Seadet-i Ebediyye - Endless Bliss Third Fascicle

[substance, atom] changes. Things that change are hâdith (become
existent while having been nonexistent). Then, the ’âlam is hâdith.’
The first two of the last three propositions are muqâddama
(introductory). In the knowledge of logic, the first one is called
‘sughrâ’ (minor premise), while the second one is called ‘kubrâ’
(major premise). The third one is natija (conclusion). If matter
existed in the eternal past, it would have changed in the eternal
past, too. ‘Eternal’ means ‘that before which nothing exists, no
change exists.’ Then, matter cannot be eternal.”
Ahmed ’Âsim Efendi wrote in his Turkish annotation to Emâlî
Kasîdesi: [1] “Âlâm, with all its parts, is hâdith, that is, it came into
being from nothing. Everything, the earth and heavens alike, was
nonexistent. Christians, Jews and Magians, too, believe as such.
Aristotle, Fârâbî, and Ibn Sînâ (Avicenna) said that matter was
eternal. The ’ulamâ of Islam said: Something eternal does not
change. Physical and chemical properties of substances [elements]
always change. If substances did not change in the eternal past,
they would not change now forever. It cannot be said, either, that
there was no change in the past but changes took place later. For,
in order for there to be a change, a power must take effect. If
change took place later, it would be concluded that the power
became existent later and is not eternal.” This is the end of our
quotation from Ahmed ’Âsim Efendi. As is seen, saying that
matter is eternal proves that natural forces are hâdith and not
eternal.
Scholars of positive and natural sciences observe that many
kinds of plants and animals have vanished and many other kinds
have come into being. Everything, living or lifeless, has a different
life-span or a period of life. There are beings whose life-span is
measured by seconds, while there are those which exist for
centuries. Beings with the longest period of life are the simple
substances called elements. This very long life of theirs has
puzzled naturalists much, and some said: “Objects disappear and
matter changes. But, matter does not cease to exist.” However, to
say that this changing of substances and objects is an eternal
process and will go on like this, means to acknowledge the
existence of the Eternal Being. It shows that even materialists and
naturalists cannot deny Allâhu ta’âlâ’s existence in the eternal
past and eternal future. These idiots claim that everything living
and lifeless, infinitely come about from one another while
[1] Written by ’Alî ’Ûshî ‘rahmatullâhi ta’âlâ ’alaih’ (d. 575 [1180 A.D.].
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