Response to question 1:
Ibn Tufayl writes of Hayy ibn Yaqzan’s experiences starting with his birth. Tufayl presents two different accounts about the origin of his hero, Hayy. The first account was that Hayy was born on an uninhabited island, not from parents but, rather, from clay fermentation. The author emphasizes the importance of the island’s perfect geographic location and climate in order to support the possibility of spontaneous human generation without the need for a mother and father. According to the second account, Hayy was the illegitimate son of a princess who was the daughter of a ruler of a large inhabited island next to the uninhabited island. In order to save the baby (Hayy) from certain death, his mother puts him …show more content…

Two young men, Absal and Salaman, readily embraced and accepted the religion. There were, in this religious law, certain arguments that favored solitude leading to salvation and success, and there were two arguments that favored civility and loyalty to the whole body of the community. Absal devoted himself to the search for solitude because he was inclined to meditation, to paying attention to the warnings of the religious law, and to looking deeply into the meanings of the warnings. It was through solitude that he accomplished these objectives. Salaman, on the other hand, devoted himself to adhering to the whole body of the community and supported the argument for this position because he was naturally not inclined to thought and examination. He thought that following the majority would lead to the defeat of evil thoughts. These differences caused these two friends to separate.
Absal had heard about the island that Hayy lived on – its fertility, conveniences, and climate, and that one could find solitude there. He decided to move there and to leave the company of men for the rest of his life. He took his money and rented a ship with part of it and gave the rest of his money to the poor. He said good-bye to his friend, Salaman, and left for the island. Once there, he went into solitude and remained there worshipping God, holding