Using the hadith of 'Umar as evidence for looking up to the sky during supplication
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The questioner:
He says: Honorable Shaykh, may Allah grant you success, is it valid to use the hadith of 'Umar ibn al-Khattab, which ends with “then he raised his gaze to the sky,” as evidence for the recommendation of looking up to the sky during supplication in general?
The Shaykh:
No, no, it does not indicate this. It does not indicate this. Rather, he looked up to the sky as a sign of the exaltation of Allah, Glorified and Exalted is He. When a person supplicates to his Lord, Mighty and Majestic, he raises his gaze. This is a fitrah (the innate natural disposition) that Allah created people with. Even animals raise their heads. This is a fitrah that Allah created creation with: that they turn toward the height when they are in distress and in need of Allah, Glorified and Exalted is He. Even if they have not learned it, even if they have not studied in universities or studied anything, you will find them turning toward the sky. Allah created people with the acknowledgment of the exaltation of Allah, Mighty and Majestic. They know that Allah is in the sky.
By their fitrah. And for this reason, they turn to Him, Glorified and Exalted is He. This is among the evidence for the exaltation of Allah above His creation, from the fitrah that Allah created people with, except for those whose fitrah has been inverted and defiled by doubts, such as the Khawarij (an early sect that declared sinners disbelievers), the Mu'tazilah (a rationalist theological sect), and those who deny the exaltation. Their fitrah has been inverted, may Allah protect us from that, until some of them said, “Glory to my Lord, the Lowest,” instead of saying, “My Lord, the Most High,” like Jahm ibn Safwan, may Allah disfigure him. Yes.
The questioner:
He says: Honorable Shaykh, may Allah grant you success, after finishing tayammum (dry ablution with clean earth), does one say the dhikr (the remembrance of Allah) that comes after wudu' (the ablution for prayer), “I bear witness that there is no god but Allah”?
The Shaykh:
Therefore, raising the gaze to the sky in prayer is prohibited. So that a group of people would stop raising their eyes to the sky, or else their eyes would be plucked out. So in the state of prayer, do not raise your gaze to the sky. Because of the severe warning regarding this. Yes.
He says: Honorable Shaykh, may Allah grant you success, is it valid to use the hadith of 'Umar ibn al-Khattab, which ends with “then he raised his gaze to the sky,” as evidence for the recommendation of looking up to the sky during supplication in general?
The Shaykh:
No, no, it does not indicate this. It does not indicate this. Rather, he looked up to the sky as a sign of the exaltation of Allah, Glorified and Exalted is He. When a person supplicates to his Lord, Mighty and Majestic, he raises his gaze. This is a fitrah (the innate natural disposition) that Allah created people with. Even animals raise their heads. This is a fitrah that Allah created creation with: that they turn toward the height when they are in distress and in need of Allah, Glorified and Exalted is He. Even if they have not learned it, even if they have not studied in universities or studied anything, you will find them turning toward the sky. Allah created people with the acknowledgment of the exaltation of Allah, Mighty and Majestic. They know that Allah is in the sky.
By their fitrah. And for this reason, they turn to Him, Glorified and Exalted is He. This is among the evidence for the exaltation of Allah above His creation, from the fitrah that Allah created people with, except for those whose fitrah has been inverted and defiled by doubts, such as the Khawarij (an early sect that declared sinners disbelievers), the Mu'tazilah (a rationalist theological sect), and those who deny the exaltation. Their fitrah has been inverted, may Allah protect us from that, until some of them said, “Glory to my Lord, the Lowest,” instead of saying, “My Lord, the Most High,” like Jahm ibn Safwan, may Allah disfigure him. Yes.
The questioner:
He says: Honorable Shaykh, may Allah grant you success, after finishing tayammum (dry ablution with clean earth), does one say the dhikr (the remembrance of Allah) that comes after wudu' (the ablution for prayer), “I bear witness that there is no god but Allah”?
The Shaykh:
Therefore, raising the gaze to the sky in prayer is prohibited. So that a group of people would stop raising their eyes to the sky, or else their eyes would be plucked out. So in the state of prayer, do not raise your gaze to the sky. Because of the severe warning regarding this. Yes.
Source
شرح كتاب المنتقى من أخبار المصطفى صلى الله عليه وسلم، بداية من باب ما يقول إذا فرغ من وضوئه — islamhouse.com (38:26)
The Arabic text is a machine transcription of the audio recording.