Endless Manifestation and Perpetual Creation: Ibn Arabī’s and Ibn Taymiyya’s View of Creation as an Eternal Act

Abstract

Endless Manifestation and Perpetual Creation: Ibn Arabī’s and Ibn Taymiyya’s View of Creation as an Eternal Act Creation or becoming as a philosophical and theological problem has always been one of the main controversial issues of philosophers and theologians. It is sometimes defended that creation is an instant act or event; sometimes it is thought that creation is a process without a beginning. In this article, the approaches of Ibn Arabī and Ibn Taymiyya to the issue of creation are examined and compared. These two scholars mainly advocate that it is not possible for creation to begin at a certain time as an instant event. According to them, while nothing material can be co-eternal with God, He has always been creating and manifesting from eternity because of His perfection. This study argues that when this issue is taken in its various aspects, it will be seen that Ibn Arabī and Ibn Taymiyya stand together about the issue against both philosophers and theologians

Keywords

• Ibn Arabī, Ibn Taymiyya, creation, divine manifestation, perpetual creation, process

Sonsuz Tecellî ve Daimî Yaratma: İbn Arabī ve İbn Teymiyye’nin Yaratma Meselesine Ezelî Fiil Olarak Bakışları

Abstract

Yaratma veya var oluş, felsefî ve teolojik bir mesele olarak daima kelamcıların ve filozofların ana tartışma konularından birisi olmuştur. Bazen yaratmanın anlık bir fiil veya olay olarak gerçekleştiği savunulmuş, bazen de bunun ezelden başlayan bir süreç olduğu ve başlangıcının olmadığı düşünülmüştür. Bu makalede, söz konusu meselede göze çarpan açıklamalarıyla bilinen İbn Arabī ve İbn Teymiyye’nin yaklaşımları incelenmekte ve mukayese edilmektedir. Bu iki düşünür, temelde yaratmanın anlık bir olay olarak belli bir zamanda başlamasının mümkün olmadığını savunmaktadır. Onlara göre, hiçbir madde Allah ile beraber kadîm olamazken Allah, kemâlâtı gereği daima yaratma ve tecellî halindedir. Bu çalışma, meseleyi çeşitli yönleriyle ele aldığımızda İbn Arabī ve İbn Teymiyye’nin kelamcılar ve filozoflar karşısında ortak bir tavır sergilediklerini savunmaktadır

Keywords

• İbn Arabī, İbn Teymiyye, yaratma, daimî yaratma, varoluş, ilahî tecellî, süreç

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