Pre-eternity
Allah has no beginning
Core Claim
Allah is eternally pre-existent with no beginning — He existed when nothing else existed
Why It Matters
If Allah had a beginning, He would need someone to bring Him into existence — this contradicts His divinity and leads to an impossible infinite regress
Lesson
Pre-eternity (al-Qidam) means Allah has no beginning. He is *azalī* — eternally pre-existent. He was before everything and no non-existence preceded Him.
When the first creation (water) was made, place and time were created with it. Time does not flow over Allah — time itself is created, and Allah is transcendent above being subject to His creation.
The word "ancient" may apply to creation (like the Pyramids), but when a name or action is applied to both Allah and creation, the agreement is only in the word — the meaning differs entirely. The Pyramids are "ancient" meaning built long ago — Allah is "pre-eternal" meaning He has no beginning whatsoever.
The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "Allah existed and nothing else existed with Him, and His Throne was upon the water" — meaning Allah existed alone before anything, then He created water and with it place and time.
Allah said: 'He is the First and the Last' (al-Hadid 57:3) — meaning the First without beginning and the Last without end.
From establishing that Allah has no beginning, it follows that He needs no one to bring Him into existence — because needing a cause is the mark of created things that have a beginning.
Key Points
- 1
Pre-eternity means Allah has no beginning — He was before time and space
- 2
Time and space are created — they were created along with the first creation, water
- 3
Agreement in word, difference in meaning: 'ancient' for creation means old in time; for the Creator it means without beginning
- 4
Time does not flow over Allah — time is a creation and He is its Creator
Evidence
Allah existed and nothing else existed with Him, and His Throne was upon the water.
Sahih al-Bukhari(sahih)
هُوَ الْأَوَّلُ وَالْآخِرُ
He is the First and the Last.
Quran 57:3 (Surah al-Hadid)
Glossary
القِدَم
al-Qidam
Having no beginning — a necessary attribute meaning Allah's existence has no start
أزلي
azalī
Eternally pre-existent — describing that which has no beginning
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