on the basis of the Sunnah. He then said:

“And the Book proclaims it and bears witness to it.”

He then said:

“Even if the soundness of the community’s position on this particular matter were supported only by the points we have mentioned, that would suffice. How much more so when what is implanted in the very constitution of human nature, and universally recognized among people in this regard, could not be clearer or more certain! For whenever you ask anyone—Arab or non-Arab, believer or unbeliever—‘Where is your Lord?’ he says, ‘In heaven,’ if he expresses himself in words; otherwise, he gestures with his hand or eyes. He does not point anywhere else—not toward the earth, a plain, or a mountain. Nor have we seen anyone supplicating Him without raising his hands toward heaven.”

Thus, he stated that something than which nothing is clearer [or more certain] is implanted in the innate dispositions and understanding of all people concerning this matter: namely, that all people agree, when asked, “Where is Allah?” to answer, “In heaven,” either verbally or by gesture. Likewise, they agree in pointing their hands toward heaven when supplicating Him. He thereby reports that saying He is in heaven and pointing toward Him—glory be to Him—both during supplication and otherwise, are matters on which people agree, and which they regard as knowledge inherent in their innate dispositions.

How, then, can it be said that their statement that He is in heaven is merely adherence to the wording of the Quran? Ibn Fūrak himself stated that this passage establishes three points:

First: It is permissible to ask, “Where is Allah?” when asking about Him.

Second: It establishes the correctness of answering that He is in