then Wisdom would have produced something in vain. Yet, it is unanimously agreed among the sages that Nature never produces anything in vain or without purpose."

Another philosopher said: "If there were no creatures and inhabitants within the expanse of the celestial spheres and the vastness of the heavens, then they would be an empty, desolate waste. How could it be permissible within the wisdom of the Creator—Majestic and Exalted is He—to leave the expanse of the celestial spheres along with the nobility of their substances, leaving them empty, desolate, and a barren waste without any creatures inhabiting them? He did not even leave the depths of the salty, bitter, and dark seas empty, but instead created within their deepest abysses various kinds of animals, including species of fish, whales, and others. Nor did He leave the expanse of this thin air empty, but created for it types of birds that swim through it just as whales swim through the sea. He did not leave the dry wildernesses, dense thickets, and firmly rooted mountains empty, but created within them types of wild beasts. Nor did He leave the darkness of the soil, the varieties of plants, grains, and fruits empty, but created within them types of vermin and insects.