Encyclopedia of Islam

Further reading: Arthur Jeffrey, A Reader on Islam (The 

Hague: Mouton & Co., 1962); Moshe Piamenta, Islam 

in Everyday Arabic Speech (Leiden: E.J. Brill, 1979).

batin

 

(Arabic: inward, hidden)

The idea of an inner or secret truth is one that 

has intrigued religious thinkers and mystics in 

many different religious traditions. In i

slam

, this 

idea is captured by the term al-batin. It is particu-

larly important in relation to the interpretation 

of scripture. Sunnis are known for being in favor 

of interpreting the q

Uran

 to bring forth its con-

ventional, outward (zahir) meanings, a procedure 

called 

tafsir

. Many Shii scholars, on the other 

hand, have contended that although the Quran 

has outward meanings that change with the pas-

sage of time, it also has inward (batin), esoteric 

ones that contain eternal truths. Indeed, they have 

supported key doctrines in their understanding 

of Islam by a process of scriptural interpretation 

K  94  

basmala

---

they call tawil, which allows them to extract the 

Quran’s inward, symbolic meanings.

In their debates over the Quran’s outward and 

inward meanings, Muslims have invoked the fol-

lowing verse:

(God) sent down upon you this book in 

which are some clear verses—they are the 

mother of the book—and others that are 

ambiguous. Those whose hearts are devious 

follow what is ambiguous in it to cause dis-

cord when they interpret it. Only God knows 

how to interpret it and those who are firm 

in knowledge, they say: “We believe in it; all 

comes from our lord.” (Q 3:7)

Sunnis say that only God and Sunni religious 

scholars are qualified to interpret the Quran, 

especially the clear verses, while other interpreta-

tions are troublesome. The Shia maintain that, 

to the contrary, God endowed the infallible Shii 

i

mams

 with the gift of interpreting both the clear 

and ambiguous verses to extract their inward 

meaning. They teach that verses referring to the 

“straight path” (Q 1:6), the “light of God” (Q 

64:8), and the “truthful ones” (Q 9:119) are secret 

references to their Imams. Even the Sun and the 

moon, mentioned in Q 91:1–4, are interpreted to 

represent Muhammad and Ali, while “day” stands 

for the imams and “night” for the enemies of the 

imams. Moreover, the Shia see the story of Abra-

ham’s sacrifice (Q 37:100–110) as a secret prefigu-

ration of Husayn’s martyrdom at k

arbala

 in 680. 

Most Sunnis would reject such interpretations.

The Ismailis, or Seven-Imam Shia, were the 

first major Shii sect to propagate the idea of 

inward meanings of the Quran, starting in the 

eighth century. They maintained that Muham-

mad, as the prophet of Islam, was sent to transmit 

the outward meanings of the Quran, and that the 

Imams were charged with transmitting its inward 

meanings. Most branches of the Ismailis accepted 

the coexistence of the two kinds of interpretation, 

as did the Twelve-Imam Shia. They also required 

that members become knowledgeable about the 

Quran’s outward meanings before delving into 

its hidden ones. Ismailis maintained that there 

were ascending levels of inward meanings that 

students had to comprehend in order to arrive at 

the supreme truth. Sufis also have sought to elicit 

the inward meanings of the Quran, but they do 

so with the guidance provided by divine inspira-

tion or a Sufi master (

shaykh

 or pir), rather than 

an Imam.

See also 

haqiqa

;  i

smaili

  s

hiism

;  t

Welve

-i

mam

s

hiism

.