Zahir vs. Batin: Perceptible vs. Intrinsic
Based upon the research by Imam Al-Suyuti:
الفوئد البارزة و الكامنة في النعم الظاهرة و الباطنة
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Introduction
Suyuti quotes a Hadith (Prophetic Narration) from Ibn Abbas (perhaps
with regards to the following verse), wherein Ibn Abbas asks about
these seen and unseen blessings:
31:20 Do ye not see that Allah has
subjected to your (use) all things in the heavens and on earth, and
has made his bounties flow to you in exceeding measure, (both) seen
and unseen?
أَلَمۡ تَرَوۡاْ أَنَّ ٱللَّهَ سَخَّرَ لَكُم مَّا فِى
ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٲتِ وَمَا فِى ٱلۡأَرۡضِ وَأَسۡبَغَ
عَلَيۡكُمۡ نِعَمَهُ ۥ ظَـٰهِرَةً۬ وَبَاطِنَةً۬ۗ وَمِنَ
ٱلنَّاسِ مَن يُجَـٰدِلُ فِى ٱللَّهِ بِغَيۡرِ عِلۡمٍ۬ وَلَا هُدً۬ى
وَلَا كِتَـٰبٍ۬ مُّنِيرٍ۬
The Prophet peace be upon him replies:
The Zahir (Perceptible) blessings are the submission to Allah
(Islam) and what goodness in your creation and abundance of
provisions, and the Batin (Intrinsic) is the concealment of the
defects within you (i.e. Allah placed veils to conceal our foulness
and faults from others to witness)...
كنز العمال - للمتقي الهندي
المجلد الثاني >> الفصل الرابع في التفسير من فصول
الباب السابع في القرآن وفضائله، من الكتاب الثاني من حرف الهمزة
في الأذكار من قسم الأقوال من كنز العمال في سنن الأقوال والأفعال
>> (التفسير من الإكمال) من الفصل الرابع في التفسير
3024- أما الظاهرة فالإسلام وما حسن من خلقك، وما أسبغ
عليك من الرزق، وأما الباطنة يا ابن عباس، فما ستر عليك من
عيوبك، إن الله عز وجل يقول: إني جعلت للمؤمن ثلث ماله بعد
وفاته، أكفر بها خطاياه بعد موته، وجعلت المؤمنين والمؤمنات
يستغفرون له، وسترت عليه عيوبه التي لو علم بها أهله دون عبادي
لنبذوه.
(ابن مردويه (هب- (من المنتخب)) والديلمي وابن النجار عن ابن
عباس) أنه قال: يا رسول الله قول الله {وأسبغ عليكم نعمه ظاهرة
وباطنة}.
(قال فذكره - (من نظ)).
Then Suyuti continues with a list of Zahir blessings vs. Batin
blessings:
Remark: Reader should read the example/metaphor of
blessings below to collect a unit understanding of the two
distinct forms of blessings. So the examples individually are
lesser, their collective understanding and feeling is the desired
effect.
Terminologies:
Zahir: Visible, perceptible, distinct, manifest, obvious,
clear, patent, evident, apparent, external, exterior, outward,
seeming, presumed, outside.
Batin: Inner, interior, inward, inmost, intrinsic, hidden,
secret.
Zahir the images, and the Batin the light.
Dara: This world is all but projection of images which form many of
our blessings, and the light to see these images intrinsic shining
inmost within.
Zahir the goodness of creation (Khalq), and the Batin the
goodness of behavior (Khuluq).
Dara: Just look at, and easily can be seen, how your body is
engineered anywhere from molecular level to macro level of skin and
bones and nerves and all the amazing machinery of your creation. And
in a more concealed inmost manner see the goodness of human behavior
and conduct mostly beyond engineering explanations, both are
blessings from Allah. We
could easily explain how the muscles work, or how the neuron
circuits work the brain, but oblivious to how human conduct forms
and performs, and what of good in that all, blessings from Allah
beyond any explanation thus concealed in nature.
Zahir the existence of blessings, Batin observing the benefactor.
Dara: To understand and benefit from the photosynthesis empowered by
a distant start (Sun) and amazing variation of botanical and
microbial and molecular light sensitive species is a blessing beyond
bounds. Intrinsically you might see another blessing deep inside
you: observing the most innovative Divine Benefactor with
cosmic-wide creativity to effuse the said patent blessings in
abundance. Therefore, deep within, we feel the presence of a
super-benefactor. And the latter is a form of intrinsic blessing.
Zahir good deed, Batin useful deed.
Dara: A person in their daily life is blest with good pious deeds
and conduct suitable for a spiritual righteous person and that is
the Zahir of such blessing from Allah. Yet
the usefulness of deeds (usefulness for many others), specially in
much longer durations of time, is an intrinsic blessing we might
live and die not be cognizant of. Being modest and polite is a good
deed as in perceptible Zahir, however to plant a tree which its
shade and fruit will come long after the planter is dead and gone,
is an intrinsic blessing Allah bestowed on the planter. To worship
is a good deed for a person a manifest blessing from Allah for the
worshiper, yet to write a book to preserve and propagate (any)
knowledge is a useful deed, intrinsic blessing Allah placed within
the writer.
Zahir good deed, Batin fright. (Fear that Allah might not
accept)
23:60 And those who dispense their charity with their hearts
full of fear
وَٱلَّذِينَ يُؤۡتُونَ مَآ ءَاتَواْ وَّقُلُوبُہُمۡ وَجِلَةٌ
أَنَّہُمۡ إِلَىٰ رَبِّہِمۡ رَٲجِعُونَ
تفسير جامع البيان في تفسير القرآن/
الطبري (ت 310 هـ)
حدثنا سفـيان بن وكيع، قال: ثنا أبـي، عن مالك بن مغول، عن
عبد الرحمن بن سعيد، عن عائشة أنها قالت: يا رسول الله { الَّذِينَ
يَأْتُونَ ما أتَوْا وَقُلُوبُهُمْ وَجِلَةٌ } أهو الرجل يزنى
ويسرق ويشرب الـخمر؟ قال: " لا يا ابْنَةَ أبـي بَكْرٍ أو يا
ابْنَةَ الصّدّيقِ وَلَكِنَّهُ الرَّجُلُ يَصُومُ وَيُصَلِّـي
وَيَتَصَدَّقُ، وَيخافُ أنْ لا يُقْبَلَ مِنْهُ "
Dara: If a pious or generous person worships or disperses charity
and has no fear of Allah
accepting it from him or her, then has no Batin blessing only the
Zahir.
Zahir falling of rain, Batin sprouting of seeds and fruition.
Zahir fruition, Batin seeds in wet mud.
Dara: Our bodies and minds are patent blessings, yet we sprouted
from a single cell! The latter is a concealed blessing, we have no
awareness of! We only see the Zahir and yet the real antecedent
blessing was Batin.
Zahir nurturing after childbirth, Batin nurturing before
childbirth.
53.32 IT/He is best aware of you (from the time) when IT/He
created you from the earth, and when ye were hidden in the bellies
of your mothers. Therefor ascribe not purity unto yourselves.
هُوَ أَعۡلَمُ بِكُمۡ إِذۡ أَنشَأَكُم مِّنَ ٱلۡأَرۡضِ وَإِذۡ
أَنتُمۡ أَجِنَّةٌ۬ فِى بُطُونِ أُمَّهَـٰتِكُمۡۖ فَلَا تُزَكُّوٓاْ
أَنفُسَكُمۡۖ هُوَ أَعۡلَمُ بِمَنِ ٱتَّقَىٰٓ
Dara: Parents attribute much of goodness coming to the child to
their own selves, in spite of the patent infinite array of blessings
from Allah to the child. Yet the concealed blessings that befell the
child prior to birth, are indeed the most blest, for parents to see
the origin of all blessings and not be too proud!
Zahir birth of a child, Batin death of a child.
Dara: Obviously the birth of a child is great happiness for the
parents, a great blessing and pleasure from Allah. Yet
the passing of a child, as sorrowful as it is, a concealed form of
blessing since it makes the parents think of the Hereafter, and hold
themselves accountable for words and deeds. The child came with
blessings from Allah, the child leaves behind concealed blessing
upon passing.
Zahir dutiful child, Batin disrespectful child.
Dara: A child who is dutiful to the parents, though a patent
blessing from Allah,
is a constant source of potential problem due to people's jealousy
or due to child's loyalty to the parents might attract enemies of
all sorts. Yet a disrespectful child either has no appearances to
keep thus lesser inclined to rely on people's kindness or people
find him or her less attractive for socialization thus left alone,
people away more chance of nearness to Allah. Therefore a parent
must also be thankful for problem child and thank Allah for plethora
of concealed blessings that came along with the child.
Zahir a friendly neighbor, Batin a bothersome neighbor.
Dara: The patent blessings we enjoy each day like a friendly
neighbor who makes us comfortable to say in this worldly realm and
not wish to move on to the other world, while the concealed
blessings might take the form of annoyance or bother i.e. a
bothersome neighbor, so much as to make us yearn to be nearer to Allah and
moving away from this realm.
Zahir an agreeable mate, Batin a dis-agreeable mate.
Dara: Daily blessings are manifest pleasures and comforts and hence
agreeable and might build the 'Ujb (Conceit) in
the person specially on the spiritual and religious affairs, on the
contrary the Batin blessing which makes the person feel lowly and
doubt himself or herself is far superior in value to avoid conceit.
Like unto an agreeable mate that might forgive many of our faults
and we think we are perfect, and yet a dis-agreeable mate might be a
good reminder to re-evaluate our self-righteousness.
Zahir verve for worship, Batin languor for worship.
Dara: Often the patent blessing of propensity towards worship and
spiritual acts might block the nearness to Allah!
Since the worshipers have proclivity towards conceit ('Ujb) as a
human condition that none of us could entirely escape from.
Therefore Allah's Mercy maybe a blockage to attaining such forms of
worship or spiritual activities in order to avoid conceit, while the
servant left in sorrows of languor and low qualities of worships.
Allah
said: Indeed amongst My Ibad (Servants) there are those believers
who desire a form of worship and yet I deny them since it might
cause them Conceit ('Ujb).
كنز العمال - للمتقي الهندي
المجلد الأول >> الباب الثالث في لواحق كتاب الإيمان
فصل في الصفات
1680 - (ومن مسند أنس) عن أنس عن رسول الله صلى الله عليه
وسلم عن جبريل عن ربه تبارك وتعالى قال: من أخاف وفي لفظ من أهان
لي وليا فقد بارزني بالمحاربة، وما تقرب إلي عبدي المؤمن بمثل أداء
ما افترضت عليه، وما يزال عبدي المؤمن يتنفل إلي حتى أحبه، ومن
أحببته كنت له سمعا وبصرا ويدا ومؤيدا، إن سألني أعطيته وإن دعاني
أجبته، وفي لفظ دعاني فأجبته، وسألني فأعطيته ونصح لي فنصحت له،
وما ترددت في شيء أنا فاعله، وما ترددت في قبض نفس مؤمن يكره
الموت، وأكره مساءته، ولا بد له منه، وإن من عبادي المؤمنين
لمن يشتهى الباب من العبادة فأكفه عنه لئلا يدخله عجب فيفسده،
ذلك وإن من عبادي المؤمنين لمن لا يصلح إيمانه إلا الغنى ولو
أفقرته لافسده ذلك، وإن من عبادي لمن لا يصلح إيمانه إلا الفقر ولو
بسطت له لأفسده ذلك، وإن من عبادي المؤمنين لمن لا يصلح إيمانه إلا
الصحة، ولو أسقمته لأفسده ذلك، وإن من عبادي المؤمنين لمن لا يصلح
إيمانه إلا السقم، ولو أصححته لأفسده ذلك، إني أدبر عبادي بعلمي
بقلوبهم إني عليم خبير.
(ابن أبي الدنيا في كتاب الأولياء حل كر) وفيه صدقة ابن عبد
الله السمين ضعفه حم (خ ن) قط وقال أبوحاتم محله الصدق وأنكر عليه
القدر فقط.
Zahir good standing and abilities, Batin weakness and inabilities
Dara: Manifest blessings for a person who is able and has good
standing in his or her society to do all sorts of good deeds and
actions with ease and confidence, yet there are other forms of
blessings, Batin intrinsic, which inabilities of a person translates
into submission and reliance upon Allah in
fuller measure of trust than the former Zahir.
Zahir donating upon request, Batin donating without any request.
Dara: Offering something to a poor person who asks of you, a patent
clear blessing from Allah who
entrusted you with good heart and funds and willfulness to deliver
upon request. Yet you might donate and contribute without anyone
asking you, an intrinsic charity within you free of any volition or
cognizance i.e. it just pours out of you! For example, natural
inclination towards consuming less, thus unintentionally leaving
more resources for others to enjoy without asking you!
Zahir being present, Batin waiting.
Dara: Allah
made patent and clear in view blessings for all of us to apply
ourselves and attempt to acquire, this energy within for
acquisitions is a patent blessing from Allah. Yet there is a
yearning or waiting within, deep within, which is again is a
concealed blessing from Allah, when the servant waits for when Allah
wishes something for him or her and then seeks to acquire. This
waiting in and of itself is a blessing!
Alternative Interpretation:
It is a patent blessing from Allah that
the seekers invoke Allah's Names and ask for needs and then granted,
yet it is a concealed intrinsic blessing a deep inmost waiting that
awaits without asking, and Allah sends boundlessly.
Zahir you love IT,
Batin IT
loves you.
Dara: Hubb (Love)
is a binary relationship of lover and beloved, you love Allah which
is a patent blessing for many who find this love within, yet there
are those who Allah loves them and they are the beloveds of Allah
indeed an intrinsic blessing.
Zahir you are ITs Murid (Seeker), Batin you are ITs seeking
(Murad).
Dara: Amazingly manifest blessing, that all seek after IT,
and yet there are some who are Murad i.e. sought after by IT, that
is an intrinsic and often concealed blessing even unbeknownst to the
person.
Zahir explanation to be clear, Batin adornment to be beautiful.
2.221 ITs His Signs clear to mankind: That they may celebrate
ITs/His praise.
وَيُبَيِّنُ ءَايَـٰتِهِۦ لِلنَّاسِ لَعَلَّهُمۡ
يَتَذَكَّرُونَ
49:7 But Allah
has endeared the Faith to you, and has made it beautiful in your
hearts,
وَلَـٰكِنَّ ٱللَّهَ حَبَّبَ إِلَيۡكُمُ ٱلۡإِيمَـٰنَ وَزَيَّنَهُ
ۥ فِى قُلُوبِكُمۡ
Dara: All that your senses can sense and your mind can think are
tools to explicate in great details all manner of things about Allah,
indeed a patent blessing, yet beauty is adorned in eyes of human
existence as an intrinsic blessing, beauty appears as knowledge
approaching infinity and even though as all intellect in cosmos
could not contain it, suddenly becomes beautiful and adornment to
eyes, what did not fit the minds now fits the eyes!
Zahir verbiage, Batin Ishara (Pointing).
Dara: Bestowal of gift of language a clear patent blessing, deep
within where the language is no longer, there is only Ishara (Pointing)
as the most concealed blessing.
Zahir the clumsy riding on the back of animals, Batin smooth
sailing of the seas.
Dara: Former the Zahir you ride and it is hard and clumsy, latter
the Batin you are driven smooth ride void of obstacles towards
Allah! just lean back and enjoy the voyage.
©
2015-2002, Dara O Shayda