Surah Baqarah ayat 248 Tafsir Quran 2:248

﴿وَقَالَ لَهُمْ نَبِيُّهُمْ إِنَّ آيَةَ مُلْكِهِ أَن يَأْتِيَكُمُ التَّابُوتُ فِيهِ سَكِينَةٌ مِّن رَّبِّكُمْ وَبَقِيَّةٌ مِّمَّا تَرَكَ آلُ مُوسَىٰ وَآلُ هَارُونَ تَحْمِلُهُ الْمَلَائِكَةُ ۚ إِنَّ فِي ذَٰلِكَ لَآيَةً لَّكُمْ إِن كُنتُم مُّؤْمِنِينَ﴾
[ البقرة: 248]

2:248 And their prophet said to them, "Indeed, a sign of his kingship is that the chest will come to you in which is assurance from your Lord and a remnant of what the family of Moses and the family of Aaron had left, carried by the angels. Indeed in that is a sign for you, if you are believers."

And their prophet said to them after they had demanded a sign of his kingship ‘The sign of his kingship is that there will come to you the Ark a chest containing the images of the prophets which God sent down to Adam and which was handed down to them sc. the Israelites until the Amalekites seized it from them in battle. They used to commence fighting invoking it before their enemy and marching behind it as well as experience peacefulness in its presence as God says therein is a Spirit of Peace reassurance for your hearts from your Lord and a remnant of what the folk of Moses and the folk of Aaron left behind which were Moses’s pair of sandals and his staff Aaron’s turban a measure qafīz of the manna that used to come down on them and the pieces of the broken tablets the angels bearing it tahmiluhu l-malā’ikatu the circumstantial qualifier referring to the subject of the verb ya’tiyakum ‘there will come to’. Surely in that shall be a sign for you of his kingship if you are believers’. The angels bore it between the earth and the sky while they gazed at it until finally they placed it before Saul. They then acknowledged his kingship and hastened to enlist in the holy struggle and he chose seventy thousand of their young men.

Their prophet then said to them: His delegated Authority is evidenced in the reclamation of the Ark of the Covenant, once lost to the enemy, carried by the angels with security provided by Allah, your Creator, and comprising of the relics abandoned by Mussa’s family and Harun’s family. This incident, he added, surely represents convincing divine evidence of Allah’s delegated Authority to Talut, which should be acceptable to you if indeed you are true believers

Their Prophet then proclaimed, "The sign of the blessings of Talut's kingship over you is that Allah will give you back the Tabut ( wooden box ) that has been taken from you." Allah said: فِيهِ سَكِينَةٌ مِّن رَّبِّكُمْ ( wherein is Sakinah from your Lord ) meaning, peace ( or grace ) and reassurance.
`Abdur-Razzaq stated that Qatadah said: فِيهِ سَكِينَةٌ ( wherein is Sakinah ) means grace.
In addition, Ar-Rabi` said that Sakinah means mercy.
This is also the meaning given by Ibn `Abbas, as Al-`Awfi narrated. Allah then said: وَبَقِيَّةٌ مِّمَّا تَرَكَ ءَالُ مُوسَى وَءَالُ هَـرُونَ ( ...and a remnant of that which Musa (Moses ) and Harun ( Aaron ) left behind,) Ibn Jarir related that Ibn `Abbas said about this Ayah: وَبَقِيَّةٌ مِّمَّا تَرَكَ ءَالُ مُوسَى وَءَالُ هَـرُونَ ( ...and a remnant of that which Musa (Moses ) and Harun ( Aaron ) left behind, ) Meaning, Moses' staff and the remnants of the Tablets.
This is the same Tafsir of Qatadah, As-Suddi, Ar-Rabi` bin Anas and `Ikrimah, who added, "And also the Torah." `Abdur-Razzaq said that he asked Ath-Thawri about the meaning of, وَبَقِيَّةٌ مِّمَّا تَرَكَ ءَالُ مُوسَى وَءَالُ هَـرُونَ ( ...and a remnant of that which Musa (Moses ) and Harun ( Aaron ) left behind,) Ath-Thawri said, "Some said that it contained a pot of manna and the remnants of the Tablets, while some others said that it contained ( Moses' ) staff and two shoes ( and refer to 20:12 )." Allah then said: تَحْمِلُهُ الْمَلَـئِكَةُ ( ...carried by the angels. ) Ibn Jurayj stated that Ibn `Abbas said, "The angels came down while carrying the Tabut between the sky and the earth, until they placed it before Talut while the people were watching." As-Suddi said, "The Tabut was brought to Talut's house, so the people believed in the prophethood of Sham`un ( Simeon ) and obeyed Talut" The Prophet then said: إِنَّ فِي ذَلِكَ لأَيَةً لَّكُمْ ( Verily, in this is a sign for you ) testifying to my truth in what I was sent with, my prophethood, and my command to you to obey Talut, إِن كُنتُم مُّؤْمِنِينَ ( if you are indeed believers.
) in Allah and the Hereafter.

(2:248) Their Prophet further informed them, "The sign of his appointment as king from Allah is that during his reign you will get back the Ark, wherein are the means of your peace of mind from your Lord, and which contains the sacred relics of the family of Moses and Aaron, and which is being borne at this time by the angels. *270 Herein is a great Sign for you, if you are true believers."

And their prophet said to them, "Indeed, meaning

*270).
The Biblical version of this incident is different from the Qur'anic one.
The former sheds light, however, on certain details of the incident.
It shows that during a military engagement the pagan Philistines had captured the 'Ark of the covenant'.
Terrified of the scourge and pestilence which spread wherever they carried the Ark, these pagans placed it on a cart driven by milk cows, and sent it off.
( 1 Samuel 5-6 - Ed. ) Perhaps the Qur'an alludes to this when it mentions angels, since the cart was driverless and it was the angels who kept it in their custody and brought it to the Israelites.
The Qur'anic statement, that in the Ark 'lies inward peace for you', can be understood in the light of the Biblical statements that the Israelites regarded the Ark as highly auspicious, and as an emblem of their triumph and victory.
When they were deprived of it, they began to feel that they had been deprived of the mercy of God.
The return of the Ark, therefore, had a highly salutary effect on them as it strengthened their sagging morale and raised their spirits.

The Qur'anic mention of 'the sacred relics left behind by the house of Aaron' seems to allude to the Tablets of Law bequeathed to Moses on Mount Sinai.
The Ark is also said to have contained the original copyof the Torah, which Moses himself had had transcribed and which he had himself handed over to the Levites.
The Ark is also supposed to have contained a golden urn holding the manna ( Hebrews 9: 2 ff - Ed. ), in order that the coming generations might recall God's benevolence to their forefathers during their wandering in the desert.
The Ark also probably contained the rod of Moses which was one of the great miracles of God.
( Hebrews 9: 5 mentions the rod of Aaron - Ed. )
 

Their Prophet then proclaimed, "The sign of the blessings of Talut's kingship over you is that Allah will give you back the Tabut ( wooden box ) that has been taken from you." Allah said: فِيهِ سَكِينَةٌ مِّن رَّبِّكُمْ ( wherein is Sakinah from your Lord ) meaning, peace ( or grace ) and reassurance.
`Abdur-Razzaq stated that Qatadah said: فِيهِ سَكِينَةٌ ( wherein is Sakinah ) means grace.
In addition, Ar-Rabi` said that Sakinah means mercy.
This is also the meaning given by Ibn `Abbas, as Al-`Awfi narrated. Allah then said: وَبَقِيَّةٌ مِّمَّا تَرَكَ ءَالُ مُوسَى وَءَالُ هَـرُونَ ( ...and a remnant of that which Musa (Moses ) and Harun ( Aaron ) left behind,) Ibn Jarir related that Ibn `Abbas said about this Ayah: وَبَقِيَّةٌ مِّمَّا تَرَكَ ءَالُ مُوسَى وَءَالُ هَـرُونَ ( ...and a remnant of that which Musa (Moses ) and Harun ( Aaron ) left behind, ) Meaning, Moses' staff and the remnants of the Tablets.
This is the same Tafsir of Qatadah, As-Suddi, Ar-Rabi` bin Anas and `Ikrimah, who added, "And also the Torah." `Abdur-Razzaq said that he asked Ath-Thawri about the meaning of, وَبَقِيَّةٌ مِّمَّا تَرَكَ ءَالُ مُوسَى وَءَالُ هَـرُونَ ( ...and a remnant of that which Musa (Moses ) and Harun ( Aaron ) left behind,) Ath-Thawri said, "Some said that it contained a pot of manna and the remnants of the Tablets, while some others said that it contained ( Moses' ) staff and two shoes ( and refer to 20:12 )." Allah then said: تَحْمِلُهُ الْمَلَـئِكَةُ ( ...carried by the angels. ) Ibn Jurayj stated that Ibn `Abbas said, "The angels came down while carrying the Tabut between the sky and the earth, until they placed it before Talut while the people were watching." As-Suddi said, "The Tabut was brought to Talut's house, so the people believed in the prophethood of Sham`un ( Simeon ) and obeyed Talut" The Prophet then said: إِنَّ فِي ذَلِكَ لأَيَةً لَّكُمْ ( Verily, in this is a sign for you ) testifying to my truth in what I was sent with, my prophethood, and my command to you to obey Talut, إِن كُنتُم مُّؤْمِنِينَ ( if you are indeed believers.
) in Allah and the Hereafter.

( And their Prophet ) Samuel ( said unto them: Lo! The token ) the sign ( of his kingdom ) that it is from Allah ( is that there shall come unto you the Ark ) that was taken from you ( wherein is peace of reassurance ) mercy and tranquillity; it is also said that this means: it includes the wind ( the triumph ) of his victory, of golden colour in the form of a human face ( from your Lord, and a remnant of that which the house of Moses ) a remnant of Moses, i.e. his Scripture; as it is said: his tablets and staff ( and the house of Aaron left behind ) what Aaron had left behind, namely his cloak and turban, ( the angels bearing it ) the angels leading it. ( Lo! Herein ) in giving you back the Ark ( shall be a token ) a sign ( for you ) that he has been made king by Allah ( if (in truth ) ye are believers).

And their Prophet (Samuel) said to them: Verily! The sign of His Kingdom is that there shall come to you At-Tabut (a wooden box), wherein is Sakinah (peace and reassurance) from your Lord and a remnant of that which Musa (Moses) and Harun (Aaron) left behind, carried by the angels. Verily, in this is a sign for you if you are indeed believers.

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