Because He is al-Bāṭin (the Hidden), He manifested everything; and because He is al-Ẓāhir (the Manifest), He folded up and effaced the existence of every thing.
Verse Translation
The All-Powerful Lord made the universe manifest
For He is hidden, and in His hiddenness none can be His equal
He folded up the scroll of existence from everything entirely
For He is manifest, and in His manifestation none can be His like
Explanation
When considering the implications of the Divine Names al-Bāṭin (the Hidden) and al-Ẓāhir (the Manifest), one observes a paradox so profound that it seems irreconcilable. The same is true for other pairs of opposing Names, such as al-Awwal (the First) and al-Ākhir (the Last), al-Qābiḍ (the Withholder) and al-Bāsiṭ (the Expander), al-Nāfiʿ (the Benefiter) and al-Ḍārr (the Harmer), and others like them. The illustrious author, by pointing to the reconciliation and harmonization of this paradox, elucidated this wisdom. According to the requirement of the Name al-Bāṭin, in hidden matters, nothing can be associated with the Divine Essence (Cenāb-ı Ḥaqq). Thus, all things emerged from the secret of nonexistence into the realm of manifestation. The entirety of existence is manifest, while its Creator, Allah, is hidden. Likewise, according to the requirement of the Name al-Ẓāhir, at the boundary of the universe's manifestation, none can be equal or comparable to the Exalted Truth (Ḥaqq Taʿālā). Therefore, the Necessary Existent (Cenab-ı Wājib al-Wujūd) folds up and removes the existence of things, so that all besides Allah (mā siwā Allāh) cannot possess true manifestation or existence in themselves, but only a relative existence. In this way, the truly existent, in every respect, is only Allah. That which appears to exist as a shadow-being, but is in fact nonexistent, is everything other than Allah.
These branches of contradiction pertain to His attributes; in the end, this conflict and contention is resolved at the root.