Epigraph:

بَدِيعُ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ ۖ وَإِذَا قَضَىٰ أَمْرًا فَإِنَّمَا يَقُولُ لَهُ كُن فَيَكُونُ

He is the Originator of the heavens and the earth, and when He decrees something, He says only, ‘Be,’ and it is. (Al Quran 2:117)

Have they been created from nothing, or are they their own creators? Have they created the heavens and the earth? In truth they put no faith in anything. (Al Quran 52:35-36)

Written and collected by Zia H Shah MD, Chief Editor of the Muslim Times

The cosmological argument is a classical philosophical proposition that seeks to demonstrate the existence of God through the existence and causation of the universe. This argument has been articulated and refined across various religious traditions, notably within Islam, Judaism, and Christianity.

Islamic Perspectives

In Islamic theology, the cosmological argument is prominently represented by the kalām cosmological argument. This argument asserts that the universe has a beginning and, therefore, must have a cause for its existence. Al-Ghazālī (1058–1111), a significant Muslim theologian, articulated this viewpoint:

“Every being which begins has a cause for its beginning; now the world is a being which begins; therefore, it possesses a cause for its beginning.”

Wikipedia

Al-Ghazālī’s work, particularly in “The Incoherence of the Philosophers,” critiques the philosophers of his time who posited an eternal universe, arguing instead for a universe with a definitive commencement.

Jewish Perspectives

Jewish philosophy also engages with the cosmological argument, especially during the medieval period. Philosophers like Saadia Gaon (882–942) contended against the concept of an eternal universe, aligning with the notion of creation ex nihilo (creation out of nothing). This perspective is evident in the works of Jewish thinkers who were influenced by Islamic philosophy, as they grappled with the ideas of causation and the universe’s temporality.

SpringerLink

Christian Perspectives

In Christian theology, Thomas Aquinas (1225–1274) provided a comprehensive formulation of the cosmological argument. In his “Summa Theologica,” Aquinas presents the “Five Ways,” with the first three being forms of the cosmological argument:

1. The Argument from Motion: Observing that things in motion are set in motion by something else, leading to the necessity of an unmoved mover, identified as God.
2. The Argument from Causation: Noting that every effect has a cause, and tracing this back necessitates a first cause, which is God.
3. The Argument from Contingency: Recognizing that contingent beings exist but could possibly not exist, implying the existence of a necessary being that causes contingent beings, identified as God.

Aquinas’s articulation has profoundly influenced Christian apologetics and the philosophical discourse on the existence of God.

Encyclopedia Britannica

Interfaith Philosophical Engagement

The cosmological argument serves as a significant point of convergence among Islamic, Jewish, and Christian theologians. The cross-pollination of ideas is evident, as Jewish philosophers like Maimonides (1138–1204) engaged with Islamic philosophical works, and Christian scholars such as Aquinas were influenced by both Islamic and Jewish thought. This interfaith dialogue enriched the development and nuances of the cosmological argument across these traditions.

In summary, the cosmological argument underscores a shared philosophical endeavor among Muslim, Jewish, and Christian theologians to rationalize the existence of God through the lens of causation and the universe’s existence. Each tradition offers unique contributions, reflecting their theological frameworks and philosophical inquiries.