76. Al-Batin — The Most Hidden
This page explains the meaning of Allah's name Al-Bathin, that is, the Essence Who is hidden from sight and imagination, so that His state cannot be pictured.
He is the Essence Who is Zhahir (manifest) in His existence to sound reason through the signs of guidance in the form of the heavens, the earth, humans, animals, plants, and so forth. Whereas Al-Bathin is that which is hidden from sight and imagination, so that how He is cannot be estimated and His state is not known. He is Zhahir in terms of definition and Bathin in terms of takyif (perceptible form).
Ibn 'Atha'illah said: "Allah makes everything manifest because He is Bathin, and He conceals the existence of everything because He is Zhahir."
In explaining this statement of Ibn 'Atha'illah, the commentator says: "Allah makes everything manifest because He is Bathin, because the demand of ism-His does not wish to be shared in that hidden attribute by anything. That is why He makes everything manifest, that is, He makes it real, and there is nothing hidden within it except Him. And He conceals the existence of everything because He is Zhahir, that is, He does not give any existence of its own essence to anything other than Himself; rather everything is, in itself, pure nonexistence, and has no existence except from His existence."
Sayyid Muhyiddin said: "Know that tajalli-His, Allah SWT's manifestation through His names, has three levels. First, tajalli to creation through His name Azh-Zhahir, so that nothing in creation is hidden from the command of Allah SWT; and this is specific to the Day of Resurrection. Second, tajalli to creation through His name Al Bathin, so that it is the heart (not the eyes) that witnesses Him. This is why human beings, in their innate nature, find reliance upon Him and capability through Him without seeing any proof, and refer all their affairs back to Him. Third, tajalli through ism-His Azh Zhahir and Al Bathin together, and this is specific only to the prophets and their heirs.
Azh-Zhahir and Al-Bathin also belong to the category of mudhafat, for the manifest becomes manifest in relation to one thing and hidden in relation to another; it is never manifest or hidden alone from one single perspective, but is manifest in connection to understanding and hidden from another perspective. And Allah SWT is Zhahir when sought by reason through the way of istidlal, and Bathin when sought through sensory understanding and imagination. If you say: "As for His state of being Bathin in relation to sensory understanding, its meaning is clear, but His state of being Zhahir to reason is vague (less clear), for what is manifest is that concerning which people do not differ in their understanding and do not dispute."
Then know that He is hidden through His very manifestation, because of how utterly manifest that manifestation is. His manifestation itself becomes the cause of His concealment. And His light is the hijab (veil) of His light. Everything that passes beyond His limit turns into its opposite. You may be surprised by this explanation and find it hard to understand without an example. So I say, if you were to see a piece of writing written by a skilled writer, you would surely take it as proof of that writer's skill, and that he is someone capable, able to see and hear. And you would feel certain of the existence of those qualities even though they are shown to you through nothing but that one piece of writing. Well, just as you witness that the writing is a certain testimony to the skill of its writer, so too is it the case with Allah SWT. There is no object, however small, in the heavens, on the earth, among the planets, the sun, the moon, animals, plants, and the qualities described, except that it bears witness of itself to its need for the One who regulates, determines, and specifies its qualities. Indeed, no one considers all the parts of his own body, whether visible or hidden, or even his own attributes, except that it becomes clear to him that there truly is a Creator, a Sovereign, and a Regulator of him.
Imam Al-Ghazali continues: "If everything differed in its testimony, some bearing witness and some not, then certainly that certainty would only be achieved for some. But because the testimonies are so many that all of them agree, it becomes hidden and obscure, precisely because of how utterly clear it is."
Taking on the character of these two ism means concealing your deeds so that they are not seen by others, while revealing your special qualities to those who love Allah, so that you become manifest before them.
Its Benefit The benefit ism Azh-Zhahir is that it reveals the light of spiritual authority within the heart of whoever recites dhikr with it, if he recites it at the time of sunrise.
And the benefit ism Al-Bathin is that it grants a sense of tranquillity to whoever recites dhikr with it, three times each day, each time for a brief moment.
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