Batin (Islam)

Not to be confused with Al-Batin.

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.[1][2] 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[3] 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[3] can refer to the inner meaning or reality behind all existence, the ẓāher[3] being the world of form and apparent meaning. It may also.

See also

References

  1. ↑ Daftary, Farhad (2000). Intellectual traditions in Islam New York: St. Martins Press. ISBN 186064760X . page 90.
  2. ↑ Gleave, Robert (2011). Islam and literalism: Literal meaning and interpretation in Islamic legal theory. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press. ISBN 0748631135. Page 64.
  3. 1 2 3 Radtke, B. "BĀṬEN". Encyclopedia Iranica. Retrieved 9 July 2014.
  4. ↑ http://bektashiorder.com/love-of-the-prophets-family

External links


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