The Criterion for being an Effect
“ A quiddity does not come into existence unless brought into existence by the cause. Its being brought into existence by the cause depends on the quiddity’s existence becoming necessary, which again depends on its being necessitated by the cause. From what was said earlier, it becomes clear that the cause’s making its existence necessary depends on the quiddity’s need for it and the quiddity’s need for it depends on its contingency. For were it not contingent, and were it necessary or impossible, of necessity it would not need any cause. Hence its need depends necessarily on its contingency ” [ Bidaya ,IV,VIII] From the viewpoint of the Philosophers, the criterion for being an effect معلول and hence being dependent on a cause علت is not temporal origination حدوث زمانی but essential-contingency امکان ذاتی; therefore it is by no means necessary for an existent موجود to come into existence from a prior non-existence عدم in order to be an effect and hence depend upon a cause; accor