ARK OF THE COVENANT. The Hebrew word for Ark is (i.e. a chest, a coffer), Chald. Arabic نبوث. See Qur’an Surah ii. 249, “The sign of his (Saul’s) kingdom is that there shall come unto you the ark (Tabut); in it shall be security (or the Shechinah, sakinah Heb.) from your Lord, and the. relics of what the family of Moses and the family of Aaron left; the angels shall hear it.” Jalalu ‘d-din’ says this ark contained the images of the prophets, and we sent down from heaven. to Adam, and at length came to the Israelites, who put great confidence therein, and continually carried it in front of their army, till it was taken by the Amalekites. But on this occasion the angels brought it back in the sight of all the people, and placed it at the feet of Saul (Talut), who was thereupon unanimously received as king.

Based on Hughes, Dictionary of Islam