The question that often comes to the mind is that when God has no place or stations then why raise your eyes and hands to the sky? Is God present in the heavens?

This question was raised during the days of the infallible Imams. Hisham bin Hakam narrates that one day an atheist came to Imam Jafar Sadiq and asked the words “ And God established Himself over the Throne” to be explained to him. The Imam explained, “God is not dependent on place or any creation but the entire creation is dependent on Him.” The man said, “Then there is no difference whether we raise our hands to the sky or lower it to the earth when we pray.”

The Imam said:

Everything under God’s encompassment is the same (without any difference) but God has asked his friends and His servants to raise their hands at the time of prayer (as they think about the Arsh” because that is from where the sustenance comes. We have to prove this contention of the Qura’n and Hadith and they tell us that we should raise our hands to God and this is something that is agreed upon by the entire Ummah.” (1)

The book Khisal record that Amirul Mumineen said, “Raise your hands to the heavens and get busy in beseeching your Lord after you have finished your daily prayers.” A person asked, “O Amirul Mumineen is God not present everywhere?’ The Imam said, “Yes” So he asked, “Then why do people raise their hands to the heavens?’ The Imam said, “Have you not read the Qura’n (verse 22 of Surah Zariyat) that says, “Your sustenance is in the heavens and that is what you have been promised.” So where will a person ask for his sustenance? The sustenance from God is placed and comes from heavens” (2)

The traditions tell us that since the sustenance come from the heavens ( the rains that rekindles life in the dead earth, the sun that promotes life is in the sky, and the third great helper of human life the wind too is raised above us) therefore, the heavens have been mentioned as the store from where the sustenance comes. It is towards the heavens that we concentrate at the time of prayers.

We know from traditions that this is also prevalent among the Muslims and non-Muslims. Late Faiz Kashani has quoted Malik Ibn Dinar in his book Mohujjatol Baizaa to have said that once the Bani Israel faced famine and they went out from the city to pray a few times but the prayers were not granted . God sent His revelation to His apostle in those days, “You have come out (to pray) with unclean bodies and are raising the stained with the blood of the innocent to Me; your stomach is full of the banned food (How do you expect your prayers to be granted?” My displeasure has increased. You will not get any response but the distance between Me and you.” (3)

A philosophy about prayers has been mentioned in other traditions.

It says this actually means showing humility and humbleness before God because men raise their hands in humility when they show it to a person or thing.

In a Hadith Imam Mohammad Baqir is recorded to have explained the words “They humble not themselves to their Lord nor do they entreat Him submissively.” He said, “Istakanat means humility and “At Tazarrao’” means raising your hands to the heavens and God in submission.”(4)

1. Behar-ol-Anwar vol.3 page 330; Tawhid by Shaykh Suduq vol. 1 page 248 chapter 36

2. Behar-ol-Anwar vol. 90 page 308 Hadith 8 and the two abovementioned Hadiths in Tafsir Nurus Saqlain vol.5 page 124

3. Al Mahjatull Baiza’ vol. 2 page 298

4. Usul Kafi vol.1 page 479Hadith 2