we said if you mean by the necessary and the possible what we have mentioned then it is the same as what is required. so we do not accept that it is impossible and it is like the saying of the one who says it is impossible for the eternal to be established by accidents and time according to them is eternal and the individuals of the cycles are accidents and they have beginnings and the whole has no beginning. that which has no beginning may be established by the entities of beginnings and the truth of the entities of beginnings is true of the individuals but not true of the whole. so likewise it is said of each one it has a cause and it is not said the whole has a cause. and not everything that is true of the individuals necessarily is true of the whole since it is true of each one that it is one and that it is some and that it is a part but it is not true of the whole. and every subject of its eyes from the earth is illuminated by the sun during the day and darkened at night. and every one is accidental after it did not exist that is it has a beginning. and the whole according to them is that which has a beginning.
قلنا إن أردتم بالواجب والممكن ما ذكرناه فهو نفس المطلوب. فلا نسلم أنه محال وهو كقول القائل يستحيل أن يتقوم القديم بالحوادث، والزمان عندهم قديم، وآحاد الدورات حادثة وهي ذوات أوائل، والمجموع لا أول له. فقد تقوم ما لا أول له بذوات أوائل وصدق ذوات الأوائل على الآحاد ولم يصدق على المجموع. فكذلك يقال على كل واحد إن له علة، ولا يقال للمجموع علة وليس كل ما صدق على الآحاد يلزم أن يصدق على المجموع، إذ يصدق على كل واحد أنه واحد وأنه بعض وأنه جزء ولا يصدق على المجموع. وكل موضوع عيناه من الأرض فإنه قد استضاء بالشمس في النهار وأظلم بالليل. وكل واحد حادث بعد أن لم يكن أي له أول. والمجموع عندهم ما له أول.