A Comparative Study on Avicenna and Theologian's Views Upon the Purpose of God

The Purpose of God is an important subject in Islamic thought. Does God follow a purpose in His acts or is He free from any purposes? Based on various theologies, each school of Islamic Theology put forward different views; Muʿtazilites emphasized on the purpose of God but Ashʿarites rejected it. On one hand, Avicenna agreed with Muʿtazilites upon the issue and admitted the purpose of God, because without it every act is absurd. On the other, he agreed with Ashʿarites too, because having the purpose is opposed to the idea of Divine unity. Avicenna believed God's foreknowledge is the sufficient cause for the creation and His self-knowledge is the source of emanation. Therefore, Avicenna's opinion isnt similar to either Muʿtazilites or Ashʿarites. In fact, he developed a new approach and revised their theories based on his philosophy.