Editing Early Islamic philosophy (section)

===Some differences between ''Kalam'' and ''Falsafa''===
Aristotle attempted to demonstrate the unity of God; but from the view which he maintained, that matter was eternal, it followed that God could not be the [[Creator God|Creator]] of the world. To assert that God's knowledge extends only to the general laws of the universe, and not to individual and accidental things, is tantamount to denying [[prophecy]]. One other part of Aristotle's theory shocked the faith of the Mutakallamin &mdash; the [[Aristotelianism|Aristotelian]] theory of the soul. According to Aristotelianism, the human [[soul]] is simply man's [[substantial form]], the set of properties that make matter into a living human body.<ref>Anthony Kenny, ''Aquinas on Mind'' (London: Routledge, 1993), p. 24, 26, 28</ref> This seems to imply that the human soul cannot exist apart from the body. Indeed, Aristotle writes, "It is clear that the soul, or at least some parts of it (if it is divisible), cannot be separated from the body. [...] And thus, those have the right idea who think that the soul does not exist without the body."<ref>''De Anima'' 413a4-5; 414a19-20</ref> In Aristotelianism, at least one psychological force, the [[active intellect]], can exist apart from the body.<ref>"This intellect is separate, unaffected, and unmixed [...] In separation, it is just what it is, and this alone is immortal and eternal" (''De Anima'' 430a18, 23-24).</ref> However, according to many interpretations, the active intellect is a superhuman entity emanating from God and enlightening the human mind, not a part of any individual human soul.<ref>''Medieval Philosophy'', ed. John Marenbon (London: Routledge, 2003), p. 54</ref><ref>Timothy Robinson, ''Aristotle in Outline'' (Indianapolis: Hackett, 1995) p. 51</ref> Thus, Aristotle's theories seem to deny the immortality of the individual human soul.

Wherefore the Mutakallamin had, before anything else, to establish a system of philosophy to demonstrate the creation of matter, and they adopted to that end the theory of atoms as enunciated by Democritus. They taught that atoms possess neither quantity nor extension. Originally atoms were created by God, and are created now as occasion seems to require. Bodies come into existence or die, through the aggregation or the sunderance of these atoms. But this theory did not remove the objections of philosophy to a creation of matter.

For, indeed, if it be supposed that [[God]] commenced His work at a certain definite time by His "will", and for a certain definite object, it must be admitted that He was imperfect before accomplishing His will, or before attaining His object. In order to obviate this difficulty, the Motekallamin extended their theory of the atoms to [[Time]], and claimed that just as [[Space]] is constituted of atoms and vacuum, Time, likewise, is constituted of small indivisible moments. The creation of the world once established, it was an easy matter for them to demonstrate the existence of a Creator, and that God is unique, [[Omnipotence|omnipotent]], and [[Omniscience|omniscient]].