Ẓāhir (ظاهر)

Apparent/Exoteric

فَقَالَ صَدَقَ ذَرِيحٌ وَ صَدَقْتَ إِنَ‏ لِلْقُرْآنِ ظَاهِراً وَ بَاطِناً وَ مَنْ يَحْتَمِلُ مَا يَحْتَمِلُ ذَرِيحٌ‏

He^-asws said: ‘Zareeh spoke the truth and you speak the truth. For the Quran there is an apparent (exoteric) and a hidden (esoteric), and who can tolerate what Zareeh can tolerate?’^[1]

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[1] Bihar Al-Anwaar V 89 – The Book of Quran – Ch 8 H 15