Rescuing: “The self-taught philosopher”.

Last year at this time, a conference was held at the Seville Mosque Foundation by Hajj Ibrahim Musa Isa Touriño that we would like to rescue.
It was about the “Risala of Hayy Ibn Yaqzan”, or, as it is better known in the West, “The self-taught philosopher”, by the Andalusian author Abu Bakr Muhammad Ibn Tufayl.
This conference took place within the framework of the Seminar “Fundamental Notions on Islam”, constituting its sixth session, and, within the same, it was in charge of initiating the topic of the human condition.
In this regard, Hajj Ibrahim Musa Isa insisted on the importance of the “fitra”, the mark of the condition of each human being, taking as reference the following ayas of the Noble Koran (30: 29-32):

فَأَقِمْ وَجْهَكَ لِلدِّينِ حَنِيفًا ۚ فِطْرَتَ اللَّهِ الَّتِي فَطَرَ النَّاسَ عَلَيْهَا ۚ لَا تَبْدِيلَ لِخَلْقِ اللَّهِ ۚ ذَٰلِكَ الدِّينُ الْقَيِّمُ الْقَيِّمُ وَلَٰكِنَّ أَكْثَرَ أَكْثَرَ النَّاسِ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ

مُنِيبِينَ إِلَيْهِ وَاتَّقُوهُ وَأَقِيمُوا وَأَقِيمُوا الصَّلَاةَ وَلَا تَكُونُوا مِنَ الْمُشْرِكِينَ

مِنَ الَّذِينَ الَّذِينَ فَرَّقُوا دِينَهُمْ وَكَانُوا شِيَعًا ۖ كُلُّ حِزْبٍ بِمَا بِمَا لَدَيْهِمْ فَرِحُونَ

وَإِذَا مَسَّ النَّاسَ ضُرٌّ دَعَوْا رَبَّهُم رَبَّهُم مُّنِيبِينَ إِلَيْهِ ثُمَّ إِذَا أَذَاقَهُم مِّنْهُ رَحْمَةً إِذَا فَرِيقٌ فَرِيقٌ مِّنْهُم بِرَبِّهِمْ يُشْرِكُونَ يُشْرِكُونَ يُشْرِكُونَ

Keep your face without turning it away from the primal Worship, as hanif.
The original mark [fitra] of Allah, with which He has marked men by creating them.
You cannot replace Allah’s creation.
That is the form of genuine Worship, yet most men do not know // Turn to Him.
And fear Him, establish salat and be not of those who associate.
// Of those who have created divisions in their worship practice and have fragmented into sects.
Each faction is content with its own.
// And when any harm befalls men, they beseech their Lord by having recourse to Him, but then, when He gives them a taste of mercy from Him, a portion of them associate others with their Lord.

  The conference stopped at the annotation that, in this translation of the Qur’an, Hajj Abdelghaby Melara makes regarding fitra, who, translating the concept into English as “mark”, explains: “In Arabic, “fitra”. Although “mark” does not translate exactly the Arabic term, it allows to keep the etymological figure of the text between the words “fitra” and “fatara”, “mark” and “marked”. The etymology of “fitra” expresses the first indentation, the beginning of something. Its more precise meaning is the innate nature of man, the particularity with which he has been created, his genuine character, thanks to which he recognizes his Lord.” On the other hand, we would also like to include here the final epigraph of the “Self-taught philosopher”, which was read at the conference and which explains the purpose of the work: Reasons that the author has had to divulge this book.

This is, brother (may God give you His inspiration), what is new, concerning Hayy ibn Yaqzan, Asal and Salaman.
It covers [este relato] many things that are not found in any book, nor heard in ordinary conversations.
It is part of the hidden science, which only those who know God can attain, and which only those who do not know Him are ignorant of.
We have departed in this from the path followed by our virtuous ancestors, who hid the [ciencia esta] and were greedy for it.
What has induced us to divulge this secret and to draw aside the veil have been the pernicious opinions that have appeared in our time, made known by the philosophers of the age and manifested by them, until they have spread over all countries and the evil they have caused has become generalized.
We have feared that persons weak in spirit, who have rejected the authority of the prophets, preferring the authority of fools and imbeciles, may believe that these opinions of [los filósofos] are precisely the things to be concealed from the uninitiated, thus increasing their fondness and passion for them.
We have preferred to shine before their eyes some glimmerings of the secret of secrets, in order to attract them to the side of truth and to turn them away from the path they are following.
However, the secrets that we have entrusted to these few pages we have left covered with a tenuous veil, which the initiated will quickly unveil, but which will be opaque and even impenetrable for those who do not deserve to pass through it.
For my part, I ask my brothers, readers of this book, to receive my apologies for the plainness of its exposition and for the freedom in its demonstration.
I have only acted thus, because I have risen to heights beyond the reach of sight, and I have wished to give its approximate concepts, in order to inspire desire and love to enter the illuminative path.
I ask God’s indulgence and forgiveness; and may He water us at the fountain of His pure knowledge, for He is beneficent and generous.
And be with you, my brother, whom I am obliged to help, the peace, the clemency of God and His blessing.

  Author: Nasim Abdassami Paredes