 | ||
Batin (Arabic: باطن) literally means 'inner', 'inward', 'hidden', etc. The Quran, for instance, has a hidden meaning in contrast to its exterior or apparent meaning (the Zahir). Sufis believe that likewise, every individual has a batin which is the world of souls. This is the inward self of the individual which when cleansed with the light of one's spiritual guide, elevates a person spiritually. This notion is connected to Allah's attribute of Al-Batin i.e. the Hidden One who cannot be seen but exists in every realm.
Muslim groups believe that the bāṭen can only be fully understood and interpreted by a figure with esoteric knowledge, who for Shia Muslims is the Imam of the Time.
In a wider sense, bāṭen can refer to the inner meaning or reality behind all existence, the ẓāher being the world of form and apparent meaning. It may also.