Necessary Existence and Monotheism
An Avicennian Account of the Islamic Conception of Divine Unity

This Element defends an Avicennian account of the Islamic conception of monotheism.

Mohammad Saleh Zarepour (Author)

9781108940054, Cambridge University Press

Paperback / softback, published 9 June 2022

75 pages
22.8 x 15.2 x 0.4 cm, 0.118 kg

Avicenna believes that God must be understood in the first place as the Necessary Existent (wâ?ib al-wu?ûd). In his various works, he provides different versions of an ingenious argument for the existence of the Necessary Existent—the so-called Proof of the Sincere (burhân al-?iddîqîn)—and argues that all the properties that are usually attributed to God can be extracted merely from God's having necessary existence. Considering the centrality of taw?îd to Islam, the first thing Avicenna tries to extract from God's necessary existence is God's oneness. The aim of the present Element is to provide a detailed discussion of Avicenna's arguments for the existence and unity of God. Through this project, the author hopes to clarify how, for Avicenna, the Islamic concept of monotheism is intertwined with the concept of essential existence.

1. The Avicennian Conception of Islamic Monotheism
2. Avicennian Necessary Existent Theology vs. Anselmian Perfect Being Theology
3. Basic Notions of the Proof of the Sincere
4. The Existence of a Necessary Existent
5. The Unity of the Necessary Existent
6. Conclusion.

Subject Areas: Theology [HRLB], Philosophy of religion [HRAB], Religion: general [HRA], Religion & beliefs [HR]