Section

Al-Rāzī then said:

“The fourth objection: They appeal to the raising of hands toward heaven. They say, ‘This is something done by adherents of all creeds, indicating that it is firmly established in the minds of all people that their God is above.’”

He then said:

“The answer: This is countered by what is firmly established in the minds of all people: when venerating the Creator of the world, they place their foreheads on the ground. Just as this does not indicate that the Creator of the world is in the earth, neither does what they have mentioned indicate that He is in heaven.

“Moreover, people raise their hands toward heaven for reasons other than their belief that the Creator of the world is in heaven. First, the most beneficial thing for creatures is the appearance of light, which appears only from the direction of the heavens. Second, the lives of creatures depend on breathing in, which is possible only by drawing in air; and air exists only above the earth. For this reason, what is above the earth is nobler than what is beneath it.