The existence of these two kinds is necessary...

The existence of these two kinds is necessary, and one who denies the existence of the substance is forced to consider accident as substances, thus unwittingly admitting its existence. The accidents are nine. They are categories and constitute the highest genera. Their common name ‘accident’ is a general accident for them and there is no genus above them,’ in the same way as the concept ‘quiddity’ is a general accident for all the ten categories, which do not have a genus.

The nine accidental categories are: ‘quantity,’ ‘quality,’ ‘place.’ ‘time,’ ‘position,’ ‘possession,’ ‘relation,’ ‘action’ and ‘affection.’ This is the opinion of the Peripatetics concerning the number of the categories and inductive evidence forms its basis. Some philosophers have held the accidents to be four. They put the relative categories, the last seven, into one group.

Suhrawardi held them to be five, adding the category of motion to these four.’ The discussions concerning the categories and their classification into the kinds that fall under them are very elaborate and here we will give a summary based on the prevailing opinion amongst the Aristotelians, while referring to the other positions.

ودخول الصورة الجسمية في التقسيم دخول بالعرض ، لأن الصورة هي الفصل مأخوذا بشرط لا ، وفصول الجواهر غير مندرجة تحت مقولة الجوهر ، وإن صدق عليها الجوهر كما عرفت في بحث الماهية ، ويجري نظير الكلام في النفس 6.2. THE CLASSIFICATION OF SUBSTANCE The metaphysicians first divide substance into five kinds: ‘matter’ (mâdddah), ‘form’ (shûrah), ‘body’ (jism), ‘soul’ (nafs) and ‘intellect’ (‘aql). Inductive evidence for the existence of these substances forms the basis of this classification.

‘Intellect’ is a substance devoid of ‘matter’ both in its essence and in act. ‘Soul’ is a substance devoid of ‘matter’ essentially but associated with it in act. ‘Matter’ is a substance that possesses potentiality.