Zahir (Islam)

According to some Muslim groups, the Zahir is the external or apparent meaning of the Quran . In other words, this refers to interpretations of Quranic doctrine that are conducted by normal human beings. The other component of the Quran is the Batin , or the underlying, esoteric dimension of the Quran, which can only be interpreted by a figure of esoteric knowledge, who for Shi'a Muslims is the Imam of the Time . v t e

In tafsir , zahir ( ) is the exoteric or apparent meaning of the Quran . It is also the underlying principle of the Ẓāhiriyya , a school of thought in Islamic jurisprudence and Aqida known for its insistence on sticking to the manifest ( zahir ) or apparent meaning of expressions in the Qur'an and the Sunnah . Ismaili Muslims adhere to the Sufi principle of balance between the Zahir and the spirit or the intellect that the zahir represents. The opposite of zahir is batin , or the underlying, esoteric meaning of the Quran, which can only be interpreted by a figure of esoteric knowledge.

Certain esoteric interpretations of Islam maintain that the Quran has an exoteric or apparent meaning, known as zahir , but also an underlying esoteric meaning, known as batin , which can be interpreted only by a figure of esoteric knowledge. In Sufism , the actions of an individual are the zahir , and the intention in the heart is the batin . Zahir is the world of bodies whereas batin is the world of souls . Sufis believe in the purification of the batin by their spiritual guide to assure a zahir that follows Shariat . Zahir is also the underlying principle of the Ẓāhiriyya , a school of thought in Islamic jurisprudence and theology known for its insistence on sticking to the manifest or apparent meaning of expressions in the Quran and the Sunnah . University of Oxford. 2008-05-06 .

Islamic term referring to outer meaning For other uses, see Zahir (disambiguation) . Ẓāhir or zaher ( ) is an Arabic term in some tafsir (interpretations of the Quran ) for what is external and manifest. Certain esoteric interpretations of Islam maintain that the Quran has an exoteric or apparent meaning, known as zahir , but also an underlying esoteric meaning, known as batin (baten), which can be interpreted only by a figure of esoteric knowledge. In Sufism , the actions of an individual are the zahir , and the intention in the heart is the batin . Zahir is the world of bodies whereas batin is the world of souls . Sufis believe in the purification of the batin by their spiritual guide to assure a zahir that follows Shariat . Zahir is also the underlying principle of the Ẓāhiriyya , a school of thought in Islamic jurisprudence and theology that relies only on the manifest or apparent meaning of expressions in the Quran and the Sunnah . According to the "Epistle of the Right Path", a post-Mongol Persian-Ismaili treatise, the zahir (exoteric) form and the batin (esoteric) essence co-exist, in that the zahir (exoteric) form is the manifestation of the batin (esoteric) essence. The zahir (outer form) without the batin (essence) is just like a mirage or an illusion. Many Ismaili Muslim thinkers have stressed the importance of the balance between the exoteric ( ẓāhir ) and the esoteric ( batin ) in the understanding of faith, and have explained that spiritual interpretation ( ta’wil ) entails elucidating the esoteric meaning ( bātin ) from the exoteric form ( ẓāhir ). University of Oxford. 2008-05-06 . "Hierohistory in Qāḍī l-Nuʿmān's Foundation of Symbolic Interpretation (Asās al-Taʾwīl): The Birth of Jesus" .