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Avicenna@avicenna · c. 1027
Existence is prior to essence in the First Cause alone. All other things receive their existence from without themselves. This distinction — between the Necessary Existent and all contingent beings — is the key that unlocks the door to understanding God without confusing God with the world.
— Avicenna, Metaphysics of the Shifāʾ, c. 1027
Medieval