ABSTRACT
The doctrine of those who believe that a material body (māddat-i jismī) is composed of indivisible elements and that a body (jism) comes (āyad) from a composition (tarkīb) of these is also an incorrect ( khatā) doctrine since it implies that there can only be two cases. For example, if we consider three elements forming a composite, one of these being a median (miyāna) and the other two being on the extrema (karānagīn), then the median either separates the two extrema in such a manner that they do not touch one another, or it does not separate them but allows one to touch the other. If the median separated one from another, then each of the two extrema would touch (sāwad) a part of the median which the other extrema would not touch. Hence, there would be two positions for the median, and it would therefore have to become divisible. If the median would not connect each element with all other elements (i.e. if it would not separate one from another), then any entire element would be indiscernible from any other entire element. Furthermore, the position of both extrema would be equal to the position of one median, so that it would stand separately and they would not mingle with each other. As a result, the position of two together would be no more than that of one. Therefore, the distinctness of any two of these combined elements would be no greater than that of one. Likewise, if a third element were combined with them, it would also be combined into one element. Consequently, if thousands upon thousands were combined, they would be equal to one. Adherents to this doctrine do not claim that the median does not separate the extrema because they realize that this impossibility would follow, but they do state that the two extrema are separated from each other. 1
