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ArticlesOfTheIslamicFaithByGhazali, page : 130
a thing, which is conceived of as self- annihilating, to come
into being. And just as the sudden emergence of existence
requires a cause, so does the emergence of extinction require
a cause. That it will come to nothing through an opposing
annihilating agency is false, because if that annihilating
agency were ancient, existence side by side with it would be
inconceivable. But we have learnt in the two previous principles
of His Existence and His Eternity. How did He exist together
with the claimed opponent in eternity? If, however,
the annihilating opponent were an originated phenomenon, its
existence from eternity would be impossible because for the
originated phenomenon to oppose the ancient and destroy its
existence is less likely than the ancient to oppose the originated
and prevent its existence. In fact prevention is easier
than destruction while the ancient is stronger and more
pre-eminent than the originated.
into being. And just as the sudden emergence of existence
requires a cause, so does the emergence of extinction require
a cause. That it will come to nothing through an opposing
annihilating agency is false, because if that annihilating
agency were ancient, existence side by side with it would be
inconceivable. But we have learnt in the two previous principles
of His Existence and His Eternity. How did He exist together
with the claimed opponent in eternity? If, however,
the annihilating opponent were an originated phenomenon, its
existence from eternity would be impossible because for the
originated phenomenon to oppose the ancient and destroy its
existence is less likely than the ancient to oppose the originated
and prevent its existence. In fact prevention is easier
than destruction while the ancient is stronger and more
pre-eminent than the originated.