Hayy Bin Yaqdhan: The Island Adventure

A small Arab family made up of a father, his two sons, and his nephew, all make one last stop at an island in the Indian Ocean at the end of their summer vacation. The family was surprised to find a large statue of a book in the middle of the island, engraved in Arabic with the name of the famous story “Hayy Bin Yaqdhan,” written by Arab philosopher Ibn Tufayl in the sixth century AH – or twelfth century AD. The book tells the story of a young man named Hayy Bin Yaqdhan who grew up on a deserted island all alone, with nobody but the animals around him. The book follows Hayy as he embarks on a journey of exploration and tells us how, through observation and reason alone, he was able to discover the existence of Allah the Almighty. But what, exactly, is the secret behind this island? Why is there a statue of an Arabic book in the middle of an island in the Indian Ocean? What story does this book tell? How does Hayy come to discover Allah the Almighty? And how does this story relate to the likes of Tarzan, Mowgli, or even Robinson Crusoe? This is what the pages of the book you now hold in your hands tells us through an exciting journey featuring the Arab family, Hayy Bin Yaqdhan, and his friend Absal.