Avicenna on Necessary and Possible existence1 1.

A necessary being is a being that is such that, if one tries to think of it as not existing, it results in absurdity. A possible being is a being that is such that whether one thinks of it as existing or not existing, there is no absurdity. It is not possible for a necessary being not to exist, but it is possible for a possible being not to exist. Necessary beings can exist essentially or non-essentially. An essentially necessary being is one whose being is part of its essence. A non-essentially necessary being is one that would not exist without a necessary being. It is a necessary being that is derived from another necessary being. 8. An essentially necessary being is pure Goodness and pure Perfection. Goodness is what everything desires and by which its existence and perfection is achieved. As for evil, it has no essence, but is the non-being of a substance or the non-being of a perfection of a substance. Existence is a good and perfection of existence is the good for a being. An essentially necessary being includes no non-being and includes no evil; so it is pure Goodness and pure Perfection. A non-essentially necessary being is not pure existence because its existence comes from another, so it is not pure Goodness or pure Perfection. Thus, it can admit of non-being and so can admit of defect and evil. 9. An essentially necessary being is pure Reality, since reality is part of existence. Since an essentially necessary being exists (is) essentially, nothing can be more real than it. 10. There can be only one essentially necessary being. How would it be possible for an identity separate from matter to belong to two beings? Two things are not two except because of a difference, either in place or position, or in time. These things, though are caused material things, and are not necessary beings. 15. It cannot be doubted that things exist (beings). All beings are either necessary beings or possible beings. If all beings are necessary beings, then it is obvious that a necessary being exists. And it cant be that all beings are only possible beings (to be proven next). So, there has to be a necessary being. 16. Possible beings must be caused by something else. So not everything can be a possible being. So there must be necessary being.

http://www.muslimphilosophy.com/sina/works/AN195.pdf. Translated from French.