ABSTRACT
The cosmological argument is based on the assumption that the existence of the world needs to be explained. The activity of God is said to provide this explanation. The kalam cosmological argument originated in the Middle Ages with Abu Yusuf Ya'qub ibn Ishaq al-Kindi and al-Ghazali, and has been developed more recently by Craig. Craig argues that the so-called 'Big Bang' model of the origin of the universe supports the view that the universe came into being out of nothing a finite time ago. He notes that various alternative theories have been proposed, but that none of these have been shown to be superior to the Big Bang theory. The arguments of both al-Ghazali and Craig depend upon the claim that there cannot be an actual infinite. Although Aquinas believed that God caused the universe to come into existence, he did not think it possible to provide a philosophical proof for this.
