Tahir H. T. The Meaning of the Word Existence in Islamic Thought Comparative Analytical Study

Abstract

One of the subtle theological problems over which Islamic thinkers differed is the issue of (existence): Is it the same as the self, or different from it?

Opinions abound regarding it, and opinions are intertwined. This study is an attempt to free up the area of dispute and arrive at the correct doctrine. At the same time, it is an attempt to reconcile opinions as much as possible. Here we can point out the most important findings of this research, which are:

1. Imam Al-Ash’ari believes that existence is the same as essence in the necessary and the possible.


2. Philosophers believe that existence is the essence of essence in duty, and that the essence of God Almighty is an existence devoid of essence. As for the possible, existence is additional to it.


3. The doctrine of many Ash’ari scholars is that existence is additional to essence in what is necessary and what is possible.


4. The Mu’tazilites are divided into two parts:

- Among them are those who go to what Al-Ash’ari sees, that existence is identical with essence in what is necessary and in what is possible, such as Ishaq bin Ayyash and Abu Al-Hussein Al-Basri.

- Among them are those who believe that existence is additional to essence in what is necessary and possible, such as Judge Abdul-Jabbar and others.

1. All schools of thought agree that the general concept of existence, which is (the universe and attainment), is a common meaning among all essences.


2. Everyone agrees that existence is the essence of existence and essence is outside, and the dispute occurs in the mental existence of essences. Is it the same as essence? Or is it more than that?

These are some of the research results, and we have added to them in the conclusion.