The meaning of the poet's statement: No person of intellect has ever said that a specific entity is eternal, nor has any mind or reality affirmed it; rather, every specific entity is preceded by another, forever, without end.
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The Shaykh :"No person of intellect has ever said that a specific entity is
eternal, nor has any mind or reality affirmed it.
Rather, every specific entity is preceded by another, forever, without end. And similar to this is the statement: Every specific entity is followed by another, by two rulings."
Ibn al-Qayyim says in his response to their words: We do not say that a specific thing is eternal; we do not say that a specific thing is eternal.
"No person of intellect has ever said that a specific entity is" means: a specific thing.
"eternal, nor has any mind or reality affirmed it" means: no one has said, neither in their mind nor in the reality of the thing, meaning neither in conception nor in actuality, that it is eternal.
"Rather, every specific entity is preceded by another, forever, without end"
The creation of the heavens is preceded by another creation that we do not know of, and that other creation is preceded by another creation, until there is no end. The heavens and the earth: what was the Throne of Allah upon? It was upon water. So there were heavens, then there was earth, or there was earth, then there were heavens. So we do not say that a specific thing among the created things is eternal. Rather, we say: The action of Allah, which is His attribute, is eternal, just as the essence of Allah and the life of Allah are eternal. As for the created things, they are originated. But every created thing is preceded by a created thing before it, until there is no end, as far as we know; we do not know.[Al-Isra 17:85] Just as we say, similar to this:
"Every specific entity is followed by another" Every specific entity in this succession: in what is the succession? The succession is in the future. "Every specific entity is followed by another" means: another entity follows it, and another follows it, and another follows it, and another follows it, until there is no end. "without end". So if you acknowledge that every specific entity is followed by another specific entity, why do you not acknowledge that every specific entity is preceded by another specific entity? Are the two doors not one thing?
eternal, nor has any mind or reality affirmed it.
Rather, every specific entity is preceded by another, forever, without end. And similar to this is the statement: Every specific entity is followed by another, by two rulings."
Ibn al-Qayyim says in his response to their words: We do not say that a specific thing is eternal; we do not say that a specific thing is eternal.
"No person of intellect has ever said that a specific entity is" means: a specific thing.
"eternal, nor has any mind or reality affirmed it" means: no one has said, neither in their mind nor in the reality of the thing, meaning neither in conception nor in actuality, that it is eternal.
"Rather, every specific entity is preceded by another, forever, without end"
The creation of the heavens is preceded by another creation that we do not know of, and that other creation is preceded by another creation, until there is no end. The heavens and the earth: what was the Throne of Allah upon? It was upon water. So there were heavens, then there was earth, or there was earth, then there were heavens. So we do not say that a specific thing among the created things is eternal. Rather, we say: The action of Allah, which is His attribute, is eternal, just as the essence of Allah and the life of Allah are eternal. As for the created things, they are originated. But every created thing is preceded by a created thing before it, until there is no end, as far as we know; we do not know.
And mankind have not been given of knowledge except a little."
وما أوتيتم من العلم إلا قليلا"Every specific entity is followed by another" Every specific entity in this succession: in what is the succession? The succession is in the future. "Every specific entity is followed by another" means: another entity follows it, and another follows it, and another follows it, and another follows it, until there is no end. "without end". So if you acknowledge that every specific entity is followed by another specific entity, why do you not acknowledge that every specific entity is preceded by another specific entity? Are the two doors not one thing?