An image that I believe to have a very clear meaning thus far in the narrative would be feathers. It is stated, in passing, that the ark upon which Ibn Yaqzan had been found was cushioned by feathers; the mention of the ark indicates that the feathers would likely only be present in the interpretation of the narrative in which Ibn Yaqzan was conceived by a human rather than by spontaneous generation.
With that in mind, in the interpretation where Ibn Yaqzan was conceived by a human, he was born to a tyrant's sister, who sent him to the waves in an ark with prayers to god in order to protect her newborn. The religious affiliation of the author seems to lie with Islam, at least that is what is indicated in the preface section of the story, and Islam worships the Abrahamic god. Imagery surrounding the Abrahamic god often evokes visions of traditional angels, which are humanoids with feathered wings.
I'm sure you can see where I'm going with this. The mother of Ibn Yaqzan prayed to the Abrahamic god for her child's safety on the seas, and he was found on an uninhabited island with his ark nestled upon feathers. Angels, being the messengers and general servants of the Abrahamic god, would be responsible for carrying out any actions that said god would want done. Hence, I think we can say with some certainty that the feathers found under the ark of little Yaqzan represent divine intervention, as his safety would have been nothing short of miraculous.
That's a great reading, Kris!
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