1276, 675 AH) says: ‘It (The Ultimate Cause) is a cause for...

1276, 675 AH) says: ‘It (The Ultimate Cause) is a cause for the causality of Agent Cause, and its being is later than the effect in object, but earlier in subject.’ [^2] The ultimate cause is a former in respect of the effect in subject, for it is a cause for the causality of Agent Cause in subject, because the Agent Cause needs an ultimate to move towards the action that results in the effect.

And it’s being is a latter in respect of the effect in object, because it is a result of the effect in the reality. Allamah Hilli in his book ‘Idhah-ul-Maqasid’ describing the above expression says: ‘The Ultimate Cause has two aspects: The first is in respect of the agent, the second is in respect of the effect.

When it is attributed to the agent it will be the agent of its attribution of agency, because the agent doesn’t do his action except by reason of the ultimate, and when it is attributed to the effect it will be an ultimate in respect of it, which means that the effect existed due to that ultimate, then it has been a cause for the effect, because unless the ultimate, the effect has not been existed.’[^3] According to Islamic philosophical terminology the term ‘Complete agent’ can be used with two meanings; Sometimes what is meant by the term complete cause is its former meaning that includes whatever interferes within the existence of a being (which includes the four types of causes).

Katibi Qazwini says: ‘Whatever the object needs within its existence is known as the cause, and…