The Improvement of Human Reason. Muhammad ibn 'Abd al-Malik Ibn Tufayl
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target="_blank" rel="nofollow" href="#ulink_3ef52261-77f1-5f34-8ff3-c6435a8241d1">[11] The Hanifitick Sect, and the Mahometan Religion—That is, not only the Hanifitick Sect, but even the Mahometan Religion too, of which that Sect is a Branch, does forbid the over curious enquiring into these abstruse Matters. This Sect was very early among the Mahometans, for it had its Name from Abu Hanifah Al Nooman, who was born,in the 80 year of Hegira, or according to others in the 70. I must confer, that it seems something odd, that he should mention that Sect first, and then the Mahometan Religion which includes it, and if it had not been for the word Asshariyato, which, if I mistake not, is never us'd to express any particular Sect, but signifies a Religion, or Law of God, I should have understood those Words of the Sect of Mahomet Ebn Edris Asshaphiensis. See Dr. Pocock 's Specimen p. 295. Or else the Hanifitick Sect and the Mahometan Religion may signifie the same thing, because Abraham, (whose Religion the Mahometans pretend to follow) is called in the Alcoran Hanif. Dr. Sike.
[12] Alpharabius—Without Exception, the greatest of all the Mahometan Philosophers, reckon'd by some very near equal to Aristotle himself. Maimonides, in the Epistle which I just now mention'd, commends him highly; and tho' he allows Avicenna a great share of Learning, and Acumen; yet be prefers Alpharabius before him. Nay, Avicenna himself confesses, that when he had read over Aristotle's Metaphysicks forty times, and gotten them by heart; that he never understood them till he happened upon Alpharabius's Exposition of them. He wrote Books of Rhetorick, Musick, Logick, and all parts of Philosophy; and his Writings have been much esteemed; not only by Mahometans but Jews and Christians too. He was a Person of singular Abstinence and Continence,and Despiser of the things of this World. He is call'd Alpharabius from Farab, the place of bis Birth, which according to Abulpheda (who reckons his Longitude not from the Fortunate Islands, but from the extremity of the Western Continent of Africa) bar88 deg. 30 min. of Longitude and 44 deg. of Northern Latitude. He died at Damascus the Year of the Hegira 339, that is, about the Year of Christ 950, when he was about fourscore Years Old.
[13] The Spanish Philosophers.—This is not to be understood of any Christians in Spain, but Mahometans; for the Moors Conquer'd a great part of Spain in the Ninety Fifth Year of the Hegira, which answers partly to the Year of our Lord 710. Afterwards, as Learning grew up amongst the Eastern Mahometans, it increased proportionally among the Western too, and they had a great many Learned Men in Toledo and other Places. The Author of this Book was a, Spaniard, as appears from an Expression towards the end of this Preface.
[14] Algazâli.—He was an Eminent Philosopher, Born at Thûs a Famous City of Chorafan, in the Year of the Hegira 450, of Christ 1058. He died in the Year of the Hegira 505, of Christ 1111–2. Dr. Pocock's Elenchus Scriptor.
[15] Heresy.—In Arabick the Word Káfara, signifies to be an Infidel, but they use it commonly as we do the word Heresy, viz. when a Person holds any thing erroneous in Fundamentals, tho' Orthodox in other points.
[16] The Doctrine of the Suphians—The Suphians are an Enthusiastick Sect amongst the Mahometans, something like Quietists and Quakers; these set up a stricter sort of Discipline, and pretended to great abstinence and Contempt of the World, and also to a greater Familiarity and stricter Union with God than other Sects; they used a great many strange and extravagant actions and utter Blasphemous Expressions. Al Hosain Al Hallâgi was eminent amongst them about the Year of the Hegira 300. 'Twas he that wrote in one of his Epistles, Blessed is he that possesses the shining light, &c. and pretended that God dwelt in him. The Learned among the Arabians are not agreed, about the derivation of the Word, Sufi, Suphian. It seems not to be known among them till about the 200 Year of the Hegira. The most probable Interpretation of it is from the Arabick word Sûph, which signifies Wool, because those that followed this Sect refused to wear Silk, and Cloathed themselves only with Wool. Dr. Pocock and Golius follow this Interpretation; tho' the latter in his Lexicon seems to doubt whether it is deriv'd from the Greek σωφός or from the Arabick Sûph. The Sultan of Persia is often call'd the Sophy, because Ismaël the first Sultan of that Family now in Persia who began to Reign in the 605 Year of the Hegira, that is of our Lord the 155⅘ was of this Sect. viz, Sufi, a Suphian.
[17] The word which I have here rendred Starlight, is Zohal in Arabick which signifies Saturn. 'Tis a common way with the Arabian Authors, when they intend to shew a vast disproportion between things, to compare the greater to the Sun and the lesser to Saturn. The meaning of this Distich, is that there is as much difference between what a Man knows by hearsay, or what notions he imbibes in his Education, and what he knows when he comes to examin things to the bottom, and know them experimentally, as there is between Twilight and Noonday.
THE HISTORY OF HAI EBN YOKDHAN.
§ 1. Our Ancestors, of Happy Memory, tell us, that there is an Island in the Indian Ocean, situate under the Equinoctial, where Men come into the world spontaneously without the help of Father and Mother. This Island it seems, is blest with such a due Influence of the Sun, as to be the most temperate and perfect of all places in the Creation; tho' it must be confess'd that such an Assertion is contrary to the Opinion of the most celebrated Philosophers and Physicians, who affirm that the fourth Climate is the most Temperate. Now if the reason which they give for this Assertion, viz. That these parts situate under the Equinoctial are not habitable; were drawn, from any Impediment from the Earth, 'tis allow'd that it would appear more probable; but if the reason be, because of the intense Heat (which is that which most of 'em assign) 'tis absolutely false, and the contrary is prov'd by undeniable demonstration. For 'tis demonstrated in Natural Philosophy, that there is no other cause of Heat than Motion, or else the Contact and Light of Hot Bodies. 'Tis also prov'd that the Sun, in it self, is not hot, nor partakes of any mix'd Quality: 'tis prov'd moreover, that the thickest and smoothest Bodies receive Light in the greatest degree of perfection; and next to them, the thicker which are not smooth, and those which are very thin receive no Light at all. (This was first demonstrated by Avicenna, never mention'd before by any of the Ancients.) From these Premises, this Consequence will necessarily follow, viz. That the Sun do's not Communicate his Heat to the Earth, after the same manner as hot Bodies heat those other Bodies which are near them because the Sun is not hot in it self. Nor can it be said that the Earth is heated by Motion, because it stands still, and remains in the same posture, both when the Sun shines upon it, and when it does not, and yet 'tis evident to Sense, that there is a vast difference in it, in respect of Heat and Cold, at those several times. Nor does the Sun first heat the Air, and so the Earth; because we may observe in hot weather, that the Air which is nearest the Earth, is hotter by much than that which is higher and more remote. It remains therefore that the Sun has no other way of heating the Earth but by its Light, for Heat always follows Light, so that when its Beams are collected, as in Burning-Glasses for instance, it fires all before it. Now 'tis Demonstrated in Mathematicks, that the Sun is a Spherical Body, and so is the Earth; and that the Sun is much greater than the Earth; and that part of the Earth which is at all times illuminated by the Sun is above half of it; and that in that half which is illuminated, the Light is most intense in the midst; both because that part is the most remote from Darkness, which is the Circumference of the Circle, as also, because it lies opposite to more parts of the Sun: and that those parts which are nearest the Circumference of the Circle, have less Light;