The story of Hayy ibn Yaqzan

 Ibn Sina, also known as Avicenna, was a famous philosopher and physician of the Islamic world in the 11th century. He wrote many works on various subjects, including logic, metaphysics, medicine, psychology, and ethics. Some of his writings contain stories or allegories that illustrate his philosophical views or moral lessons. Here is one of them:

This story is found in Ibn Sina's work The Oriental Philosophy (al-Hikma al-Mashriqiyya), which is a mystical and esoteric treatise that was not widely circulated or studied. The story is about a boy named Hayy ibn Yaqzan (meaning "Alive son of Awake"), who was born on an isolated island without any human contact. He was suckled by a gazelle and grew up among the animals, learning from them and from his own observation and experimentation. He gradually discovered the natural laws and the principles of logic, mathematics, astronomy, and anatomy. He also developed a sense of morality and spirituality, and realized that there must be a Creator behind the order and beauty of the universe. He tried to worship this Creator by imitating the movements of the heavenly bodies and the sounds of nature.

One day, he met another human being named Absal, who had arrived on the island from a nearby inhabited island. Absal was a religious seeker who had left his society in search of a purer way of life. He was amazed by Hayy's intelligence and piety, and tried to teach him the religion and language of his people. Hayy learned quickly, but found some of the religious doctrines and rituals to be irrational and superfluous. He realized that they were only symbols and aids for those who could not attain the direct knowledge of God that he had. He tried to explain this to Absal, who was impressed but also confused.

They decided to leave the island and visit Absal's homeland, where they hoped to find more people like them. However, they were disappointed by the corruption and ignorance that they encountered among the people, who were either blindly following their religious leaders or indulging in worldly pleasures. They realized that they could not fit in or reform the society, and that they had nothing to learn from them. They returned to their island, where they devoted themselves to the worship and contemplation of God until they died.

This story shows Ibn Sina's view of human nature as having an innate capacity for reason and intuition, which can lead to the knowledge of God without the need for revelation or tradition. It also shows his critique of the dogmatism and decadence of his own society, and his idealization of a simple and natural way of life. It is considered to be one of the earliest examples of philosophical fiction in Arabic literature.

وَاللَّهُ أَخْرَجَكُم مِّن بُطُونِ أُمَّهَاتِكُمْ لَا تَعْلَمُونَ شَيْئًا وَجَعَلَ لَكُمُ السَّمْعَ وَالْأَبْصَارَ وَالْأَفْئِدَةَ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَشْكُرُونَ

This verse means: “And Allah has brought you forth from the wombs of your mothers while you know nothing. And He gave you hearing, sight, and hearts that you might give thanks (to Allah).” (Quran 16:78)

This verse is related to the story of Hayy ibn Yaqzan because it shows that Allah is the Creator and Provider of all human beings, even those who are born without any human contact or guidance. It also shows that Allah has endowed human beings with faculties of perception and understanding that enable them to discover the truth about themselves and their Lord. It also implies that human beings should be grateful to Allah for His favors and blessings, and worship Him alone.