The Eternity of the World in Islamic and Christian Thought: A Comparative Study of al-Rāzī and Aquinas

Abstract

This article compares medieval Islamic and Christian debates on the eternity of the world, focusing on Fakhr al-Dīn al-Rāzī and Thomas Aquinas. It examines how revelation, philosophical reasoning, and inherited theological interpretations shaped different understandings of creation. The discussion considers whether creation necessarily implies a beginning in time and whether an eternal world must be independent of God. Particular attention is given to Ibn Sīnā’s influence and the distinction between necessary and contingent existence. The article also evaluates arguments drawn from divine attributes, the nature of the physical world, and the concept of infinity. It argues that al-Rāzī and Aquinas departed from dominant theological approaches by taking philosophical accounts of eternal creation seriously. Although both questioned the conclusiveness of arguments for either eternity or a temporal beginning, their positions differed in relation to revelation. Al-Rāzī allowed greater interpretive scope, whereas Aquinas accepted the world’s beginning as an article of faith rather than a rationally demonstrable conclusion. The comparison shows that both thinkers emphasised the world’s complete dependence on God for its existence and continuation, rather than treating a temporal beginning as essential to the meaning of creation.