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| | DIPT:- Alif |
 | | Creation from absolute nothingness; to be distinguished from the cognate terms khalq, takwin, and ihdath, all of which presuppose the temporal priority of cause to effect. |
 | | Ibda again is of higher order than ihdath or takwin in so far as it signifies granting existence without an intermediary, be it time, or motion, or matter, one or the other of which is necessarily presupposed in ihdath and takwin. |
 | | Further, ibda is specific to the creation of intelligences, khalq to that of the natural beings and takwin to that of the corruptible among them. |
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