The Andalusian philosopher and physician who wrote Hayy ibn Yaqzan — the tale of a self-taught islander — one of the most influential philosophical novels in history.
Life
Ibn Tufayl (c. 1105–1185) served as physician and courtier to the Almohad ruler in Marrakesh and championed the young Averroes. His masterpiece, Hayy ibn Yaqzan ("Alive, son of Awake"), tells of a child raised alone on an island who reasons his way to knowledge of nature and God — an allegory of the harmony of reason and revelation. Translated into Latin and European languages, it influenced thinkers from the Enlightenment to the story of Robinson Crusoe. He is remembered as a bridge between philosophy, mysticism, and literature in the golden age of al-Andalus.