It is not often mentioned that Liebnitz’s famous question, “Why is there something rather than nothing?” must be asked twice. The first time, its answer is a knowledge in the heart that is almost impossible to articulate without demeaning the question. Having reached that first knowledge, then one has to ask again, “But why is there something rather than nothing?” Theology cannot really go there.
Something rather than nothing
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Abdassamad Clarke is from Ulster and was formally educated at Edinburgh University in Mathematics and Physics. He accepted Islam at the hands of Shaykh Dr. Abdalqadir as-Sufi in 1973, and, at his suggestion, studied Arabic and tajwid and other Islamic sciences in Cairo for a period. In the 80s he was secretary to the imam of the Dublin Mosque, and in the early 90s one of the imams khatib of the Norwich Mosque, and again from 2002-2016. He has translated, edited and typeset a number of classical texts. He currently resides with his wife in Denmark and occasionally teaches there. 14 May, 2023 0:03 View more posts
As-Salaamu Alaykum.
Sidi, I am so confused. Shaykh Abdalqadir as-Sufi says the same thing in “The Way of Muhammad” (that Allah is not a theological concept, that Allah is not the ground of being) but why? If Allah brings things into existence, is He then not the ground of being? Is He then not the answer to Leibnitz’s question?
wa alaikum as-salam,
This is such a question that if you only end up with an answer, the question was not worth asking. But if you end up with Allah, then the question will have been well asked.