Concept essays
Existence, fixity and preparedness
Distinguishing dependence, knowledge and manifestation before making a general claim about being.
Keep the qualifications attached
The expressions “necessary in itself” and “possible through another” mark different relations of existence. Removing those qualifications can collapse the distinction between independence and dependence. Identify what is described and in which respect before constructing a general statement about unity or multiplicity. Two occurrences of “existence” need not answer the same question.
Knowing and appearing are different questions
Chapter 2 distinguishes knowledge of a possible thing from its appearance in concrete existence. Bringing it into being does not, in this argument, give God knowledge previously lacking. Separate “How is it known?” from “How does it appear?” so that a conclusion concerning one level is not transferred silently to another.
Fixity does not mean an earlier physical body
The Names chapter considers possible entities as fixed in nonexistence, then discusses their states and order of appearance. “Fixed” alone does not make them bodies located somewhere before the world. Read it with knowledge, determination and bringing into existence. The distinction between determining creation and actualization also requires attention to rank and time: a sequence in explanation does not automatically describe a duration between events.
Preparedness does not remove dependence
The creation analogy presents preparedness as receptivity to a particular form; the renewal discussion stresses the world’s continuing need. These can be compared because explaining determination does not abolish dependence. Preparedness should not be promoted into an independent cause without evidence for that conclusion. Comparing the passages refines the relations among knowledge, manifestation and order rather than solving every problem through one general formula.
References from the Arabic article
These links reproduce the Arabic article’s references. A reader ID is a site identifier, not a printed page number.
- al-Futuhat al-Makkiyya · Cairo / Maymaniya · Reader ID 291
- al-Futuhat al-Makkiyya · Cairo / Maymaniya · Reader ID 91
- al-Futuhat al-Makkiyya · Cairo / Maymaniya · Reader ID 2234 · vol. 4, p. 210
- al-Futuhat al-Makkiyya · Cairo / Maymaniya · Reader ID 1164 · vol. 2, p. 401
- al-Futuhat al-Makkiyya · Cairo / Maymaniya · Reader ID 1655 · vol. 3, p. 199
- al-Futuhat al-Makkiyya · Cairo / Maymaniya · Reader ID 2220 · vol. 4, p. 196
Cite this reading
Futmak, «Existence, fixity and preparedness», 2026-10-25.
Adapted translation of an Arabic editorial article; not a translation of the Futuhat book text.
https://www.futmak.com/english/concepts/?id=encyclopedia-existence