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Mahmoud Khaleel Al-Husary

Ibn Kathir (Abridged)

Indonesian Islamic Affairs Ministry

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Imām Ibn al-Jawzī (d. 597/1201) summarized the scholars' opinions in his book "Zād al-Masīr" as follows:

1.It was suspended with the angels between the heaven and the earth from the time it left the Israelites. [Al-Ḥasan]
2. It was on the earth. As for where it was in particular, there are two opinions:

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(i) It was in the possession of the Amalekites, who had buried it. Ibn ʿAbbās said: "The people of Goliath took the Ark and buried it in the place they would answer the call of nature. They were then afflicted with haemorrhoids and perished. The Ark was then taken by the people of another city, who were also struck by a calamity and perished. This continued until five cities were destroyed. Finally, they placed it on two cows and directed them towards the Israelites, and the angels guided the cows."
(ii) It was in the wilderness where they had wandered, where Yūshaʿ had left it, but they did not know its location until the angels brought it to them. [Qatādah]

Imām Ibn al-Jawzī (d. 597/1201) summarized the scholars' opinions in his book "Zād al-Masīr" as follows:

1. They brought it themselves. Wahb said: "The people asked their prophet to set a time for it to come to them, and he said: ‘At dawn.’ They did not sleep that night, and the angels brought it at dawn. They heard the sound of the angels carrying it between the sky and the earth." According to this, "carried it" has its most obvious meaning.
2. The angels brought it on a cart with two oxen. [also narrated from Wahb] According to this view, it means that they caused it to be carried. Al-Zajjāj stated: "It is permissible in the language to say 'I carried the thing' if you were the cause of it being carried."

In what sense did the angels bring the ark?

Imām Ibn al-Jawzī (d. 597/1201) summarized the scholars' opinions in his book "Zād al-Masīr" as follows:

1, 2. It refers to the fragments of the tablets that were broken when Moses threw them and his staff. [Ibn ʿAbbās, Qatādah, al-Suddī] ʿIkrimah stated the same but made no mention of the staff. It has been said that Moses took the ark (*tābūt*) for the purpose of gathering the fragments of the tablets in it.

3. It refers to the staff of Moses which was there with the *sakīnah* (i.e. a spirit, see the related question above). [Wahb]
4. It refers to the staff of Moses, the staff of Aaron, their garments, two tablets of the Torah, and some manna. [Abū Ṣāliḥ]
5. It refers to knowledge and the Torah. [Mujāhid, ʿAṭāʾ ibn Abī Rabāḥ]
6. It refers to the fragments of the tablets, a measure of manna in a golden basin, the staff of Moses, and his turban. [Muqātil]
7. It refers to a measure of manna and the fragments of the tablets, as related by Sufyān al-Thawrī from some scholars.
8. It refers to the staff of Moses and his sandals, also related by al-Thawrī from some scholars.
9. It refers to jihād in the path of Allah, which they were commanded to undertake. [Al-Ḍaḥḥāk]

What is meant by the "remnant left by the family of Moses and the family of Aaron"?

Imām Ibn al-Jawzī (d. 597/1201) summarized the scholars' opinions in his book "Zād al-Masīr" as follows:

1. It is a gentle breeze that has a face like that of a human being. [Abū al-Aḥwaṣ from ʿAlī]
2. It is a small and terrifying creature; during battles, it would extend its leg and shine its eyes at the enemy, causing them to flee. [Al-Ḍaḥḥāk from Ibn ʿAbbās]
3. It is a golden basin from Paradise in which the hearts of the prophets are washed. [Abū Mālik from Ibn ʿAbbās]
4. It is a spirit from Allah that speaks. Whenever they disagreed about something, it would speak to them and clarify what they wanted. [ʿAbd al-Ṣamad ibn Maʿqil from Wahb ibn Munabbih]
5. It refers to signs that they recognize and which bring them peace. [Ibn Jurayj from ʿAṭāʾ ibn Abī Rabāḥ, al-Zajjāj]
6. It means "dignity". [Maʿmar from Qatādah]
7. It refers to "mercy." [Al-Rabīʿ ibn Anas]

What is meant by the *"sakīnah"* in this āyah?