One of the name of God is "Al-Baru (Al-Zahir, Al-Batin(Apparent, Hidden))"

The horizons, climates, people, all are signs of His power and Might. Through the effects of His Wisdom, we observe that He is Apparent. We may see Him in His communications with us.

Imam Husain(a.s) in his unique invocation called Arafa, tells God:

أيَكُونُ لِغَيْرِكَ مِنَ الظُّهُورِ ما لَيْسَ لَكَ حَتّى يَكُونَ هُوَ الْمُظْهِرَ لَكَ؟ مَتى غِبْتَ حَتّى تَحْتَاجَ إلى دَليلٍ يَدُلُّ عَلَيْكَ؟ وَمَتى بَعُدْتَ حَتّى تَكُونَ الآثارُ هِيَ الَّتي تُوصِلُ إلَيْكَ.

O God! When I put aside my wishes and delve into myself, I realize that the brightness of Your Grandeur is more evident than anything else. And Your Existence is not kept hidden so that I may have to use a lamp to find you. This is because whenever I use a truth as a reason to see You, I immediately realize that the creator of this lamp and this reasoning is You.

O God! How would it be possible to consider a spot on the nature which is able to exist without you? Is it ever possible for the nature to produce any movement, law or system on its own?

From early in the morning till the dark night, my eyes are open to this great and endless nature; my eyes see different sizes and colors, big and small, beautiful and ugly. I see everything and I call this ability “the eye-sight.”

O my God! Are my eyes really open and do they see? If my eyes are open, then why can’t I observe You?

But why my eye-lashes become close together when I remember Your supreme domination over everything?

O the One who brighten the eye-sights, do me a favor and give some bright light to my wandering eyes so that I may realize Your domination over all creatures and Your light over my eyes.[1]

عَمِيَتْ عَيْنٌ لا تَراكَ عَلَيْها رَقيباً Those eyes which can not observe Your supervision over everything are blind, indeed.

Hidden(Al-Batin) simply conveys the meaning that His sacred being is hidden to us. No imagination may ever visualize Him. Our wisdom and intelligence are too feeble to reach Him. Nobody knows His Innate. Our eyes are just wondering and may not perceive Him. We may only recognize Him through His signs. We see Him through His wonders and His wisdom. We simply are not allowed to perceive His innate Being.

A true God’s servant has benefited from the two names Appearance (Al-Zahir) and the Hidden (Al-Batin) only when he manifests the proper ethical, religious and practical reactions of himself and when he becomes a good example of virtues among his peers, and when he spends his night worshipping God and when he engages in invocations.