Zahir is an Arabic word that is translated according to Islamic philosophy as a concept of what is visible, apparent and exoteric (which manifests itself in an external way).
The concept of zahir for Islamic philosophy is related to the interpretation of the Koran, the holy book for the Muslim people.
According to the philosophical definition, the zahir would be all the external behavior and attitude of an individual, that is, what he looks like and what other people can see.
Learn more about the meaning of Quran.
In opposition to zahir is the call batin, which would be “what is inside” or “invisible”. It consists of people's intentions and thoughts which, according to Islamic philosophy, are stored in the hearts of individuals.
For Sufism (mythical current of Islam), the zahir would be the "world of bodies", while the batin it would be relative to the “world of souls”.
The philosophical thought of zahir is a principle of al-Zahiriyya, an Islamic theological-juridical school.
The word zahir became popular in the West thanks to the Argentine writer Jorge Luís Borges who, in his book “
healeph” (1949), conceptualized this term as “something that, once touched or seen, is never forgotten – and keeps occupying our thoughts until it drives us crazy”.Inspired by this definition, Brazilian writer Paulo Coelho wrote the book “O Zahir”, first published in 2005.
See also the meaning of aleph.
In some countries, mainly of Arab origin, Zahir can still be considered a proper name, as well as other variations, such as Zaheer, for example.
