Hayy Ibn Yaqzan: A Philosophical Tale

“You have asked me to unfold for you, as well as I am able, the secrets of the oriental philosophy mentioned by the prince of philosophers, Avicenna.”

The opening of the text establishes its didactic purpose—indicating that it is a work intended to educate rather than just entertain the reader. In particular, Ibn Tufayl alludes to the philosophy of Avicenna, a notable Islamic physician and theologian whose works synthesized the metaphysical ideas of Aristotle with Muslim spirituality. Ibn Tufayl refers to this philosophy as a secret, promising to reveal it to the reader. This language of hidden meaning ties into the allegorical nature of the text, meaning that metaphor and symbolism are used to discuss abstract philosophical ideas.

“I want only to bring you along the paths in which I have preceded you and let your swim in the sea I have just crossed, so that it may bear you where it did me and you may undergo the same experience and see with the eyes of your soul all that I have seen.”

This quote uses a metaphor to compare the intellectual process of the reader to a traveler on a long journey. Ibn Tufayl sets himself up as a guide to the reader, showing them the correct route by example so that they can learn by seeing the same things that he has seen. This analogy helps to set up the educational philosophy of the text, suggesting that the reader can only achieve spiritual enlightenment by experiencing the same stages that Hayy does throughout his life.