ذَٰلِكَthatعُلُوّاًexaltedكَبِيرًاgreatوَقَوْلُهُand His sayingفِيinالْكِتَابِthe bookأَهُمَاis itشَيْءٌsomethingأَمْorلَيْسَis notبِشَيْءٍa thing
That is a great exaltation, and His saying in the book is, 'Is it something or is it nothing?'
هَذاthisأَيْضًاalsoمُخْتَلِفٌdifferentفِيهِin itإنَّthatالْمَعْدُومَthe nonexistentشَيْءٌsomethingأَمْorلَاno؟?
This is also different; is the nonexistent something or not?
قَالَتْsaidالْمُعْتَزِلَةُthe Mu'tazila
The Mu'tazila said.
هُوَit isشَيْءٌsomethingوَاحْتَجَّتْand they arguedبِقَوْلِهِby His sayingتَعَالَىExaltedإنَّthatزَلْزَلَةًthe quakeالسَّاعَةِof the Hourشَيْءٌsomethingعَظِيمٌgreat,,وَالزَّلْزَلَةُand the quakeمَعْدُومَةٌnonexistentفَسَمَّاهَاso He called itاللَّهُGodشَيْئًاa thingإِلَّاexceptأَنَاweنَقُولُsayمَعْنَاهَاits meaning
It is something, and they argued by His saying: 'Indeed, the quake of the Hour is a great thing.' And the quake is nonexistent; so God called it a thing, but we say its meaning is that the quake is a great thing at the time of its occurrence and existence except that He called it a thing at that moment.
فَإِنْIfقِيلَit is saidلَوْifكَانَit wereالْمَعْدُومُthe nonexistentيُسَمَّىis calledمَعْلُومًاknownلَوَصَفْنَاwe would describeاللَّهَGodبِالْجَهْلِwith ignoranceوَحَاشَىand far fromأَنْtoيُوَصَفَbe describedالرَّبُّthe LordجَلَّGlory be toجَلاَلِهِHis Majesty,,وَلَوْand ifسَمَّيْنَاهُwe called itشَيْئًاa thingلَقُلْنَاwe would have saidبِحُدوثِby occurrenceالأَشْيَاءِthe thingsبِنَفْسِهَاby themselvesبِقَدَمِهَاby their eternityوَأَزَلِيَّتِهَاand its timelessnessوَهُوَand thisبِعَيْنِهِby itselfمَذْهَبُthe doctrineالْدَّهْرِيَّةof the philosophersوَالزِّنَادِقَةِand the hereticsإِلَّاexceptفَلَاكِيَّةٌthe voidوَهُمْand theyأَشْرُّare worseمِنْthanالْدَّوَابِّthe animalsوَأَخْبَثُهَاand more vileلَأَنَّهُمْbecause theyيُنْكِرُونَdenyالصَّانِعَthe Creatorوَيَقُولُونَand they sayبِقَدَمِby the eternityالْدَّهْرِof timeوَيُضِيفُونَand attributeالأُمُورَthe mattersإِلَىtoلَاnoالطَّبَائِعِthe nature
If it is said that the nonexistent is called something, we would describe God with ignorance, and far be it for the Lord, Glory be to His Majesty, to be described as such. If we called it a thing, we would have to say that things occur by themselves, by their eternity, and that this is precisely the doctrine of the philosophers and the heretics, except that they are worse and more vile than animals because they deny the Creator and they say things are eternal and attribute matters to nothingness.
فَنَرُدُّSo we respondعَلَيْهِمْto themفَنَقُولُWe sayبِأَنَّthatالْعَالَمَthe worldمُحْدَثٌis createdوَأَنَّand thatلَهُthere isمُحْدِثًاa start,,وَالْدَّلِيلُand the evidenceعَلَىforهَذَاthisتَغَيُّرُthe changeالأَشْيَاءِthingsوَتَكُونُهَاand their becomingمِنْfromحَالٍstateإِلَىtoحَالٍstateمِنْfromرُطُوبَةٍmoistureإِلَىtoيُبُوسَةٍdryness,,وَمِنْand fromصِحَّةٍhealthإِلَىtoسَقَمٍsickness,,وَمِنْand fromقُوَّةٍstrengthإِلَىtoضُعْفٍweakness,,وَمِنْand fromاسْتِوَاءِuprightnessإِلَىtoإِعْوَاجٍcrookedness,,فَلَوْSo ifكَانَتْwereبِنَفْسِهَاby itselfلَمَاwould notتَغَيَّرَتْchangedوَandحَالُهَاits stateفَلَمَّاand whenتَغَيَّرَتْit changesعَنْfromحَالِهَاits stateدَلَّit showsأَنَّthatلَهَاfor itمُغَيِّرًاa changerوْمُحْدِثًاand a creator
So we respond to them, saying that the world is created and that there is a creator; the evidence for this is the change of things and their becoming from one state to another, from moisture to dryness, from health to sickness, from strength to weakness, and from uprightness to crookedness. If the world were by itself, it would not change; and when it changes from its state, that shows that it has a changer and a creator.
وَرُوِيَAnd it has been narratedعَنْfromأَبِيAbuحَنِيفَةَHanifaرَضِيَmay Allah be pleased with himعَنْهُfrom him,,أَنَّهُthat heنَاظَرَdebatedدَهْرِيًّاa materialistوَأَلْقَىand presentedعَلَيْهِto himالْحُجَّةَthe argumentفَقَالَso he saidالْدَّهْرِيُّthe materialist::إنَّمَاIndeedتَغَيَّرَتْchangedالأَشْيَاءُthingsمِنْfromعَنْaboutحَالِهَاstate
And it has been narrated from Abu Hanifa, may Allah be pleased with him, that he debated a materialist and presented the argument to him, so the materialist said: 'Indeed, things have changed from one state to another.'