Bin Sazali, Muhammad Redzuan and Mohamad Nasir, Mohamad Nasrin (2026) The miracle is me: Leibniz and the Ash’arite conception of causality. Al Hikmah International Journal of Islamic Studies and Human Sciences, 9 (1). pp. 18-43. E-ISSN 2637-0581
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Abstract
The article examines the conception of causality in the philosophy of Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz in dialogue with the Ash’arite theological tradition, with particular attention to the notion of divine omnipotence and the problem of miracles. Using a qualitative research design grounded in library-based analysis, textual analysis, a review of literature and most importantly discourse analysis to compare arguments. The study critically engages primary philosophical and theological texts alongside contemporary scholarly interpretation. The analysis reveals that, despite arising from distinct intellectual and religious contexts, Leibniz’s metaphysical framework especially his theories of pre-established harmony and divine occurrence i.e miracles shares important conceptual affinities with the Ash’arites doctrine of occasionalism, which denies intrinsic causal efficacy in created beings. The study argues that both traditions ultimately locate true in causality in God. Thereby reframing miracles not as violations of natural order but as consistent expression of divine will. Although, Leibniz claim that the Ash’arite is radical in its doctrine, the research justified that the Ash’arite had a universal acceptance on their understanding of causality through occasionalism. By highlighting theses differences and tensions, the article contributes to a deeper comparative understanding of Western philosophy and Islamic theological approaches to causality, agency and miracles. It further demonstrates how cross-traditional analysis can enrich contemporary debates on metaphysics, philosophy of religion, and the relationship between reason and revelation, while opening avenues for future interdisciplinary research in comparative philosophy and theology
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