the texts of the Quran and Sunnah, recognized by sound minds, and unanimously affirmed by the scholars of the Muslim community. Hence, when people supplicate, the orientation of their hearts, their gestures, and the raising of their hands are directed upward, not in any other direction. This is an innate and rationally self-evident reality experienced in the heart of every supplicant. When the heart turns to Allah in entreaty, supplication, earnest pleading, and intimate prayer, it has only one object toward which it aims and turns: Allah, Mighty and Majestic, who is above. It does not turn to the right, the left, downward, or in any such direction; rather, it turns upward. This is an inescapable reality from which the heart cannot depart unless it becomes corrupt, inverted, darkened, and diverted from its innate nature.

Thus, one may observe that some who supplicate and remember Allah involuntarily move parts of their bodies upward, toward the direction above, in keeping with the movement of their hearts—whether by a gesture, a finger, the eyes, the head, or some other physical sign. This has been recurrently established in the sunnah of the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, and the Muslims are agreed upon it. Hence, they say, “Raise your hands to Allah,” and similar expressions. In saying this, they testify concerning themselves that they intend to point toward Allah and raise their hands to Him, Glorious and Exalted.

It is recurrently established as part of the Prophet’s guidance, peace and blessings be upon him, that he raised his hands to Allah in supplication, gestured with the index finger of his right hand while supplicating during the Friday sermon and during the tashahhud in prayer, raised his gaze toward heaven, pointed his finger toward heaven, and did similar things.

As for raising his hands in supplication, it is established in a great many hadiths, several of which have already been mentioned.