Aẓ-Ẓāhir
The Manifest, The Evident
Root ظ ه ر (ẓ-h-r). Lane gives ẓahara as ‘it was, or became, outward, exterior... it appeared; became apparent, manifest’, with the root related to both outwardness and manifestness. The word ẓahr means back, as seen in Qur'an 94:3. Ẓāhira indicates outwardness in Qur'an 31:20. Ẓahīr, meaning supporter, is mentioned in Qur'an 17:88. Aẓhara means made manifest, found in Qur'an 66:3. In 57:3 Sahih International renders Aẓ-Ẓāhir ‘the Ascendant’: ‘He is the First and the Last, the Ascendant and the Intimate’.
The root
ظ ه رẓ-h-r
Outwardness and manifestness. Lane gives ẓahara as 'it was, or became, outward, exterior... it appeared; became apparent, manifest'; the root also gives ẓahr, the back.
- ظَهْرẓahrback (94:3)
- ظَاهِرَةẓāhiraoutward (31:20)
- ظَهِيرẓahīrsupporter (17:88)
- أَظْهَرَaẓharamade manifest (66:3)
Pronunciation
الظَّاهِرُ
adh-DHAA-hir
In the Qur'an
هُوَ الْأَوَّلُ وَالْآخِرُ وَالظَّاهِرُ وَالْبَاطِنُ ۖ وَهُوَ بِكُلِّ شَيْءٍ عَلِيمٌ
He is the First and the Last, the Ascendant and the Intimate, and He is, of all things, Knowing.
57:3 · Sahih International