then they said that the preceding one is not described with existence or nonexistence for nonexistence is negation and existence is its cause so he is neither existent nor nonexistent nor is he known nor unknown nor is he described nor undescribed. they claimed that all the names are negated from him and it is as if they were looking in the sentence to negate the creator for if they had said that he is nonexistent it would not have been accepted from them. rather they prevented people from calling him existent which is the very negation with the distortion of the expression. however they were clever and named this. negation is a purification and they called its opposite a simile so that hearts would incline to accept it. then they said the world is ancient meaning its existence is not preceded by a temporal nothingness but rather it occurred from the previous and subsequent one and he is the first creator. and the universal soul whose particulars spread in these composite bodies occurred from the first creator. and from the movement of the soul heat is generated and from its stillness coldness is generated. then from them moisture and dryness are generated. then from these qualities the four most comprehensive qualities are generated and they are fire air water and earth. then if they mix in an imperfect balance minerals are generated from them. if it increases in proximity to moderation and the morphology of the opposite is destroyed plants are born from it. if it increases animals are born. if it increases in proximity humans are born and they are the ultimate in moderation.
ثم قالوا السابق لا يوصف بوجود ولا عدم فان العدم نفى والوجود سببه فلا هو موجود ولا هو معدوم ولا هو معلوم ولا هو مجهول ولا هو موصوف ولا غير موصوف وزعموا أن جميع الاسامي منتفية عنه وكأنهم يتطلعون في الجملة لنفي الصانع فانهم لو قالوا إنه معدوم لم يقبل منهم بل منعوا الناس من تسميته موجودا وهو عين النفي مع تعيير العبارة لكنهم تحذقوا فسموا هذا النفي تنزيها وسموا مناقضه تشبيها حتى تميل القلوب الى قبوله ثم قالوا العالم قديم أي وجوده ليس مسبوقا بعدم زماني بل حدث من السابق التالي وهو اول مبدع وحدث من المبدع الاول النفس الكلية الفاشية جزئياتها في هذه الابدان المركبة وتولد من حركة النفس الحرارة ومن سكونها البرودة ثم تولد منهما الرطوبة واليبوسة ثم تولدت من هذه الكيفيات الاستقصات الاربع وهي النار والهواء والماء والأرض ثم اذا امتزجت على اعتدال ناقص حدثت منها المعادن فإن زاد قربها من الاعتدال وانهدم صرفية التضاد منها تولد منها النبات وان زاد تولد الحيوان فان ازداد قربا تولد الانسان وهو منتهى الاعتدال