Quran Garden

Session 265

Chapter 2

Verse 248

Their prophet said to them, ‘The sign of his authority will be that the Ark will come to you. In it there will be tranquillity from your Lord and relics of the family of Moses and Aaron.  It will come to you carried by the angels. There is a sign in this for you if you believe.’  (Chapter 2: Verse 248)

In the previous verse, we explained how the elites of the Israelites objected to God’s choice for a king.  They saw themselves as more worthy of kingship because of their wealth and lineage.  Thus, and in order to put an end to pointless discussions, a miracle was necessary.  More specifically, a material miracle for people obsessed with materialism. 

A sign accompanied King Saul proving that God selected him.  The prophet said to them: "The sign of his authority will be that the Ark will come to you." This gives us a clue that the Ark had been lost.  It was a precious relic that the Israelites longed for. 

What is the Ark of the Covenant? It is a wooden chest that is mentioned in the Quran twice.  Once in the verse under study, and another in the following verses:

We inspired your mother, saying: “Put your child into the ark, then place him in the river. Let the river wash him on to its bank, and he will be taken in by an enemy of Mine and his.” I showered you with My love and planned that you should be raised under My watchful eye. (20:38-39)

Hence, we know about the wooden chest from the days of Moses’ infancy.  His mom placed him in it and left it in the water out of fear for his life.  So this Ark had a long history starting from the infancy of Moses up to the kingship of Saul and the prophet of the Israelites. 

From this verse, you should also understand an important point:  we –as Muslims- must take care of objects that have historical religious value.  Caring and seeking these objects should not be considered a sign of infidelity or practice of idolatry.  These objects serve as a reminder of significant historical events and a link to our faith and history.  Consider the fact that God had the chest of Moses, which contained remnants of the family of Moses and Aaron delivered by the Angles.  This proves that it is something special.  As if the Almighty is advising us:  Take care of such objects because they remind you of sacred events and of God’s prophets. 

Most likely the chest went missing because of an occupier that took over the towns of the Israelites.  When an enemy overtakes a country, the first thing they do is obliterate the sacred sites that possess religious and historical value.  

Allah reassured the Israelites that the sign of Saul’s kingship is to bring the chest which they longed for, and along with it, bring them tranquillity.  Not only did the Ark represent a connection to their homeland, but it also represented a spiritual connection that symbolized the survival of their great Prophet Moses against all the odds.  Such objects can be great motivators and lifters of spirit.  For example, what would your emotions be if I told you that the Quran you reciting right now belonged to the caliph Othman (may God be pleased with him)? You would undoubtedly feel a spiritual connection with him and with the prophet each time you hold it and read from it.  Likewise, when you visit the Islamic Arts Museum in Istanbul and you are told: "This is the sword which was used by Ali (may God be pleased with him) in battles;" or you see hairs from the Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him); undoubtedly, such scenes will leave your soul tranquil and peaceful.

Scholars should not consider the preservation and admiration of such objects a gateway to idolatry and polytheism.  To the contrary, we must take care of such relics and put them on display for people so they can be a source of tranquillity and inner peace.

God says: ‘The sign of his authority will be that the Ark will come to you. In it there will be tranquillity from your Lord and relics of the family of Moses and Aaron’ indicating that the family of Moses and Aaron had preserved part of the material history of their Prophets.  The ark and all the objects in it were of such value that God had them handled with the utmost care and delivered ‘by the angels.’  

Take note of the accuracy of the Quranic expression.  God says regarding the chest: “It will come to you carried by the angels.”  God attributed the action of coming to the chest itself.  What does that mean, you may ask? We answer that we as humans cannot see angles, thus when the angles delivered the Ark, it would have appeared to the Israelites as if it is floating in thin air.  Therefore, the Almighty attributed the action of coming to the chest itself.  This scene would make the heart shiver and would lay aside all doubts of the stubborn Israelites.  In fact, the Quran does not mention what happened after the Ark was delivered, because such a miracle does not leave any room for doubt.  Saul was proven as God’s choice and appointed as king. 

People often want to know the contents of the ark and the preserved keepsakes of Moses and Aaron.  Some scholars said that it was Moses’ staff.  This sounds reasonable because it was one of the tools of Moses' miracle.  Moses or the believers would not neglect such a priceless tool.  God says:

‘Moses, what is that in your right hand?’ "It's my staff," he answered; "I lean on it, and fell leaves for my goats with it, and I have other uses for it." God said, ‘Throw it down, Moses.’ He threw it down and- lo and behold!- it became a slithering snake. He said, ‘Pick it up and do not fear: We shall turn it back into its former state.’ (20:17-21)