Al-Jawāb as-Sahīh li-man baddala dīn al-Masīh - Ibn Taimiya - (3/362)

and do not be afraid of them, for it is the Lord your God who goes before you—He will fight on your behalf.

In another passage Moses said, “The people are indeed Your people.” He was answered, “I shall go before you; set out.” Moses replied, “If You do not go before us, then do not bring us up from here. How shall I and this people know that I have found favor in Your sight unless You walk with us?”

And in the fourth Book, chapter thirteen, it reads: “If You bring this people up by Your power, they will say to the inhabitants of this land, who have heard that You, O God, dwell among these people, that they behold You face to face, that Your cloud rests over them, and that You go before them in a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night.”

وَلَا تَخَافُوهُم، لِأَنَّ اللَّهَ رَبَّكُمُ السَّائِرَ بَيْنَ أَيْدِيكُمْ هُوَ يُحَارِبُ عَنْكُم. وَفِي مَوْضِعٍ قَالَ مُوسَى: إِنَّ الشَّعْبَ هُوَ شَعْبُكَ، فَقَالَ: أَنَا أَمْضِي أَمَامَكَ فَارْتَحِل، فَقَالَ: إِنْ لَمْ تَمْضِ أَنْتَ أَمَامَنَا وَإِلَّا فَلَا تُصْعِدْنَا مِنْ هَاهُنَا، وَكَيْفَ أَعْلَمُ أَنَا وَهَذَا الشَّعْبُ أَنِّي وَجَدْتُ أَمَامَكَ نِعْمَةَ كَذَا إِلَّا بِسَيْرِكَ مَعَنَا. وَفِي السِّفْرِ الرَّابِعِ مِنَ الْفَصْلِ الثَّالِثَ عَشَرَ: إِنْ أَصْعَدْتَ هَؤُلَاءِ مِنْ بَيْنِهِمْ بِقُدْرَتِكَ، فَيَقُولُونَ لِأَهْلِ هَذِهِ الْأَرْضِ الَّذِينَ سَمِعُوا أَنَّكَ اللَّهُ فِيمَا بَيْنَ هَؤُلَاءِ الْقَوْمِ، يَرَوْنَهُ عَيْنًا بِعَيْنٍ، وَغَمَامُكَ يُقِيمُ عَلَيْهِم، وَبِعَمُودِ غَمَامٍ يَسِيرُ بَيْنَ أَيْدِيهِمْ نَهَارًا، وَبِعَمُودِ نَارٍ لَيْلًا.