سُوْرَةُ البَقَرَةِ
Surah Al-Baqara (2) — Ayah 248
وَقَالَ لَهُمْ نَبِيُّهُمْ إِنَّ ءَايَةَ مُلْكِهِۦٓ أَن يَأْتِيَكُمُ ٱلتَّابُوتُ فِيهِ سَكِينَةٌ مِّن رَّبِّكُمْ وَبَقِيَّةٌ مِّمَّا تَرَكَ ءَالُ مُوسَىٰ وَءَالُ هَـٰرُونَ تَحْمِلُهُ ٱلْمَلَـٰٓئِكَةُ ۚ إِنَّ فِى ذَٰلِكَ لَـَٔايَةً لَّكُمْ إِن كُنتُم مُّؤْمِنِينَ ﴿248﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
And their Prophet (Samuel عليه السلام) said to them: Verily! The sign of His kingdom is that there shall come to you At-Tâbût (a wooden box), wherein is Sakînah (peace and reassurance) from your Lord and a remnant of that which Mûsâ (Moses) and Hârûn (Aaron) left behind, carried by the angels. Verily, in this is a sign for you if you are indeed believers.
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
وَقَالَ
waqāla
And said
لَهُمْ
lahum
to them
نَبِيُّهُمْ
nabiyyuhum
their Prophet
إِنَّ
inna
Indeed
ءَايَةَ
āyata
a sign
مُلْكِهِۦٓ
mul'kihi
(of) his kingship
أَن
an
(is) that
يَأْتِيَكُمُ
yatiyakumu
will come to you
ٱلتَّابُوتُ
l-tābūtu
the ark
فِيهِ
fīhi
in it
سَكِينَةٌۭ
sakīnatun
(is) tranquility
مِّن
min
from
رَّبِّكُمْ
rabbikum
your Lord
وَبَقِيَّةٌۭ
wabaqiyyatun
and a remnant
مِّمَّا
mimmā
of what
تَرَكَ
taraka
(was) left
ءَالُ
ālu
(by the) family
مُوسَىٰ
mūsā
(of) Musa
وَءَالُ
waālu
and family
هَـٰرُونَ
hārūna
(of) Harun
تَحْمِلُهُ
taḥmiluhu
will carry it
ٱلْمَلَـٰٓئِكَةُ ۚ
l-malāikatu
the Angels
إِنَّ
inna
Indeed
فِى
fī
in
ذَٰلِكَ
dhālika
that
لَـَٔايَةًۭ
laāyatan
(is) surely a sign
لَّكُمْ
lakum
for you
إِن
in
if
كُنتُم
kuntum
you are
مُّؤْمِنِينَ
mu'minīna
believers
Tafsir Taiseer ul-Quran — Maulana Abdul Rahman Kilani
Tafsir Taiseer ul-Quran (Facilitation of the Quran) is a comprehensive Quran commentary by Maulana Abdul Rahman Kilani, a renowned Salafi (Ahl al-Hadith) scholar from Pakistan. Known for his eloquent and accessible writing style, Kilani authored this tafsir with a focus on clarity — making Quranic meanings understandable to the common reader. The tafsir provides detailed historical context for verses related to battles and expeditions, and firmly refutes modernist ideologies using strong scriptural evidence. It is widely regarded as an invaluable resource for understanding the Quran and countering deviant interpretations. The tafsir is originally written in Urdu, translated to English by tohed.com.
248. And their prophet said to them: "The sign of his (Talut's) kingship is that there will come to you the Ark [346], in which there is tranquility from your Lord and remnants of what the family of Musa and the family of Harun left behind. The angels [347] will bring it. Surely in this is a sign for you if you are believers."
[346]
What Was the Tabut-e-Sakina?
This chest was called the "Ark of the Covenant" by the Children of Israel, in which the relics of the family of Musa and Harun were kept. For example, the stone tablets which Allah Almighty had granted to Hazrat Musa ؑ on Mount Tur, and the original copy of the Torah which Musa ؑ himself had dictated, and the manna in a bottle which used to descend upon the Children of Israel. Also, it contained the staff of Musa which would turn into a serpent. These were items of tranquility for the Children of Israel, which were preserved in this chest, and it always remained with them. Whenever they went to war against an enemy, they would place this chest in front and pray for victory and help through its means. On one occasion, during a battle, the polytheist king Jalut overpowered them and snatched this chest from them, and those people took it away with them. The loss of this chest was considered by the Children of Israel as a sign of misfortune and adversity, and its presence was regarded as a sign of victory and help.
[347]
The Arrival of the Tabut-e-Sakina to Talut:
Allah Almighty informed the Children of Israel that if, during the reign of Talut, the lost chest was returned to them, then they should understand that Talut was indeed appointed as king by Allah Almighty. Thus, what happened was that plagues broke out in the city of those polytheists who had seized it. They probably considered this chest to be a sign of their misfortune and placed it on an ox cart and drove it away. Consequently, the angels drove that ox cart and brought it to the Children of Israel and left it in front of Talut's house. In this way, on one hand, the argument was completed against the Children of Israel by Allah Almighty, and on the other hand, the morale of the Children of Israel was raised, and they accepted Talut as their king.
[346]
What Was the Tabut-e-Sakina?
This chest was called the "Ark of the Covenant" by the Children of Israel, in which the relics of the family of Musa and Harun were kept. For example, the stone tablets which Allah Almighty had granted to Hazrat Musa ؑ on Mount Tur, and the original copy of the Torah which Musa ؑ himself had dictated, and the manna in a bottle which used to descend upon the Children of Israel. Also, it contained the staff of Musa which would turn into a serpent. These were items of tranquility for the Children of Israel, which were preserved in this chest, and it always remained with them. Whenever they went to war against an enemy, they would place this chest in front and pray for victory and help through its means. On one occasion, during a battle, the polytheist king Jalut overpowered them and snatched this chest from them, and those people took it away with them. The loss of this chest was considered by the Children of Israel as a sign of misfortune and adversity, and its presence was regarded as a sign of victory and help.
[347]
The Arrival of the Tabut-e-Sakina to Talut:
Allah Almighty informed the Children of Israel that if, during the reign of Talut, the lost chest was returned to them, then they should understand that Talut was indeed appointed as king by Allah Almighty. Thus, what happened was that plagues broke out in the city of those polytheists who had seized it. They probably considered this chest to be a sign of their misfortune and placed it on an ox cart and drove it away. Consequently, the angels drove that ox cart and brought it to the Children of Israel and left it in front of Talut's house. In this way, on one hand, the argument was completed against the Children of Israel by Allah Almighty, and on the other hand, the morale of the Children of Israel was raised, and they accepted Talut as their king.
