Ḥayy ibn Yaqẓān was set on a fictional remote island, likely off the coast of Goa.

The exact time period Ḥayy ibn Yaqẓān is set in is unclear. However, it was written between 1169 CE and 1182 CE, and the author, Ibn Tufail, made multiple comparisons between the story and the world at the time—leading readers to believe it may be set during a similar time. The original publication date is estimated to be around 1160 CE and 1180 CE, which aligns with estimates of when the book was written.

Hayy ibn Yaqzan tells the unique story of Hayy, who, after being deserted on an island without human contact, must learn to survive on his own. Hayy has no external teacher to guide him through survival. Instead, he must teach himself. Hayy's education began empirically—all he could know was what he could see, hear, touch, taste, and smell. Hayy began learning through trial and error: learning how to forage, hunt, the advantages of standing on two legs, and connecting with animals around him—namely, a doe who cares for him. This is empirical autodidactism, meaning Hayy is learning from the sensory data he is able to experience.

As Hayy becomes accustomed to isolated survival, his sole dependence on empirical data for knowledge is supplanted by spiritual knowledge. After the doe dies, Hayy tries to save her but realizes that her physical body is unsavable. Notwithstanding, Hayy still feels a connection to the doe, as if it is not entirely gone. From that feeling, Hayy takes a concrete step away from empiricism. He separates the body from the soul: acknowledging that while the doe's physical body is dead, his feelings of love and affection live on—this is Hayy's version of the soul. This is the beginning of Hayy's spiritual ideology, which began with empirical data but went beyond the physical world.

Hayy's empirical and spiritual knowledge is solely the outcome of his own autodidactism. He taught himself how to find food, water, and shelter, how to exist on his own, and what spiritual identity made sense to him. All of these were the product of Hayy teaching himself, he had no outside influence or teacher to guide him. Hayy learned important survival skills and deep spiritual maturity on his own, proving humans have the capacity for incredible education on their own.

Autodidacticism in Literature by Noah Kisiel