Arguments for God's existence in classical Islamic thought : a reappraisal of the discourse / Hannah C. Erlwein.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Erlwein, Hannah C., author.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

God (Islam)--Proof.

God (Islam).

Islamic philosophy.

Physical Description:

vii, 249 pages ; 24 cm

Place of Publication:

Berlin ; Boston : De Gruyter, [2019]

Summary:

The endeavour to prove God?s existence through rational argumentation was an integral part of classical Islamic theology (kal?m) and philosophy (falsafa), thus the frequently articulated assumption in the academic literature. The Islamic discourse in question is then often compared to the discourse on arguments for God?s existence in the western tradition, not only in terms of its objectives but also in terms of the arguments used: Islamic thinkers, too, put forward arguments that have been labelled as cosmological, teleological, and ontological. This book, however, argues that arguments for God?s existence are absent from the theological and philosophical works of the classical Islamic era. This is not to say that the arguments encountered there are flawed arguments for God?s existence. Rather, it means that the arguments under consideration serve a different purpose than to prove that God exists. Through a close reading of the works of several mutakallim?n and fal?sifa from the 3rd?7th/9th?13th century, such as al-B?qill?n? and Fakhr al-D?n al-R?z? as well as Ibn S?n? and Ibn Rushd, this book proffers a re-evaluation of the discourse in question, and it suggests what its participants sought to prove if it is not that God exists.

Contents:

2 Al-Qasim b. Ibrahim (d. 225/860) p. 28

2.1 The Proof of God's Existence and al-Qasim's Kitab al-Dalil al-kabir p. 28

2.2 Al-Qasim's Objective p. 29

2.3 Design as Proof of God's rububiyya p. 34

2.4 Other Early Mu'tazilis and the Proof of God's Existence: al-Fuwati and al-Nazzam p. 41

3 Ya'qub b. Ishaq al-Kindi (d. 256/873) p. 45

3.1 Al-Kindi's Objectives in Fi al-falsafa al-ula p. 45

3.2 Al-rububiyya as First Philosophy's Concern p. 47

3.3 First Philosophy and the Proof of God's Existence p. 50

3.4 Tawhid as First Philosophy's Concern p. 57

4 Abu Mansur al-Maturidi (d. 333/944) p. 61

4.1 Al-Maturidi's Kitab al-Tawhid and the Proof of God's Existence p. 61

4.2 The Proof of the Originatedness of the World p. 63

4.3 The Proof of the Originator for the World p. 68

4.4 The Argument from Evil for the Originator p. 71

5 Abu 'l-Hasan al-Ash'ari (d. 324/936) p. 77

5.1 The Proof of God's Existence and al-Ash'ari's Kitab al-Luma' p. 77

5.2 The Proof That There is for Creation a Creator p. 78

5.3 God's Oneness and Uniqueness p. 84

5.4 The Proof of the World's Beginning p. 86

6 Abu Bakr Muhammad b. al-Tayyib al-Baqillani (d. 403/1013) p. 88

6.1 Al-Baqillani's Kitab al-Tamhid and al-lnsaf and the Proof of God's Existence p. 88

6.2 Al-Baqillani's Three Proofs to "Affirm the Creator" p. 89

6.2.1 The First Argument Based on the Analogy Between the shahid and the gha'ib p. 90

6.2.2 The Second Argument Based on the Earlier and Later Occurrences of Things p. 92

6.2.3 The Third Argument Based on the Different Forms and Shapes of Things p. 93

6.3 The Objective of "the Affirmation of the Creator" p. 96

6.4 Creation as Proof of God's Existence? p. 100

6.5 The Conception of God as an Agent Endowed with Will p. 105

7 Abu 'Ali Ibn Sina (d. 427/1037) p. 111

7.1 The Proof of God's Existence and the Science of Metaphysics p. 111

7.2 Metaphysics' investigation of wujud al-ilah p. 114

7.3 Metaphysics' Investigation of inniyyat Allah p. 117

7.4 The Twofold Division of Existence-Proving God's Existence? p. 122

7.5 Investigating God's True Nature and His Attributes p. 137

8 Abu Hamid al-Ghazali (d. 505/1111) p. 143

8.1 The Proof of God's Existence and al-Ghazali's Tahafut al-falasifa p. 143

8.2 "He Who Does Not Assume the Originatedness of the Bodies Has No Ground at All for His Assumption of the Creator" p. 145

8.3 The Proof of God's Existence and al-Ghazali's al-lqtisad fi al-I'tiqad and al-Risala al-qudsiyya p. 156

8.4 Al-Ansari's al-Ghunya fi at-kalam-Continuation or Change of Discourse? p. 160

8.5 Al-Nasafi's Tabsirat al-adilla-Continuation or Change of Discourse? p. 162

8.6 The Meaning of al'Ghazali's Mention of "God's Existence" p. 165

9 Muhammad b. Ahmad Ibn Rushd (d. 595/1198) p. 172

9.1 Ibn Rushd's Kashf 'an manahij al-adilla and the Proof of God's Existence p. 172

9.2 The Meaning of "the Existence of the Creator" p. 178

9.3 The Meaning of "the Existence of God" p. 185

9.4 The Tahafut al-Tahafut and the Terminology of Creation p. 191

9.5 The Tahafut al-Tahafut and the Proof of the Creator p. 194

9.6 A Note on Ibn Rushd's Commentary on Aristotle's Metaphysics and the Proof of God's Existence p. 199

10 Muhammad b. 'Umar Fakhr al-Din al-Razi (d. 606/1210) p. 201

10.1 Al-Razi's "Proof of the Existence of the Creator" and the Proof of God's Existence p. 201

10.2 The Objective of "the Proof of the Existence of the Creator" in the Tafsir p. 205

10.3 Establishing God's (Kind of) Existence p. 217

10.4 The Importance of the Proof of the Existence of the Creator p. 221

10.5 God-Agent or Necessary Cause? p. 225.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages 234-244) and indexes.

ISBN:

9783110617641

3110617641

OCLC:

1083033952