The Devils Deception by Imam Ibn AL-Jawzi

T H E D E V I L ' S
D E C E P T I O N S
and never acquires new attributes. Only His actions change in accordance
with an ancient Will.
Section One
Abu Mul:iammad, al-I:lasan lbn Musa al-Nubakhti said in his book
"al-Ara wa'l-D!Jdndt" (Opinions and Religions) that Socrates believed
that all things are either: a cause, an element or an image. Allah (the
Mighty and the Majestic) to Socrates is: the Mind, the element is the
basis of generation and corruption, and images are essences not
bodies. Others claimed that Allah is the causer, and that elements
are the ones caused. And others said: it was the Mind who arranged
all things. And others said: It was nature that arranged all things.
Yal:tya lbn Bishr lbn 'Umayr al-Nahawandi said that some philosophers
said: Because we observe collection, dismantlement, motion
and stillness in the world, therefore, we realised that the world
must be accidental, and that it must have had a causer. We observed
that when someone who cannot swim falls in the water and calls
upon the Creator to help him, that He does not always rescue him.
We concluded from this that the Creator does not exist.
Philosophers who denied the existence of a Creator had three different
opinions: some claimed that after the Creator perfected this
world He liked it, and feared that if He added or deleted anything to
it that it may become corrupt. So, He destroyed Himself, and the
world became vacant of Him, although His creation continued to
operate as He had planned for it.
A second group claimed that the universe appeared within the
Creator and continued to take from His strength and light until all
of the strength and light was transferred to the universe. The Creator
depreciated until He became the size of a cat! They claimed that
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