ABSTRACT
As we have stated, the Necessary Existent is in fact a unity, and all other things are non-necessary beings. Thus, they are contingent beings (mumkin al-wujūd). All have a cause, and causes are infinite series. Accordingly, they either attempt to return to a primary cause (awwal), the Necessary Existent, or they return to themselves (i.e. the chain of causation is circular). For example, if A is the cause of B, B the cause of J, and J the cause of D, then D will be the cause of A. Taken together, therefore, this group (īn hama) will be a group of effects. Hence, it has become evident that there must be an external cause for them. The absurdity of the argument for the circularity of causes is also apparent in another proof. If D were the cause of A, then the effect of the effect of A, and the effect of the effect of the effect of A would be the effect of A. For the one thing, another thing would have to act both as cause and effect, which is impossible. Therefore, each effect must return to the Necessary Existent which is unique. Consequently, all effects and contingencies return (rasand) to the one Necessary Existent.
