Sakina

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This article is about the Arabic word "Sakina". For Sakina (daughter of Hussain), see Sakina bint Hussain.

Sakina (Arabic: سكينة) is an Arabic word derived from "Sakoon", meaning "peace" or "tranquility".

[edit] Usage in the Quran

Sakina is the Spirit of Tranquillity, or Peace of Reassurance, mentioned in the Quran which descended upon Muhammad and the believers, when faced with opposing forces at Hudaybiyah.

"He it is Who sent down the sakina into the hearts of the believers that they might add faith unto their faith" (48:4)

Karen Armstrong notes: “The sakina it will also be recalled, seems to be related to the Hebrew Shekhinah, the term for God’s presence in the world” (Armstrong , Karen "Muhammad" p 224). The Shekhinah is commonly referred to as the indwelling feminine face of God manifest on Earth in matrimonial concord, which retreated in the Fall, and will return as scattered shards or 'sparks' in the final unveiling.

The purported association with the Hebrew Shekhinah is reinforced by Quranic reference to the Ark of the Covenant:

"And their Prophet said unto them: Lo! the token of his kingdom is that there shall come unto you the ark wherein is the sakina from your Lord, and a remnant of that which the house of Moses and the house of Aaron left behind, the angels bearing it. Lo! herein shall be a token for you if (in truth) ye are believers." (2:248)

A criticism of this association to the Hebrew Shekinah comes from another Quranic verse which portrays it as simply being 'sakina' (reassurance), rather than an actual human girl predicted to come in the future as an incarnation of 'tranquility':

the root of the word is sa-ka-na which means "dwelled" or "remained in place" which further supports the association with the word Shekinah but the fact that the word is preceded by "al" (the) shows that it does not denote a name, but has an abstract meaning.

"Allah's Good Pleasure was on the Believers when they swore Fealty to thee under the Tree: He knew what was in their hearts, and He sent down Tranquillity (alssakeenata) to them; and He rewarded them with a speedy Victory;" (48:18)

Sakina is further mentioned in the following verse:

"While the Unbelievers got up in their hearts heat and cant - the heat and cant of ignorance,- Allah sent down His Tranquillity (sakeenatahu) to his Messenger and to the Believers, and made them stick close to the command of self-restraint; and well were they entitled to it and worthy of it. And Allah has full knowledge of all things." (48:26)

This point is reinforced by another Quranic passage:

""If you will not aid him, Allah certainly aided him when those who disbelieved expelled him, he being the second of the two, when they were both in the cave, when he said to his companion: 'Grieve not, surely Allah is with us.' So Allah sent down His peace (Sakīnatahu) upon him and strengthened him with hosts which you did not see..." (9:40)