Qidam al-Alam wa Tasalsul al-Hawadith

Qidam al-Alam wa Tasalsul al-Hawadith (The Pre-Eternity of the World and the Infinite Regress of Temporal Events) is a theological treatise written by the contemporary Qatari scholar Kamila al-Kuwari, examining the theological and philosophical debates surrounding the pre-eternity of the universe and the continuous creation of temporal events Nataij al-Buhuth wa Khawa…+1. Published in 2001 by Dar Usamah in Amman, Jordan, the book features a scholarly introduction and review by Safar al-Hawali Nataij al-Buhuth wa Khawa…+1.

Background and Purpose

The full title of the work is Qidam al-Alam wa Tasalsul al-Hawadith bayna Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah wa-l-Falasifah ma'a Bayan Man Akhta'a fi al-Mas'alah min al-Sabiqin wa-l-Mu'asirin (The Pre-Eternity of the World and the Infinite Regress of Temporal Events Between Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah and the Philosophers, with Clarification of Those Who Erred in the Issue Among Predecessors and Contemporaries) Nataij al-Buhuth wa Khawa…+1. The author was motivated to compose the work to clarify the complex doctrine of continuous creation and temporal regress (tasalsul al-hawadith) and to defend Ibn Taymiyyah against long-standing accusations—raised by earlier critics as well as contemporary writers—that he endorsed the philosophical doctrine of the pre-eternity of the universe (qidam al-alam) Qidam al-Alam wa Tasalsul…+1.

Core Arguments and Structure

The book addresses the central philosophical and theological dispute between Islamic philosophers, scholastic theologians (mutakallimun), and the traditionalist Sunni approach articulated by Ibn Taymiyyah Qidam al-Alam wa Tasalsul…+1:

• Ibn Taymiyyah's Position: The author explains that Ibn Taymiyyah maintained that every specific created entity (ahad al-makhluqat or a'yan al-hawadith) is originated in time and preceded by non-existence Qidam al-Alam wa Tasalsul…+1. However, God's attribute of creating and acting (naw' al-fi'l) has no beginning, meaning God has always been an active Creator acting by His will and power, which implies an infinite series of temporal creations in the past (qidam al-naw') Qidam al-Alam wa Tasalsul…+1.
• Critique of the Philosophers: The treatise refutes the philosophers (such as Ibn Sina, al-Farabi, and Ibn Rushd) who asserted the co-eternity of the cosmos or celestial spheres alongside God as an eternal necessary effect of an eternal cause Qidam al-Alam wa Tasalsul…+1. The author demonstrates that Ibn Taymiyyah explicitly rejected this notion, arguing that creation is not coexistent with God in time but occurs consequentially by His command Qidam al-Alam wa Tasalsul…+1.
• Critique of the Scholastic Theologians: The work examines the flaws in the arguments of the Mu'tazilites and Ash'arites, showing that by asserting an absolute beginning where God existed in a state of inactivity before suddenly creating the first creature without a renewing cause, they opened themselves to philosophical objections and ended up negating God's voluntary attributes (al-af'al al-ikhtiyariyyah) Qidam al-Alam wa Tasalsul…+1.
• Assessment of Modern Writers: The study critiques various modern authors and polemicists—such as Muhammad Sa'id Ramadan al-Buti, Hasan al-Saqqaf, and Muhammad Aman al-Jami—for misunderstanding or misrepresenting Ibn Taymiyyah's distinctions between individual temporal entities and the genus of God's actions Qidam al-Alam wa Tasalsul…+1.

In her conclusion, the author cites Ibn Taymiyyah's remarks from Minhaj al-Sunnah al-Nabawiyyah and Dar' Ta'arud al-Aql wa-l-Naql, noting that the issues of the world's origination and the nature of God's eternal speech and voluntary actions are among the most intricate intellectual topics where major speculative thinkers have stumbled Nataij al-Buhuth wa Khawa…+1.