The practical force of ẓāhir
A ẓāhir indication is operative unless sound evidence establishes a different construction.
Merely imagining an alternative meaning does not defeat its apparent import. Interpretation, specification, or a claim of supersession requires a recognized basis; unsupported possibilities do not remove the obligation to follow the text.
Method: First identify the sense available from ordinary linguistic reception. Then ask what point the speaker has specifically set out to communicate, and whether that purpose makes the indication more explicit than simple ẓuhūr.