al-Bātin
al-Bātin: The Innermost One, The One Who encompasses and knows the innermost secrets of everything.
“These two noble names are interpreted by the hadith of Abu Hurairah, may Allah be pleased with him. In it, there is a statement of the Prophet, peace be upon him, saying…”
وأنت الظاهر فليس فوقك شيء، وأنت الباطن فليس دونك شيء
(رواه مسلم)
“You are Az-Zahir, there is nothing above You, You are Al-Batin, there is nothing behind You.” (HR. Muslim)
In this hadith, Az-Zaahir is interpreted to mean lofty, so Allah Ta’ala is the Most High above all things. Some people interpret Zahir to mean visible, meaning that Allah is visible to the mind based on evidence of His existence and wisdom. He is Zahir based on the signs that point to Him, as well as His actions that demonstrate His knowledge. He is Zahir, known through reason and evidence. He is Batin, not visible like everything in the world. Allah Ta’ala is the Most High.
Allah Ta’ala is Az-Zahir based on His wisdom and creation, as well as all the blessings He has given. He is Al-Bathin, hidden in His essence, attributes, and actions.
Some scholars interpret Al-Bathin to mean that He is close. It is said that Al-Bathin is closer to everything with His knowledge and power, while He is above His throne.
Others interpret Al-Bathin to mean that He knows all hidden things. Therefore, He is the All-Knowing of both the visible and the hidden. Bukhari said, “Yahya, meaning Al-Farra, that Az-Zahir is above all things based on His knowledge, while Al-Bathin is with regard to all things based on His knowledge.”
Some interpret Al-Bathin to mean that He cannot be known through the senses like creatures that can be known through the senses.
Others say that He is hidden from the sight of creatures and their perceptions. He cannot be seen by the eye, nor can He be perceived.
Although all these meanings are correct, it is more important to follow the Prophet’s interpretation, because it is the best interpretation, as the Prophet (peace be upon him) is the most knowledgeable about Allah Ta’ala. Ibn Jarir said, “Az-Zahir is above all things below Him. He is high above all things. There is nothing higher than Him. He is Al-Bathin above all things, there is nothing closer to Him except Him.”
Ibn Qayim mentioned that whoever denies that Allah is above is denying the meaning of Az-Zahir. It is not correct to limit the meaning of Az-Zahir to only being high in rank, as in saying that gold is above silver. Because being above here is related to “appearance”, and it is possible that what is below is more valuable than what is above. It is also not correct to limit Az-Zahir to only mean power and authority, although Allah Ta’ala’s power and authority are above. Therefore, Allah has absolute highness from all aspects. He is high in His essence, position, and authority.
So Allah Ta’ala is Al-Bathin, not containing the meaning of being below. Because being below means deficiency, and Allah Ta’ala is far from such attributes. Because Allah Ta’ala is the Most High, He is not except the Most High.
Az-Zahir is related to Al-Bathin. Appearance is paired with highness, because the higher something is, the more it appears. Each of the words “high” and “visible” contains other meanings. Therefore, the Prophet (peace be upon him) said, “There is nothing above You.” He did not say, “There is nothing more visible than You.” Because Az-Zuhur (visibility) contains the meaning of highness.
It also contains the meaning that Allah’s knowledge encompasses all things, and all things become small in the face of Allah’s greatness. As for Him being Al-Bathin, it is because He knows hidden things, secrets, and detailed matters.
