The other was why he did not proceed beyond those precepts and rites of worship, permitting men to seek after riches and the amassing of wealth, and to enjoy their liberty as to the matter of food: by which means they vainly delivered themselves unto vain things and turned themselves away from the truth. Whilst his judgment was that nothing ought to be taken from any; but only so much as may enable him to sustain the remainder of his life. But as to riches, he considered them of no value at all.
Now when he saw what was laid down and prescribed in the law concerning those things that belonged to the employment of riches, namely alms, and the distribution thereof and trading with them, also with regard to usury, mulcts, and punishments, these things seemed all very odd and uncouth unto him, and he judged them to be quite superfluous. For he said that if men would judge of the matter according to truth, they would certainly withdraw themselves from those vain things, and only follow the truth, so that all this would be quite superfluous, nor would any man challenge the property in riches as to have those dues exacted from him, or to cause his hands to be cut off for those things secretly stolen, or that lives should be destroyed by taking them away openly.
[Hayy observes that men are dull, stupid and brutish.]
This was what he thought; and that which put this opinion into his mind was that he thought that all men were imbued with an ingenuous temper, a penetrating understanding, and a mind constant unto themselves. Nor did he know how stupid and dull they were, how ill advised and how inconstant in their resolutions; so much so that they were entirely like brutes, even more apt than they to wander out of the way.
Therefore, since he was greatly affected with pity towards mankind, and anxiously desired that he might be an instrument in their salvation, a resolution entered into his mind of going over to them that he might be able to unfold and lay before them the truth of things. This desire he therefore made known to his companion Asal, and asked whether he could find out any way whereby he could come unto them and discourse with them.
[Asal persuades Hayy to follow him to his Island.]
Asal, on the other hand, told him what sort of people they were—how much lacking in ingenuousness, and how averse from obeying the commandments of God. But Hayy could not understand this; and his mind was intent upon that which he hoped to compass. Asal also greatly desired that it would please God, by his means, to direct some of his acquaintances which were of a more pliable temper and more easily to be guided than the rest, and not so far distant from sincerity as the others, into the right way. Thus he was ready to support the design of Hayy Ibn Yokdhan.
[Hayy and Asal return together to Asal’s Island.]
Thereupon they resolved to betake themselves unto the seashore, nor to depart thence either by day or night till God should please to afford them an opportunity of crossing the sea. And always they were intent upon this thing, and continued with their prayers and supplications to God to direct them in this work and bring it to a successful issue.
At last it came to pass, by the commandment of God, the Almighty and Glorious, that the winds and waves drove a ship that had lost its course to the shore of that Island. And as it drew nearer unto the land, they who were in it, seeing two men upon the shore, made towards them. Then Asal bespeaking them, expressed the desire that they should carry them with them; they readily acquiesced therein, took them both into the ship; and it pleased God to send them a fair wind, which in a very short time conveyed them unto the desired Island. There they landed and went into the City.