Does Allah create every creature “for the first time”?

Dear Brother / Sister,

Allah - realm relationship is not a single relationship limited to the time of creation; it is a lively, dynamic relationship that continues all the time. Ibn Arabi expresses that dynamic relationship as “khalq jadid (new creation). (See Ibn Arabi, Fususul- Hikam (Translation and Explanation: Ahmed Avni Konuk) İFAV Yay. 2017. I, 39)

That expression is originally a Quranic expression. The phrase “khalq jadid” is mentioned eight times in the Quran. (Ra’d 5, Ibrahim 19, as-Sajda 10, Saba 7, Fatir 16, Qaf 15, al-Isra 49 and 98) For, instance, let us have a look at the following verse:

اَفَعَي۪ينَا بِالْخَلْقِ اْلاَوَّلِۜ بَلْ هُمْ ف۪ى لَبْسٍ مِنْ خَلْقٍ جَد۪يدٍ۟ “Were We then weary with the first Creation, that they should be in confused doubt about a new Creation?” (Qaf, 15)

“Khalq jadid” means “a new creation”. The state mentioned in the verse is related to the second creation. Allah, who created this realm and everything in it out of nothing first, is definitely able to create the other realm (the hereafter) and everything in it again.   

In fact, Allah creates again any moment – so to speak. For instance, Hz. Adam is the original, independent copy but, in fact, every human being is original and independent. No human being – including identical twins – is the same as another human being.  

The same thing is valid for other beings too. For instance, all snow crystals are hexagonal but each one has a different pattern. That magnificent fact is expressed as “there is no repetition in manifestation”. (Ibn Arabi, I, 39)

That is, Allah creates every being “for the first time” – so to speak; He does not create the same thing again. If we think that it snows somewhere in the world any moment, it means billions of different hexagonal patterns are created every moment. In fact, innumerable other beings are also created any moment.

He creates many things very quickly but his creation is not in the form of “mass production” because there is “infinite knowledge, a will that surrounds everything and a power that is able to do anything” behind every creation of His.

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