Quran Universe
2:248

وَقَالَ لَهُمۡ نَبِيُّهُمۡ إِنَّ ءَايَةَ مُلۡكِهِۦٓ أَن يَأۡتِيَكُمُ ٱلتَّابُوتُ فِيهِ سَكِينَةٞ مِّن رَّبِّكُمۡ وَبَقِيَّةٞ مِّمَّا تَرَكَ ءَالُ مُوسَىٰ وَءَالُ هَٰرُونَ تَحۡمِلُهُ ٱلۡمَلَـٰٓئِكَةُۚ إِنَّ فِي ذَٰلِكَ لَأٓيَةٗ لَّكُمۡ إِن كُنتُم مُّؤۡمِنِينَ

Waqala lahum nabiyyuhum inna ayata mulkihi an yatiyakumu alttabootu feehi sakeenatun min rabbikum wabaqiyyatun mimma taraka alu moosa waalu haroona tahmiluhu almalaikatu inna fee thalika laayatan lakum in kuntum mumineena

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."

Word by word
  1. وَقَالَAnd said
  2. لَهُمۡto them
  3. نَبِيُّهُمۡtheir Prophet
  4. إِنَّIndeed
  5. ءَايَةَa sign
  6. مُلۡكِهِۦٓ(of) his kingship
  7. أَن(is) that
  8. يَأۡتِيَكُمُwill come to you
  9. ٱلتَّابُوتُthe ark
  10. فِيهِin it
  11. سَكِينَةٞ(is) tranquility
  12. مِّنfrom
  13. رَّبِّكُمۡyour Lord
  14. وَبَقِيَّةٞand a remnant
  15. مِّمَّاof what
  16. تَرَكَ(was) left
  17. ءَالُ(by the) family
  18. مُوسَىٰ(of) Musa
  19. وَءَالُand family
  20. هَٰرُونَ(of) Harun
  21. تَحۡمِلُهُwill carry it
  22. ٱلۡمَلَـٰٓئِكَةُۚthe Angels
  23. إِنَّIndeed
  24. فِيin
  25. ذَٰلِكَthat
  26. لَأٓيَةٗ(is) surely a sign
  27. لَّكُمۡfor you
  28. إِنif
  29. كُنتُمyou are
  30. مُّؤۡمِنِينَbelievers
Al-Baqarah · 2:248Madinah

The sign came with sakinah: calm sent down from your Lord.

What returned to them with the Ark

The sign of Talut
the Ark returnscarried by angels
holding
sakinahpeace, mercy
a remnantof Moses and Aaron
What they really needed
more powera stronger army
calm from Allahsakinah in the heart

Their prophet promised the Ark taken by their enemy would come back. Qatadah and Ar-Rabi said the sakinah in it meant grace and mercy. Ibn Abbas said it held Moses' staff and remnants of the Tablets, and that angels carried it until they placed it before Talut while people watched.

Before the job interview, the surgery, the hard conversation, you want a guarantee. What you need first is a settled heart. Sakinah is the gift that comes before victory. Ask for it by name.

I will feel calm once everything works out.

Calm is something Allah sends down, and I can ask Him for it before anything works out.

Try this

Before your next stressful moment, ask Allah: send down sakinah on my heart.

Related20:12
Simplified reflection. Read the tafsir for scholarship.draft
Tafsir Ibn Kathir

And their Prophet said to them: "Verily! The sign of His kingdom is that there shall come to you At-Tabut, 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 (248)

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 آلُ مُوسَىٰ وَآلُ هَارُونَ

(...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 آلُ مُوسَىٰ وَآلُ هَارُونَ

(...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 آلُ مُوسَىٰ وَآلُ هَارُونَ

(...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 الْمَلَائِكَةُ

(...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 ذَٰلِكَ لَآيَةً 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.'