Simply put causation is: the relationship between cause and effect. The event (cause) leads to the occurence of another event (effect). This concept of causation is fundamental to understanding the mechanics of the world around us, as it assumes that events are not merely random but happen due to specific reasons or actions.
This topic in Islamic theology has been discoursed and debated at length since the classical period. All orthodox and heretical schools have had their say from Ahlus Sunnah, the Mu’tazila, the Falasifa, and so on. Furthermore, among the rational explanations within Ahlus Sunnah are esoteric realities that the Sufi’s expound on this topic. This is all to say there is much one can read and it is both a deep rational and metaphysical discussion.
Knowledge of this topic falls under the understanding of the attribute of Unity (Wahdaniyya). Also, this topic is discussed as an extension to the theory of acquisition (kasb) and the problem of free will versus pre-destination.
Furthermore, in modern western academic discourse, the general Sunni position of causality is known as occassionalism. Islamic occasionalism, particularly from the perspective of theologians like Al-Ghazali, holds that the universe does not operate by cause and effect in the way we typically understand it. Instead, every event occurs because of God’s direct intervention. Imam al-Ghazali is most known for his influential arguments in this topic as read in The Incoherence of the Philosophers (Tahâfut al-falâsifa). See: Occasionalism and Causation in Arabic and Islamic Thought in the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy.
The orthodox summary of this topic is as follows:
Anything observed does not necessarily make the observation true. Meaning, observing something occur to something else is not the basis of causality. Ultimate causality is by Allah. There is no ability or power in anything other than Allah’s placing. Thus, much of what is observed from our perception to be true is not all what it seems to be. You may not be able to witness the relationship of two things, and also one may be able to witness the relationship of two things. However, this does not necessarily mean you can understand its cause.
Example problem: ‘does a knife cut?’ There are three possible rulings:
- Legally: it’s permissible to cut with a knife.
- Normatively: we all observe that knives cut, therefore knives can cut.
- Rationally: it’s possible that a knife cuts.
A useful metaphor to explain this concept could be a movie reel showing a film frame by frame.
Imagine that the universe is like a film being played on a projector. Each frame of the movie represents a moment in time in the universe. In a typical movie, the progression of frames creates the illusion of continuous motion and causation: one action leads to the next, forming a coherent storyline. This is similar to how we perceive cause and effect in the world. We see one event seemingly causing another, such as a ball rolling because it was pushed, or rain falling because clouds have gathered.
However, in the occasionalist view, each frame is independent and not caused by the previous one. Instead, a director is responsible for creating each frame and placing it in sequence. In this metaphor, God is the ultimate director who actively creates each frame moment by moment. The continuity and causation we perceive are not inherent in the frames themselves but are the result of God’s continuous action, shaping each frame to follow the next in a way that appears seamless and causal to us.
In summary, like a film director meticulously arranging each frame of a movie to create the illusion of a coherent narrative, God, according to Islamic occasionalism, continuously recreates the universe in each moment, making each event happen directly through divine will rather than through inherent causal relationships.