 The standard argument against the actual existence of the infinite can be traced back at least as early as al-Kindī and stretches throughout the entire classical period of Arabic or Islamic philosophy up to at least as-Suhrawardī (al-Kindī 1950, 115–116 &amp; 202–203; Avicenna 1983, III.8, 212–214; id., 1985, IV.11, 244–246; Ibn Bājja 1978, 36–37; Ibn Ṭufayl 1936, 75–77; and as-Suhrawardī 1999,  44).[7]  A simplified version of the argument runs as follows. Imagine two rigid beams, which cannot give way so as to stretch. Moreover, suppose that these beams extend from the earth infinitely into space. Next, imagine that some finite length, x, is removed from one of the beams, for instance, the distance between the earth and the end of our galaxy; call that beam from which x has been removed R. Now imagine that R is pulled toward the earth, and then is compared with the beam from which nothing had been removed. Call that Original beam O. In this case, since the beams are rigid, R could not have stretched so as to extend the extra length x. Consequently, R must be less than O by a length equal to x. Now imagine the two beams lying side-by-side and compare them. Since they are side-by-side, either R corresponds exactly with O and so is equal to O in spatial extent, or R falls short of O. On the one hand, if R does not fall short of O but exactly corresponds with, and so is equal to, O, then R is not less than O. But it was posited that R is less than O by the length x, and so there is a contradiction. If, on the other hand, R falls short of O on the side extending into space, then where it falls short of O is a limit of R, in which case R is limited on both the side extending into space and on the earth side. In that case, R is finite, but it was assumed to be infinite, another contradiction. In short, if an actually infinite extension could exist and can be shortened by some finite amount (which is assumed as given), then the shortened amount must be either equal to or less than the original infinite extension; however, either case leads to contradiction. Therefore, the premise that gave rise to the contradictions, namely, an actually infinite extension could exist, must be rejected.