atin (Arabic: باطن) is defined as the interior or hidden meaning of the Quran. This is in contrast to the Quran's exterior or apparent meaning (the Zahir).[1][2] Some Muslim groups believe that the bāṭen[3] can only be fully understood and interpreted by a figure with esoteric knowledge, who for Shia Muslims isthe Imam of the Time.
In a wider sense, bāṭen[3] can refer to the inner meaning or reality behind all existence, theẓāher[3] being the world of form and apparent meaning. It may also refer to the unseen world of angels and jinns as described in the Quran. In short, anything that is hidden as opposed to that which is evident is bāṭen or hidden and unseen.