Imam Mahdi and The Ark of the Covenant

One of the inheritances of the prophets that Imam Mahdi possesses and will reveal as proof of his Imamate and legitimacy upon his reappearance is the "Ark of the Covenant". In narrations, The Ark of the Covenant is also referred to by names such as Ark of the Sakinah (divine tranquility/peace), the Covenant Box, Ark of the Jews, the Sacred Ark, Box of the Torah, the Ark of Testimony, and Ark of the Children of Israel.

The Ark of the Covenant in the Quran

The word "Ark" appears twice in the Quran: 1. "...Place him in the Ark and cast him into the river, and the river shall throw him onto the bank; there he shall be taken by an enemy of Mine and an enemy of his.' And I bestowed upon you love from Me that you may be brought up under My care." (Verse 39 of Surah Taha)
This verse refers to the chest in which Moses' mother placed him to save him from being killed by the Pharaohs and cast him into the Nile River. It is narrated from Imam Baqir (peace be upon him) that the chest in which Moses' mother placed him and cast him into the Nile River later came into the possession of the Children of Israel and gained special importance for them. After their exodus from Egypt, it remained with them, and the Tablets of Moses and other items were placed within it. In other words, this chest is the "Ark of the Covenant." Some Shia commentators have accepted this view. ⁽¹⁾
2. " And their prophet told them, Indeed, the sign of his kingship is that an Ark(in which Moses was placed and thrown into the sea) will come to you, containing tranquility from your Lord and an inheritance of what the family of Moses and Aaron left behind, carried by the angels. Indeed, in that is a sign for you, if you are believers." (Verse 248 of Surah Al-Baqarah)
In the above verse, God speaks of an Ark that was both a divine sign and a source of tranquility for the Children of Israel, and also contained the heritage left by Moses and Aaron. This Ark was known among the Children of Israel as the 'Ark of the Covenant' and held great significance. Its saving role is considered a turning point in their history. In this verse, the Quran considers the possession of the Ark as a sign of Saul's kingship. It has been said that the Ark referred to in this verse is indeed the Ark of the Covenant.⁽²⁾
Some Sunni commentators believe that God gave an Ark to Prophet Adam, and this Ark was passed down among the prophets, and the Ark of the Covenant refers to this.⁽³⁾

Ark of the Covenant in Narrations

Narrations related to the Ark of Covenant are found in a number of Shia and Sunni sources. Among Shia sources, we can mention Tafsir al-Qummi, Al-Kafi by Kulayni, Irshad by Sheikh Mufid, and Tafsir al-Ayyashi. Among Sunni sources, we can mention Al-Fitan by Ibn Hammad, 'Uqdul-Durar, and Yanabi' al-Mawaddah.
Regarding the Ark of Covenant, some Shia narrations state: Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) said: 'The matter of the weapon⁽⁴⁾in our family (the household of prophethood) is like the matter of the Ark among the Children of Israel. Whichever household of the Children of Israel possessed the Ark, prophethood was granted to them. Likewise, whoever among us comes into possession of the weapon, Imamate is granted to him.'
According to this narration, The Ark of the Covenant (peace be upon him) is a chest that contains the legacies of the prophets, and God made it a sign for the Children of Israel so that they could be guided to the prophethood of whoever possessed it.
One of the criteria for recognizing and identifying Imam Mahdi after his reappearance is the possession of the legacies of the prophets and the Imams. These legacies are unique items inherited by Imam Mahdi from the prophets and Imams. Although, according to narration, these legacies are currently with Imam Mahdi, their revelation by the Imam for the proof of his legitimacy will take place after his appearance. To prove his legitimacy, just as past prophets did, the Imam will present miracles and wonders, because, as testified by Imam Sadiq he is the distillation of all prophets and their successors before him.
Furthermore, the People of the Sunnah have narrated: 'Imam Mahdi will bring out Ark of the Covenant from the cave of Antioch, wherein exists the Torah and the Gospel that God revealed to Moses and Jesus, and he will judge the People of the Torah with their Torah and the People of the Gospel with their Gospel.'⁽⁵⁾
According to the explicit narrations that exist in this regard, Imam Mahdi will reveal the Sacred Ark. Although Shia narrations have been transmitted concerning the characteristics of Ark of the Covenant, indicating that this Ark is an inheritance passed down from the Prophet to the Household of the Prophet, the hadiths of the Ahl al-Bayt do not mention that Imam Mahdi will bring out Ark of the Covenant from a cave in Antioch or similar locations. Rather, the implication of the narration is that he will send a group towards Antioch to bring out the copies of the Torah and the Companions of the Cave, and to argue with the People of the Book.
Therefore, based on the narrations that exist in this regard, Ark of the Covenant is the chest of tranquility, and Imam Mahdi possesses this chest, which carries the legacies of the prophets, and uses it as proof of his legitimacy for the position of Imamate.

Ark of the Covenant in Holy Books

The Jewish Holy Book attributes miracles to this Ark: 'After the passing of Prophet Moses, the Children of Israel, wanting to cross the Jordan River, brought forth the Ark of the Covenant as before, entered the river, and by the miracle of this Ark, the waters of the river separated, the waters accumulated upstream, and the Children of Israel stepped onto dry land and continued their way.'⁽⁶⁾"

The Origin of The Ark of the Covenant

Commentators hold different views regarding the origin of Ark of the Covenant. Some, relying on narrations, consider it a chest descended upon Adam, containing the images of prophets from Adam to the Seal of Prophets. According to this view, prophets after Adam inherited this Ark until it reached Moses. In some commentaries, including Tafsir al-Qummi, it is stated about Ark of the Covenant:
"The Ark was sent down by God from heaven, and the mother of Prophet Moses placed Moses in this box and cast him into the river. This box was with the Children of Israel, and they sought blessings from it. When Prophet Moses was near death, he placed the Tablets of the Torah, his armor, and whatever signs of prophethood he had with him, into this Ark. This Ark remained among the Children of Israel until they began to treat it lightly and carelessly, and children would play with it in the streets.
As long as the Ark was with them, the Children of Israel were in honor and glory; but when they committed sins and considered the Ark to be insignificant and debased, God Almighty took the Ark away from them."
According to some scholars, the effigies of the divine prophets are in this Ark, and the Children of Israel used to carry this Ark with them in wars, and through it, they achieved victory.

History

After the exodus of the Children of Israel from Egypt, the Ark of the Covenant attained great fame and sanctity. During the Israelites' wandering in the desert, the Ark of the Covenant was kept in the Holy Tent⁽⁷⁾, and very strict regulations existed regarding it. After Prophet Moses and the completion of forty years of wandering in the wilderness of Tih⁽⁸⁾, the Children of Israel, along with Prophet Joshua ⁽⁹⁾, set out towards the Holy Land. The Ark of the Covenant was a significant and influential symbol among the Children of Israel. In various wars, they would place the Ark at the front of the army and overcome their enemies. However, when they opposed their prophets and disobeyed divine commands, they were defeated, and in some of these defeats, the Ark of the Covenant fell into the hands of their enemies, and after some time, for various reasons, it was returned to them.⁽¹⁰⁾
Ultimately, after the attack of Nebuchadnezzar⁽¹¹⁾ on Jerusalem and the destruction of the Temple, the Ark of the Covenant also went missing.

Contents of the Ark

As previously mentioned, the Quran, in verse 248 of Surah Al-Baqarah, generally describes the contents of the Ark of the Covenant as: "And an inheritance of what the family of Moses and Aaron left behind." Commentators have mentioned several items in this regard, including the Tablets of Moses (peace be upon him), the staff of Moses (peace be upon him), and the instruments of other prophets that were inside it. Paul, the second most prominent figure among Christians, in his letter to the Hebrews (which is part of the Christian Holy Book), listed the contents of this Ark as the Tablets of Moses, a golden pot of "Manna" (the bread that God provided daily to the Children of Israel in the desert), and also the staff of Aaron that had once blossomed. ⁽¹²⁾

The Role of Ark of the Covenant in the Era of Reappearance

The era of Imam Mahdi's reappearance is an era of confrontation and encounter with various peoples and nations, including the Jewish people. From the totality of Shia and Sunni narrations, it is understood that Imam Mahdi will invite Jews to Islam during the era of reappearance by presenting arguments and displaying miracles, whereby most of them will embrace Islam, while others, due to fanaticism and enmity, will not accept Islam and will engage in battle with the Imam. Imam Mahdi will present miracles to the Jews to prove his legitimacy.
One of the actions of Imam Mahdi will be to bring forth signs and symbols that hold special sanctity and respect among the adherents of various religions and denominations.
By displaying these sacred signs and symbols, the Imam will win the hearts of the people and create the conditions for the acceptance of Islam and their global programs. These inheritances signify the reality that Imam Mahdi is closer to the prophets and their true successors than all people, and that esteemed figure is the continuator of those same heavenly and divine ideals that all prophets, from Adam to Muhammad, strived to realize.
Since it is his duty to invite followers of all religions to Islam, and considering the nature of Jews, who will not easily yield to the Imam's arguments, certain inheritances have been entrusted to Imam Mahdi so that no doubt remains for them. These inheritances are signs of the Imam's righteousness. Therefore, just as in narrations, the survival of Jesus (peace be upon him) is presented as a factor for the guidance of Christians and their return to following Imam Mahdi; Ark of the Covenant is also one of the inheritances that in numerous narrations has been referred to as a sign of prophethood or the sanctity of its possessor, and a means to prove the legitimacy of Imam Mahdi.

Footnotes:

1. Tafsir al-Qummi, Vol. 1, p. 81.
2. Ibn Ashur, Muhammad Tahir, Al-Tahrir wa al-Tanwir, Vol. 8, p. 304.
3. Al-Baghawi, Husayn ibn Mas'ud, Ma'alim al-Tanzil, Vol. 1, p. 334.
4. The intended meaning of "weapon" is the weapon of the Messenger of God, which serves as a sign for the Imamate of whoever possesses it.
5. Ibn Hammad, Nu'aym, Al-Fitan, Vol. 1, p. 249, Hadith 969.
6. Yazdi Ha'iri, Ali, Ilzam al-Nasib fi Ithbat al-Hujjah al-Gha'ib, Beirut, Mu'assasat al-A'lami, First Edition, 1422 AH.
7. It is a tent that Moses erected in the wilderness of Tih for worship, and in a very famous supplication called the Dua' al-Simat, mentioned in Shia sources, it is referred to as "Qubbat Ruman."
8. Tih is the name of a desert where the Children of Israel remained for forty years after their exodus from Egypt. All of the Children of Israel who left Egypt died in that desert, except for Joshua son of Nun and Caleb son of Jephunneh. Moses and Aaron also passed away there.
9. Joshua son of Nun was one of the prophets of the Children of Israel and the successor of Prophet Moses. He was from the lineage of Prophet Joseph. Joshua was a companion of Moses and one of the leaders of the twelve tribes of the Children of Israel.
10. The Holy Bible, 1 Samuel, Chapter 4.
11. King of Babylon (reigned: 605-562 BCE) who conquered Jerusalem and destroyed Solomon's Temple along with the houses and city walls. He took the Jews captive to Babylon.
12 - The New Testament, Epistle to the Hebrews (Jewish Christians), Chapter 9, Verse 4.

The Twelfth Imam