God in Islamic Philosophy (Ilāhiyyāt)

We do not start with "The Quran says God exists." We start with "Reality requires an explanation." The Argument from Contingency (Burhan al-Siddiqin) relies on existence itself, not just the motion of atoms.

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1. Essence vs. Existence (The Phoenix)

Imagine a Phoenix. You can describe its Essence (Golden feathers, rises from ash). But it doesn't exist. Now imagine a Real Bird. Its Essence doesn't guarantee its existence either—it needs parents, food, and air.

Everything in the universe (You, Earth, Gravity) is like the Bird. It is Contingent (Mumkin)

A thing that could exist or not exist. It requires an external cause to tip the scale to existence.

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FeatureThe Phoenix (Mental Concept)The Real Bird (Contingent Being)
Essence (What it is)Golden feathers, burns, rises.Feathers, beak, flies.
Existence (Is it real?)No. Existence is NOT part of its definition.Yes. But it RECEIVED existence from outside.
VerdictPurely Imaginary.Dependent on a Cause.
The Conclusion:If the universe is Contingent (it could have been different), it needs a Cause that is Necessary. This Cause must have existence as part of its own Essence. This is what we call the Wajib al-Wujud

The Necessary Being. The One whose existence is not borrowed from another, but is self-sustaining.

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2. The Infinite Regress (The Dominoes)

"Who created God?" is the wrong question. It assumes God is a Domino.

P1.Imagine an infinite line of soldiers. Soldier A needs permission from B... B from C... C from D.
P2.If the line is infinite, does the command ever get given? No.
P3.Yet, here we are. The command *was* given. Existence is happening.
Conclusion: There must be a Commander who does not need permission. A Necessary Being (Wajib al-Wujud).

3. Deducing the Attributes

We don't need scripture yet. Logic alone gives us the profile of the Necessary Being.

Eternal

If It had a beginning, It would need a cause. That would make It contingent. Thus, It must be Beginningless.

One (Tawhid)

If there were two, they would differ. The difference would be a "part". Parts require assembly. Assembly requires a Builder. Thus, It must be One.

Non-Physical

Physical things have parts (atoms). Parts depend on each other. The Necessary Being cannot depend on anything.

4. Why God ≠ The Flying Spaghetti Monster

The favorite parody of internet atheism. Why can't the Necessary Being be a Spaghetti Monster?

The Parody Failure:

Why can't the First Cause be a Flying Spaghetti Monster?

References & Further Reading

  • The Salvation (Al-Najat)Ibn SinaThe Burhan al-Siddiqin in its original form.
  • Summa TheologicaThomas AquinasWestern adoption of the Contingency argument.
  • The Incoherence of the IncoherenceIbn RushdDefending the philosophical necessity of God.