Editing Averroes (section)

=== Pre-eternity of the world ===
{{see also|Eternity of the world}}
In the centuries preceding Averroes, there had been a debate between Muslim thinkers questioning whether the world was created at a specific moment in time or whether it has [[Eternity of the world|always existed]].{{sfn|Fakhry|2001|p=14}} Neo-Platonic philosophers such as Al-Farabi and Avicenna argued the world has always existed.{{sfn|Fakhry|2001|p=18}} This view was criticized by the [[kalam|mutakallimin]] (philosophers and theologians) of the Ashʾari tradition; in particular, al-Ghazali wrote an extensive refutation of the pre-eternity doctrine in his ''The Incoherence of the Philosophers'' and accused the Neoplatonists of unbelief (''[[kufr]]'').{{sfn|Fakhry|2001|p=18}}

Averroes responded to Al-Ghazali in his ''Incoherence of the Incoherence''. He argued first that the differences between the two positions were not vast enough to warrant the charge of unbelief.{{sfn|Fakhry|2001|p=18}} He also said the pre-eternity doctrine did not necessarily contradict the Quran and cited verses that mention pre-existing "throne" and "water" in passages related to creation.{{sfn|Fakhry|2001|p=19}}{{sfn|Hillier |loc=Origin of the World}} Averroes argued that a careful reading of the Quran implied only the "form" of the universe was created in time but that its existence has been eternal.{{sfn|Fakhry|2001|p=19}} Averroes further criticized the mutakallimin for using their interpretations of scripture to answer questions that should have been left to philosophers.{{sfn|Fakhry|2001|pp=19–20}}