Commentaries dealing with the zahir (outward aspects) of the text are called tafsir, and hermeneutic and esoteric commentaries dealing with the batin are called ta'wil ("interpretation" or "explanation"), which involves taking the text back to its beginning. Commentators with an esoteric slant believe that the ultimate meaning of the Quran is known only to God. In contrast, Quranic literalism, followed by Salafis and Zahiris, is the belief that the Quran should only be taken at its apparent meaning.[citation needed]
What is the Arabic term for the surface-level aspects of a text? What Arabic term applies to interpretations aimed at the deeper, esoteric meanings of a text? Who is the only one who ever knows the full meaning of Quranic verses in the esoteric view? Which two groups are examples of Muslims who advocate a very literal reading of the Quran?