A Study of the Ash’arite Reading of “Creatio Ex Nihilo” Thesis

Subject Areas : Philosophy

مرتضی براتی ¹ (ندارد)

Received: 2007-05-09 Accepted : 2007-07-11 Published : 2007-03-21

Keywords: creation, creator, creatio ex nihilo, emanation,

Abstract :

Creation is one of the fundamental beliefs in Islamic world-view,playing an important role in all aspects of religious thought wherehumankind is told to contemplate the whole creation of God. In linewith this view is the unavoidable participation of philosophers,theologians, and mystics in a contest where each group has taken aparticular position in accordance with their world view, throwinglight on particular aspects of being.The Ash’arites committed themselves to the creation from nothing(creatio ex nihilo) thesis in order to glorify the status of Godthrough expanding the realm of Divine will and power. Theyclaimed that this thesis was based on their reading of religious texts.However, this view resorts to certain unproved presuppositions andsuffers from serious intellectual problems.This paper offers a critical study of the above- mentioned thesis byexamining the textual bases of its premises and showing theintellectual problems in their consequents. In the end the writer setsforth the combination of the Ash’arite view with Sadra’s ontologyas a defensible outlook towards Divine creation.