But, as for Hayy Ibn Yokdhan, he could not imagine what it was: for of all the creatures he had ever beheld in his life, there was none that resembled him in the least.

Now A sal was clothed in a black coat, made up of hair and wool, which he fancied was a natural cover; at which Hayy stood a long time in utter wonder and astonishment. Thereupon A sal, being afraid lest he should disturb his meditation and diveit his attention therefrom, turned his back and fled. Hayy Ibn Yokdhan ran after him, driven by an innate desire to know and find out the truth of things.

When he saw, however, that Asal fled from him with all his might in such haste, he retired a little into the background and hid himself there, so that Asal thought he had gone off altogether and gone far away from that place where he had seen him. Asal therefore began to betake himself, as his custom was, unto his prayers and reading, to invocation and weeping, to supplication and complaining, and these exercises had quite turned him away from any other thing.

Hayy Catches Hold Of Asal

In the meantime Hayy drew near little by little, while Asal did not perceive him at all, until at length he came so near as to hear his reading and the prayers he uttered. He also took notice of his humble gesture and his weeping, whence he heard a pleasant voice, consisting of words quite distinct, such as he had never observed before in any kind of animals. Then, beholding his shape and lineaments, he observed that he was of the same form with himself. He was satisfied that the coat with which he was clothed was not a natural skin, but an artificial habit like unto his own clothing. And when he observed the decency and comeliness of his behaviour and his supplication and weeping, he did not at all question but that he was one of the Essences, which had the knowledge of the True One.

Therefore, he felt a passionate desire to get acquainted with him, to find out what was the matter with him and what was the cause of that weeping and supplication. Thereupon he came nearer unto him, until Asal, observing it, took to his heels again. But Hayy Ibn Yokdhan, endowed with vigour and power, both of knowledge and body, bestowed upon him by God - pursued him with all his might, till at last he overtook him, seized him, and held him fast that he could not make again his escape from him.

Hayy And A Sal Stroke One Another

Thereupon, when Asal looked upon him and beheld him clothed with the skins of wild beasts with the hair on, and his own hair so long that it covered part of his body, and observed his great swiftness and strength, he was greatly afraid of him and began to pacify him by stroking him, and to entertain him in words. But Hayy Ibn Yokdhan did not understand a word of what he said nor knew any of his meaning, only he perceived the tokens of his fear and endeavoured to allay his fear with such voices as he had learned from some of the animals: he gently stroked his hand, his head, and the sides of his neck, and showed kindness unto him and expressed much gladness and joy, till at last Asal's fear was assuaged, and he perceived that he intended no evil to him.

Hayy And Asal Try To Understand Each Other

Now Asal, in his earnest desire to obtain the knowledge of things, had studied most languages and was skilful of them. So he began to speak to Hayy Ibn Yokdhan, and to interrogate him concerning his condition in every tongue he knew, and asked him questions concerning his doings and ways of life, and took pains to make himself understood by him. But it was all in vain: for Hayy Ibn Yokdhan, taking notice of all this, stood all the time wondering at what he heard, being quite at a loss to know what it all meant. He observed only the serenity of his countenance and manifest signs of goodwill. Thus they stood wrapped in wonder, looking at one another.

Asal Makes Hayy Eat Of His Food

Now A sal had by him some of the remainder of the food which he had brought along with him, from the inhabited Island from whence he came. This he offered now to Hayy Ibn Yokdhan, but he did not know what it was; for he had never seen anything of that kind before. Then A sal, eating some of it himself, invited Hayy Ibn Yokdhan to take some of it with him. But Hayy Ibn Yokdhan bethought himself of those laws which he had prescribed to himself concerning the taking of his food, and seeing he knew not the nature of those things that were set before him, and whether it was lawful for him or not to partake thereof, restrained himself from eating. Whereupon Asal continued urging him on and kindly invited him thereunto.

Hayy Ibn Yokdhan at last joins Asal at dinner, but repents afterwards.

At last Hayy Ibn Yokdhan, being desirous and very anxious to get acquainted with him, and, besides, being afraid that in continuing to insist on his refusal, he might alienate his affections from him, ventured to partake of that meat and to eat thereof. But as soon as he had tasted it and found it very pleasant to his taste, he recognised that he had done amiss by breaking his contract and the resolution and promises he had made to himself concerning his diet. Thus he became greatly repentant of what he had done, and had a mind of withdrawing himself from A sal, and to betake himself unto his former state by endeavouring to return to his former exercise of sublime speculation.

Asal Becomes Hayy's Companion And Teacher

When he found that this intellectual vision did not immediately return to him, he thought it best to remain with Asal in the sensible world, until he had thoroughly satisfied himself as to his condition, so that afterwards there might remain no further inclination towards him, and then he might return to his former state and apply himself to his former contemplation without any interruption. So he joined himself to the company and fellowship of Asal: and when Asal saw that he could not speak, he was fully assured that no danger could arise to his religion by keeping company with him; and besides he had hopes that it might come to pass that he should teach him Language, Knowledge, and Religion, when he should obtain a very great reward and a nearer approach unto God.