Quote by Ibn Tufayl: “The rational soul, through study of the world, ascends to grasp the Divine.”

Ibn Tufayl posits that human reason and scientific investigation are direct pathways to spiritual enlightenment. He argues that by diligently observing and understanding the physical world, the human intellect can elevate itself to comprehend ultimate spiritual realities and God.

This reflects a core tenet of "Hayy ibn Yaqdhan," where the protagonist's journey of self-education on a deserted island culminates in direct apprehension of God through intellectual purification, without relying on human society or religious teachings.

Andalusian philosopher and physician born around 1105 in Guadix in present-day Spain, best known for the philosophical novel Hayy ibn Yaqzan — the first philosophical novel in world literature — which explores how a person raised alone on an island could arrive at truth through pure reason.