The Quran

248

وَقالَ لَهُم نَبِيُّهُم إِنَّ آيَةَ مُلكِهِ أَن يَأتِيَكُمُ التّابوتُ فيهِ سَكينَةٌ مِن رَبِّكُم وَبَقِيَّةٌ مِمّا تَرَكَ آلُ موسىٰ وَآلُ هارونَ تَحمِلُهُ المَلائِكَةُ ۚ إِنَّ في ذٰلِكَ لَآيَةً لَكُم إِن كُنتُم مُؤمِنينَ

N. J. Dawood

Their prophet also said to them: ‘The advent of the Ark shall be the portent of his reign. Therein shall be tranquillity¹ from your Lord, and the relics which the House of Moses and the House of Aaron left behind. It will be borne by the angels. That will be a sign for you, if you are true believers.’

This is the meaning of the Arabic word sakīnah, which, however, may well be related to shekhīnah (the Holy Presence) in the Old Testament.