Tahafut_al-Tahafut-transl-Engl-van-den-Bergh

I say:
which has a reasonable sense, to the power of the
Omnipotent, also has an intelligible meaning.’
That non-existence of this kind occurs is true, and the philosophers
admit it, because it proceeds from the agent according to a second
intention and accidentally; but it does not follow from its proceeding or
from its having a reasonable meaning that it happens essentially or
primarily, and the difference between the philosophers and those who
deny the occurrence of non-existence is that the philosophers do not
absolutely deny the occurrence of non-existence, but only its occurring
primarily and essentially through the agent. For the act of the agent does
not attach itself necessarily, primarily, and essentially to non-existence,
and according to the philosophers non-existence happens only
subsequently to the agent’s act in reality. The difficulties ensue only for
those who affirm that the world can be annihilated in an absolute
annihilation.
Ghazali says:
I say:
Perhaps the philosophers will answer: This difficulty is
only acute for those who allow the non-existence of a thing
after its existence, for those may be asked what the reality is
that occurs. But according to us philosophers the existing
thing does not become non-existent, for we understand by
the fact that the accidents become non-existent the
occurrence of their opposites, which are existing realities,
and not the occurrence of mere non-existence which is
nothing at all, and how could what is nothing at all be said to
occur? For if hair becomes white, it is simply whiteness that
occurs, for whiteness is something real; but one cannot say
that what occurs is the privation of blackness.’
This answer on behalf of the philosophers is mistaken, for the
philosophers do not deny that non-existence occurs and happens through
the agent, not, however, according to a primary intention as would be the
consequence for one who assumes that a thing can change into pure
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