, is not eternal.
In conclusion, looking at his depiction of the general principle of creation, it appears so simple that does not represent a theory with a variety of logical arguments. Unlike his refutation of the philosophers ideas on the origination of the universe, his own though which represents the truth as he sees it is not followed by much argument. His main idea is that the universe is created ex-nihilo 155 in the sense that it is created by the free will of the Creator and created from nothing. But, the case of the heavens and the earth he takes a different views, as he asserts that these were created from the will of the Creator but not from nothing. The heavens and the earth were created from matter which had been  created before.  These two ideas appear to pose a contradiction  that Ibn Taymiyyah does not clarify  further.  The possible meaning, perhaps, is that to the whole of creation, the concept of creatio ex-nihilo applies, while for the creation of the heaven and the earth, it does not.  This is because he believes on the basis of the QurÉn that there was another creation before the creation of the heavens and the earth.





134 Dar’ Ta‘ÉruÌ, vol. I,  p. 132.
135 Ibn Taymiyyah claims that the definition is consonant with the QurÉnic description of the universe as it begins  with the declaration:Praise be to God, the Cherisher and Sustainer of the Worlds. Dar Ta‘ÉruÌ, vol.  I, p. 125; See also “Sharh} HadÊth Umar Ibn HuØain, in MajmË‘at al-RasÉil wa al-MasÉil,  vol, V,  sixth treatise,  p. 177.
136 MinhÉj al-Sunnah,  ed.R.SÉlim, I, p. 101.
137 The QurÉn,  36 : 82.
138 MinhÉj al-Sunnah, I, pp. 118-119.
139 FÊ  TahqÊq,  pp. 38-39.
140 Sharh HadÊth,  p. 192.
141 Sheikh, M.S., Islamic Philosophy, p. 89.
142Sharh HadÊth,  pp. 192-193; cf. Dar’ Ta‘ÉruÌ, vol. I, p. 369.
143Dar Ta‘ÉruÌ, vol. IV, p. 6o.
144 As quoted by al-ÏablÉwÊ, S.M. in Mawqif Ibn Taymiyyah,  p. 151.
145 Dar Ta‘ÉruÌ,  vol. I, p. 375.
146  MinhÉj al-Sunnah, vol. I,  pp. 286-287.
147 Ibid,  p. 112.
148 Ibid,   p. 113.
149 MinhÉj al-Sunnah, ed.R.SÉlim, vol. I, p. 115.
150 HarrÉs, M.K., Ibn Taymiyyah al-SalafÊ,  p. 111.
151 It reads:Moreover He comprehended in His design the sky, and it is smoke, and said to it and to the earth ‘come together willingly or unwillingly. The QurÉn,  41: 11; See  Dar  Ta‘ÉruÌ, vol.I,  p. 123.
152 It reads:He is who created the heaven and the earth in six days, and His throne was over the water. The QurÉn, 11: 7;  In his  treatise called Sharh HadÊth  he mentions the hadÊth of ØahÊh BukhÉrÊ which reads: God exists and nothing before Him,  (in the other narration is “nothing along with him or “nothing after him)  and His throne was over   the water, He wrote everything in His remembrance (al-dhikr), then He created the heavens and the earth.  See  Sharh HadÊth,  p. 172.
153 His claim that the ideas of the ancient philosophers were consonant with the QurÉn is without further clarification, such as how their ideas were constructed and what were the consequences of those ideas.
154 MinhÉj al-Sunnah, vol. I, pp. 256-257.
155 The doctrine of creation ex-nihilo, means that the universe is created from nothing and it is created from free will of the Creator.  See Simon Blackburn, Oxford Dictionary of Philosophy, Oxford University Press, 1996, pp. 87-88.

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