Zāhir (Exterior) and Bātin (Interior) of the Qur an and Channels of Imam's Awareness of Them

The Qur’an, the last book of the Divine Revelation, has two domains: the domain of zāhir (exterior-apparent meaning) and that of bātin (interior-hidden meaning). Only a few specific people are thoroughly aware of both, so the human society needs those people in order to be connected to the truth in its fullest and to travel the path of excellence. The Shi‘a school believes that the fourteen Infallibles are the ones who have full knowledge of zāhir and bātin of the Qur’an, and that their knowledge is far beyond regular knowledge and is connected to the Divine source through certain channels. The latter is proved using a number of the Qur’an verses and several rivāyāt (Islamic narrations). The present paper uses a library method and an analytical approach to investigate and prove Imām’s comprehensive awareness and knowledge of the Qur’an. Connection of Imām to the truths of the Qur’an is then explored using examination of different channels of Imām’s awareness of the zāhir and bātin of the Qur’an, and the paper reveals that this quality in Imām is due to his status in the universe for supporting people’s guidance by Allah.