The Hidden

Inward to all inwardness.

The tongue

From b-ṭ-n; baṭn, the interior, the belly. Bāṭin, that which is within.

The reason

He is inward to every thing, without being confused with it. More inward to me than myself, the tradition will say.

The Sufi meaning

Aẓ-Ẓāhir and al-Bāṭin go together: He is manifest and hidden at once — manifest through the signs, hidden by His essence. To seek Him outside and within is the same gesture.

The servant's portion

Cultivate your inwardness. What is interior to you carries more weight than your appearance.