The Islamic 'Tarzan': When a Human Infant Is Raised by a Gazelle

Stories of humans raised by animals are often associated with Tarzan in Western popular culture. However, long before this tale became widely known, the Islamic world possessed a similar narrative through a classical philosophical work titled Hay bin Yaqzan, written by Ibn Thufail.

Young Islamic scholar Husein Ja’far Al Hadar, commonly known as Habib Ja’far, explained that this story is often cited as the original inspiration for the Tarzan narrative.

According to him, the story of Hay bin Yaqzan tells of an infant who lived and was raised by a female gazelle on a remote island.

“There is the story of Hay bin Yaqzan by Ibn Thufail, one of the philosophers, which tells of an infant cared for by a gazelle. Hay bin Yaqzan is said to be the origin of the Tarzan story,” said Habib Husein, citing the “Login” programme that aired during Ramadan on Tuesday, 10 March 2026.

Habib Husein believed the story carries a profound message about how humans can come to know God through observation of the universe. He cited a statement by Ali bin Abi Talib: “I know my Lord through my Lord himself.”

According to him, this expression illustrates that humans can arrive at an awareness of God’s existence through the signs of His greatness in nature.

“This means that when someone is raised by a gazelle from infancy, the story is about how he discovers God without reading scripture, but by observing the cosmic verses in the form of the universe,” said Habib Ja’far.