Al-Jawāb as-Sahīh li-man baddala dīn al-Masīh - Ibn Taimiya - (3/364)

Section: Zechariah’s words—“He will dwell in your midst, and you will know that I am the mighty Lord who abides in you.”

They said:
The prophet Zechariah said, “Rejoice, O House of Zion, for I am coming to you; I shall dwell in your midst and make Myself manifest.”

God said:
“On that day many nations will believe in God; they will become one people for Him, and He and they will dwell in your midst. You will know that I am the mighty Lord who abides in you. On that day God will take the kingship from Judah and will be made king over them forever.”

It is then said:
Expressions of this sort are likewise found in their scriptures regarding Abraham and other prophets—statements that God ‘manifested Himself to him,’ ‘appeared to him,’ and similar phrases—yet none of this implies that He indwelt them or united with them.

[فَصْلٌ: قَوْلُ زَكَرِيَّا وَيَحُلُّ هُوَ وَهُمْ فِيكِ وَتَعْرِفِينَ أَنِّي أَنَا اللَّهُ الْقَوِيُّ السَّاكِنُ فِيكِ] قَالُوا: وَقَالَ زَكَرِيَّا النَّبِيُّ: (افْرَحِي يَا بَيْتَ صِهْيُونَ، لِأَنِّي آتِيكِ وَأَحُلُّ فِيكِ وَأَتَرَايَا، قَالَ اللَّهُ: وَيُؤْمِنُ بِاللَّهِ فِي ذَلِكَ الْيَوْمِ الْأُمَمُ الْكَثِيرَةُ، وَيَكُونُونَ لَهُ شَعْبًا وَاحِدًا، وَيَحُلُّ هُوَ وَهُمْ فِيكِ، وَتَعْرِفِينَ أَنِّي أَنَا اللَّهُ الْقَوِيُّ السَّاكِنُ فِيكِ، وَيَأْخُذُ اللَّهُ فِي ذَلِكَ الْيَوْمِ الْمُلْكَ مِنْ يَهُوذَا، وَيُمَلَّكُ عَلَيْهِمْ إِلَى الْأَبَدِ. فَيُقَالُ: مِثْلُ هَذَا قَدْ ذُكِرَ عِنْدَهُمْ عَن إِبْرَاهِيمَ وَغَيْرِهِ مِنَ الْأَنْبِيَاءِ أَنَّ اللَّهَ تَجَلَّى لَهُ، وَاسْتَعْلَنَ لَهُ، وَتَرَايَا لَهُ، وَنَحْوُ هَذِهِ الْعِبَارَاتِ، وَلَمْ يَدُلَّ ذَلِكَ عَلَى حُلُولِهِ فِيهِ وَاتِّحَادِهِ بِهِ.