The Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Religions (1057 page)

(1263–1328 (AH 661–728)).
A Muslim theologian of conservative and literalistic views, who belonged to the
anbalite
school, but so exceeded even them that he was considered by some heretical. Frequently imprisoned, he refused to compromise, and was an emphatic opponent of
bid‘a
. His views were important in the emergence of the
Wahh
b
s
.

 
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(d. 1185 (AH 581)).
Muslim philosopher and physician, known in the West as Abubacer. Born near Granada in Spain, he became
waz
r
and physician to the
Almohads
, introducing
ibn Rushd
to the court. He developed his philosophical views in
ayy ibn Yaq
an
, (Alive, the Son of the Awake):
ayy represents humanity and Yaq
an God.
ayy grows up on a desert island, and using his powers of observation, reason and reflection, he arrives at the truth and experience in relation to God. The work was tr. into Lat. by E. Pococke in the 17th cent. (
Philosophicus Auotodidactus
) and was influential in the development of the idea of ‘the noble savage’ (Dryden) and of Rousseau's argument for a primitive simplicity which is corrupted by civilization. It may also have influenced Daniel Defoe's
Robinson Crusoe
.

 
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