Al-Ashari’s meaning regarding the first possible thing is that it is permissible to precede it over the time of its existence and to be behind it, and for him time in this matter is decreed and not existing, so specificity is evidence of specification, so this is an invalid indication of the lack of time, so it is invalid for this to be evidence. If he said the ratio of possible things to existence or the ratio of existence to possible things in proportion. One in terms of what it is in relation, not in terms of what is possible. The specification of some possible things to exist without other possible things is evidence that they have a special purpose. This is the same as the occurrence of everything other than God .