Answer:
The sign was that he would not be able to speak to anyone for three whole days except by gestures.
(Zachariah said, “My Lord! Grant me a sign.” He said, “Your sign is that you will not ˹be able to˺ speak to people for three days except through gestures. Remember your Lord often and glorify ˹Him˺ morning and evening.”) Al-Imran 3:41
(Zachariah said, “My Lord! Grant me a sign.” He responded, “Your sign is that you will not ˹be able to˺ speak to people for three nights, despite being healthy.”) Maryam 19:10
So when he met his people, he gestured to them to Glorify Allah day and night.
Allah Almighty says: ‘ So the angels called out to him while he stood praying in the sanctuary,’ what does a Muslim learn from the word ‘sanctuary’?
Allah sends those who pray much and worship Allah for lengthy periods in their sanctuary; blessings and much good. As Allah says about Mary pbuh: ‘Whenever Zachariah visited her in the sanctuary, he found her supplied with provisions.’
العلامة التي أعطاها الله تعالى لزكريا أنه لن يستطيع أن يتكلم لثلاثة أيام إلا بالإشارة.
(قَالَ رَبِّ اجْعَل لِّي آيَةً ۖ قَالَ آيَتُكَ أَلَّا تُكَلِّمَ النَّاسَ ثَلَاثَةَ أَيَّامٍ إِلَّا رَمْزًا ۗ وَاذْكُر رَّبَّكَ كَثِيرًا وَسَبِّحْ بِالْعَشِيِّ وَالْإِبْكَارِ ﴿٤١﴾) أل عمران 3:41
( قَالَ رَبِّ ٱجۡعَل لِّىٓ ءَايَةً۬ۚ قَالَ ءَايَتُكَ أَلَّا تُكَلِّمَ ٱلنَّاسَ ثَلَـٰثَ لَيَالٍ۬ سَوِيًّ۬ا)
لذلك خرج إلى قومه وأشار لهم بأن يسبحوا الله ليلًا ونهارًا.
قال تعالى: “( فَنَادَتْهُ ٱلْمَلاۤئِكَةُ وَهُوَ قَائِمٌ يُصَلِّي فِي ٱلْمِحْرَابِ” ما الذي يمكن أن يستفيد المسلم من قوله ” فِي ٱلْمِحْرَابِ”؟
أن كثرة الصلاة و طولها يؤتي الله للعبد بركة بسببها مما قال الله عن مريم
” كُلَّمَا دَخَلَ عَلَيْهَا زَكَرِيَّا الْمِحْرَابَ وَجَدَ عِندَهَا رِزْقًا ۖ“