The Meaning of the Poet's Statement: One of Them Said, "An Ancient, Subsisting [Attribute]"
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The Shaykh :" *** They are in dispute, and they are two sects
One of them said, 'Ancient' "
"Ancient" is the predicate of an omitted subject, meaning "It is ancient." What does the pronoun refer to? It refers to the action, not the object.
"It said, 'Ancient, subsisting *** In essence, and it is like the power of the Bestower' "
Is the power of Allah ancient or created? It is ancient. They also said that the action is ancient. Why did they say it is ancient? To appease the Mu'tazilah and the Jahmiyyah, because the Jahmiyyah and the Mu'tazilah say: If the action is created and subsists in Allah, right? Then it follows that Allah is created. These people said: The action subsists in Allah, but it is ancient, so that created things do not subsist in Him. Do you see how they are compromising? So that created things do not subsist in Him. Now, if it is ancient, if the action is ancient, does it not follow that the object must also be ancient? Right? It follows, because an action must necessarily produce an object. Therefore, according to your claim that the action is ancient, it follows that the object is also ancient.
But what did they say? "They called it an ancient creation" They called it an ancient creation. They said: What we call an action, we call a creation. Now, what is creation? If you want to define it, it is that it is decreed that He will do such and such on such and such a day. For example, you have not affirmed the action; you made the action the decree and the determination. And if you make the meaning of creation the doing of the thing or working on the thing so that it exists, then the object must necessarily be concurrent with the action, and the created thing concurrent with the creation. Therefore, they are actually contradictory.
"They called it an ancient creation, as said *** By the followers of the Shaykh of the World, al-Na'mani"
The followers of the Shaykh of the World, the Shaykh of the World al-Na'mani. And among those famous for this view is al-Tahawi, the author of the famous al-Tahawiyyah.
One of them said, 'Ancient' "
"Ancient" is the predicate of an omitted subject, meaning "It is ancient." What does the pronoun refer to? It refers to the action, not the object.
"It said, 'Ancient, subsisting *** In essence, and it is like the power of the Bestower' "
Is the power of Allah ancient or created? It is ancient. They also said that the action is ancient. Why did they say it is ancient? To appease the Mu'tazilah and the Jahmiyyah, because the Jahmiyyah and the Mu'tazilah say: If the action is created and subsists in Allah, right? Then it follows that Allah is created. These people said: The action subsists in Allah, but it is ancient, so that created things do not subsist in Him. Do you see how they are compromising? So that created things do not subsist in Him. Now, if it is ancient, if the action is ancient, does it not follow that the object must also be ancient? Right? It follows, because an action must necessarily produce an object. Therefore, according to your claim that the action is ancient, it follows that the object is also ancient.
But what did they say? "They called it an ancient creation" They called it an ancient creation. They said: What we call an action, we call a creation. Now, what is creation? If you want to define it, it is that it is decreed that He will do such and such on such and such a day. For example, you have not affirmed the action; you made the action the decree and the determination. And if you make the meaning of creation the doing of the thing or working on the thing so that it exists, then the object must necessarily be concurrent with the action, and the created thing concurrent with the creation. Therefore, they are actually contradictory.
"They called it an ancient creation, as said *** By the followers of the Shaykh of the World, al-Na'mani"
The followers of the Shaykh of the World, the Shaykh of the World al-Na'mani. And among those famous for this view is al-Tahawi, the author of the famous al-Tahawiyyah.