§ 105. When Asâl look'd upon him, and saw him cloath'd with the Skins of wild Beasts with the Hair on, and his own Hair so long as to cover a great part of his Body, and observ'd his great Swiftness and Strength, he was very much afraid of him, and began to pacifie him with stroaking him, and entreating him, but Hai Ebn Yokdhan did not understand one word he said, nor knew any thing of his meaning, only he perceiv'd that he was afraid, and endeavour'd to allay his Fear with such Voices as he had learn'd of some of the Beasts, and stroak'd his Head, and both Sides of his Neck, and shew'd Kindness to him, and express'd a great deal of Gladness and Joy; till at last Asâl's Fear was laid aside, and he knew that he meant him no harm.
§ 106. Now Asâl long before, out of his earnest Desire of searching into the meaning of Things, had studied most Languages, and was well skill'd in them. So he began to speak to Hai Ebn Yokdhan in all the Languages which he understood, and ask him Questions concerning his way of Life, and took pains to make him understand him; but all in vain, for Hai Ebn Yokdhan stood all the while wondring at what he heard, and did not know what was the meaning of it, only he perceiv'd that Asâl was pleas'd, and well-affected towards him. And thus they stood wondring one at another.
§ 107. Now Asâl had by him some Remainder of the Provision which he had brought along with him, from the inhabited Island from whence he came; and he offer'd it to Hai Ebn Yokdhan, who did not know what to make on't, for he had never seen any such before. Then Asâl eat some of it himself, and invited Hai Ebn Yokdhan by Signs to eat too. But Hai Ebn Yokdhan bethought himself of those Rules which he had prescrib'd to himself, as to matter of Diet; and not knowing the Nature of that which he offer'd him, nor whether it was lawful for him to partake of it or not, he refus'd it. Asâl still continu'd urgent, and invited him kindly: Now Hai Ebn Yokdhan had a great Desire to be acquainted with him, and was afraid that his continuing too stiff in his Refusal, might alienate his Affections from him; so he ventured upon it, and eat some. And when he had tasted of it, and lik'd it, he perceiv'd that he had done amiss, in breaking those Promises which he had made to himself concerning Diet. And he repented himself of what he had done, and had Thoughts of withdrawing himself from Asâl, and retreating to his former State of Contemplation.
§ 108. But the Vision did not easily appear to him at first, upon which he resolv'd to continue with Asâl in the sensible World, till he had thoroughly satisfied himself concerning him, that so when he had no further Desire towards him, he might apply himself to his former Contemplations without any Interruption. Wherefore he applyed himself to the Society of Asâl, who perceiving that he could not speak, was secure of any Damage that might come to his Religion, by keeping Company with him; and besides, had Hopes of teaching him Speech, Knowledge and Religion, and by that means, of obtaining a great Reward, and near Approach to God. He began therefore to teach him how to speak; first, by shewing him particular Things, and pronouncing their Names, and repeating them often, and perswading him to speak them: which he did applying every Word to the Thing by it signified, till he had taught him all the Nouns, and so improv'd him by degrees, that he could speak in a very short time.
§ 109. Then Asâl began to enquire of him concerning his way of Living, and from whence he came into that Island? And Hai Ebn Yokdhan told him, that he knew nothing of his own Original, nor any Father or Mother that he had, but only that Roe which brought him up. Then he describ'd to him his manner of Living, from first to last, and by what degrees he advanc'd in Knowledge, till he attain'd the Union with God. When Asâl heard him give an Account of those Truths, and those Essences which are separate from the Sensible World, and which have the Knowledge of that TRUE ONE, (whose Name be prais'd); and heard him give an account of the Essence of that TRUE ONE, and describe, as far as was possible, what he witness'd (when he had attain'd to that Union) of the Joys of those who are near united to God, and the Torments of those who are separated from him. He made no doubt but that all those things which are contain'd in the Law of God [i.e. the Alcoran] concerning his Command, his Angels, Books and Messengers, the Day of Judgment, Paradise and Hell, were Resemblances of what Hai Ebn Yokdhan had seen; and the Eyes of his Understanding were open'd, and he found that the Original and the Copy[28] did exactly agree together. And the ways of Mystical Interpretation became easie to him, and there appeared nothing difficult to him in those Precepts which he had receiv'd, but all was clear; nor any thing shut up, but all was open; nor any thing profound, but all was plain. By this means his intellectual Faculty grew strong and vigorous, and he look'd upon Hai Ebn Yokdhan with Admiration and Respect, and assur'd himself that he was one of the Saints of God, which have no Fear upon them, neither shall they suffer Pain. Upon which he address'd himself to wait upon him, and imitate him, and to follow his Direction in the Performance of such Works as he had occasion to make use of; namely, those legal ones which he had formerly learn'd from his own Sect.
§ 110. Then Hai Ebn Yokdhan began to enquire of him concerning his Condition and manner of living, and Asâl gave him an account of the Island from whence he came, and what manner of People inhabited it, and what sort of Life they led before that religious Sect, which we mention'd, came among them, and how it was now, since the coming of that Sect. He also gave him an Account of what was deliver'd in the Law [i.e. Alcoran] relating to the Description of the Divine World, Paradise and Hell, and the Awakening and Resurrection of Mankind, and their gathering together to Judgment, and the Balance and the Way. All which things Hai Ebn Yokdhan understood very well, and did not find any of them disagreeable to what he had seen, when in that noble Station; and he knew that he that had described these Things[29], and given an account of them, had given a true Account, and was a Messenger sent from his Lord; and he believ'd him, and affirm'd his Veracity, and bore Witness to his Message.
§ 111. Then he began to ask him concerning the Precepts which the Messenger of God had deliver'd, and the Rites of Worship which he had ordain'd. And Asâl told him of Prayer, Alms, Fasting and Pilgrimage, and such other External Observances, which he receiv'd and practis'd, and took upon himself, in Obedience to his Command, of whose Veracity he was very well allured. Only there were two things stuck in his Mind, which he wonder'd at, and could not comprehend wherein the Wisdom of them did consist. The one was, why this Messenger of God, in describing most things which relate to the Divine World, us'd to express them to Men by Parables or Similitudes, and wav'd a perspicuous Explication of them; by which occasion'd Men in a great Measure to fall into that Error of asserting a Corporeity in God, and believing Things of that TRUE Being, from which he is absolutely free; and so in like manner, concerning, those Things which relate to the Rewards and Punishments of a Future State. The other was, why he went no farther than these Precepts and Rites of Worship, but gave Men leave to gather Riches, and allow'd them a Liberty as to matter of Food; by which means they employed themselves about vain Things, and turn'd away from the Truth, Whereas his Judgment was, that no Body ought to eat any thing, but only just to keep him alive; and as for Riches, He had no Opinion of them at all. And when he saw what was set down and prescrib'd in the Law, with Relation to Wealth, as Alms, and the Distribution of them, and Trading and Usury, Mulcts and Punishments; these things seem'd all very odd to him, and he judg'd them superfluous; and said, that if Men understood Things aright, they would lay aside all these vain Things, and follow the Truth, and content themselves without any thing of all this; and that no Man would challenge such a Propriety in Riches, as to have Alms ask'd of him, or to cause his Hands to be cut off, who privily stole them; or their lives to be taken away, who had openly robb'd him.
§ 112. Now that which prompted him to this Persuasion, was this, that he thought all Men were indu'd with an ingenuous Temper, and penetrating Understanding, and a Mind constant to itself; and was not aware how blockish and stupid they were, how ill-advis'd, and inconstant in their Resolutions; insomuch, that they are like Brute Beasts, nay, more apt to wander out of the way. Since therefore he was greatly affected with Pity towards Mankind, and desir'd that he might be an Instrument of their Salvation; a Resolution came into his Mind of going over to them, to declare and lay before them the Truth. This Intention of his he communicated to his Friend Asâl and ask'd him if there could possibly be any way contriv'd to come at them.
§ 113. But Asâl told him what sort of People they were, and how far from an ingenuous Temper, and how averse from obeying the Commands of God; but he had no Notion of that, but still his Mind was intent upon that which he hop'd to compass: And Asâl desir'd that it would please God, by his means, to direct some of his Acquaintance which were of a more pliable Temper than the rest, and had more Sincerity in them, into the right way. So then he was ready to further the Design and Endeavour of Hai Ebn Yokdhan. Upon which they resolved to keep close to the Sea Shore, without stirring from it either Day or Night, till God should please to afford them an Opportunity of crossing the Sea. And all the while they were intent upon this, they continu'd praying to God to direct them in this their Business, and bring it to an happy Issue.
§ 114. At last, as God (whose Name be prais'd) would have it, it happen'd, that a Ship which had lost her Course, was driven by the Wind and Water upon the Shore of that Island; and as it drew nearer to Land, they who were in it, seeing two Men upon the Shore, made towards them. Then Asâl spoke to them, and desir'd them to carry him and his Companion along with them in the Ship; to which they contented, and took them into the Ship, and it pleas'd God to send them a fair Wind, which, in a short time, carried them to the Isle which they desir'd. There they landed, and went into the City; and Asâl's Friends came all about him, and he gave 'em an account of Hai Ebn Yokdhan, and his manner of living; so that People flock'd to him from every side, and admir'd and reverenc'd him. Then Asâl told him that this Sect was superiour to all other sorts of Men in Knowledge and Sagacity; and that if he could not work upon them, there were much lesser Hopes of doing any Good upon the Vulgar.