A summary of the concepts held by the Ahl al-Sunnah.
The names of Allah, al-Zahir (the Manifest) and al-Batin (the Hidden).
And the effects of believing in them.
Allah, glory be to Him, is the Manifest and the Hidden.
As He, the Almighty and Majestic, said:
“He is the First and the Last, and the Outward and the Inward; and He is Knower of all things.” (57:3)
And He is All-Knowing of everything.
The meaning of this, as explained by the Prophet, peace be upon him, in the hadith:
"You are the Manifest, so there is nothing above You."
"And You are the Hidden, so there is nothing beneath You."
Narrated by Muslim.
Thus, Allah is manifest over all things and exalted above them.
There is nothing that transcends Him, glory be to Him.
This points to the greatness of His attributes, the Almighty and Majestic.
And the insignificance of all things in the face of this greatness.
Yet, with this, He is the Hidden, the closest of all things to everything.
There is nothing closer to anyone than He, glory be to Him.
As He, the Almighty and Majestic, said:
“We verily created man and We know what his soul whispereth to him, and We are nearer to him than his jugular vein.” (50:16)
He is near to all His creation through His knowledge and His encompassing nature.
He knows the inner aspects of things, their depths, and their hidden realities.
He is aware of secrets, inner thoughts, hidden matters, and the minutiae of affairs.
Believing in these two noble names in this manner,
Realizes the glorification of Allah, the Worshipped, and focuses the heart entirely upon Him.
Allah becomes a refuge to which one turns at every moment.
This is an effect of these two names.
For the name al-Zahir signifies greatness, loftiness, and power over all things.
And the name al-Batin,
Signifies the closeness of Allah, the Almighty and Majestic, to the servant through His kindness, mercy, and perfect management.
Secondly:
Realizing the Lord’s encompassing of the entire world.
And that all worlds are within His grasp, glory be to Him.
This is an effect of His name, al-Batin.
When this encompassing nature and this awareness of secrets and hidden things becomes clear to a person,
The person then purifies their inner self,
Knowing that it is manifest before Allah.
And they rectify their unseen state, realizing that it is witnessed by Him.
Thereby, their inner self is purified and their heart becomes sound.
A summary of the concepts held by the Ahl al-Sunnah.