Reader’s Entry
“Becoming” appears in a triadic structure together with being and process. According to the available atoms, it does not refer to any transient change, but rather to the outcome that being reaches through a course of transformation. This is a specific technical usage and should not be equated with the general meaning of the word “change.”
Meaning Supported by the Atoms
The atom becoming is the final outcome defines becoming as “the outcome, or the final/developmental transformation, reached by being through process.” The atom the triad of being, process, and becoming connects the three terms within a single structure.
According to this arrangement, being is the point of departure or existent state, process is the course of transformation, and becoming is what takes shape at the end of that course. This explains the relationship presented by the atoms; it does not provide self-sufficient, independent definitions for each term.
Distinctions and Juxtapositions
- Becoming and process: Process is the course, whereas becoming is the outcome produced by it; they should therefore not be regarded as synonymous.
- Becoming and being: Being describes existence or a state, while becoming describes what transformation ultimately reaches.
- Becoming and development: Development describes a movement or direction in some atoms, whereas becoming is the result or outcome within the triad.
How Should This Page Be Read?
Begin with the concept of becoming in the New Foundations of Islamic Jurisprudence, then examine the atoms of process and being. The structure of the triad may also be followed, rather than reading the term in isolation.
Limits of the Evidence
The materials indexed here derive principally from the book Toward New Foundations of Islamic Jurisprudence. We therefore do not generalize this arrangement to every use of the word before examining other occurrences, nor do we settle any further distinction between “becoming” and “outcome” beyond the related atoms.