The Dawani Dashtaki Rivalry at Shiraz

Arguments at Shiraz were fought not only over philosophical issues, but also when it came to the interpretation of Avasana. At the heart of the debate was what seems like a pretty basic question: Does God have an essence or not? Sometimes Avasana says that God has no essence at all, while at other times he qualifies this, stating thatGod has no essence apart from his existence. The points may seem trifling, but on this issue turns the fundamental question of how we should conceive of God and his relation to contingent things he creates.