What is non-existence?

Dear Brother / Sister,

NON-EXISTENCE

We did not exist in the past. The world did not exist a long time ago. The universe we see did not exist billions of years ago. As the Prophet put it,

The key we have lost is not with us (is non-existent), but it has an existence in the place where it fell. When things were first created, they were not completely non-existent; they had existence in the knowledge of Allah.

“There was Allah, there was nothing else.”¹

He determined with His knowledge,chose with His will, and created everything out of nothing with His power.

The science of physics, which examines the world, expresses that it is not pre-eternal. Hamdi Yazır expresses it as follows:

 “It is impossible for something non-existent to come into being on its own”² “Nothing can come into existence from non-existence on its own.”³

In Islamic works, non-existence is expressed by the word “adam” and existence by the word “wujud”.

When the question, “does non-existence exist?” is answered as “Yes”, it is given a kind of “wujud” (existence). So, we can clarify adam and wujud as follows:

Wujud is the non-existence of adam, and adam is the non-existence of wujud.⁴

Adam is divided into two parts:

1-Adam al-mahd (Absolute non-existence).
2-Adem al-idafi (Relative non-existence).

The first one is real non-existence. The other means non-existence based on certain conditions.⁵

For example, the key we have lost is not with us (is non-existent), but it has an existence in the place where it fell. When things were first created, they were not completely non-existent; they had existence in the knowledge of Allah.

1.Muhammad Ismail Bukhari, Jamius-Sahih (Sahihul- Bukhari), Bad’ul-Khalq, 1
2.Hamdi Yazır, HakDîniKur’an Dili III, 2007.
3.Yazır, III, 2009
4.Ahmet AvniKonuk, Füsusu’l- HikemTercümeveŞerhi, p. I, 8
5.Konuk, p. I, 8

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