Sūrat al-Rūm

Meccan. Its verses are sixty.

In the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.

{ Alif. Lām. Mīm. * The Byzantines have been defeated * In the nearest land. But they, after their defeat, will be victorious * Within a few years. To God belongs the command before and after. And on that day the believers will rejoice * In the victory of God. He gives victory to whom He wills, and He is the Exalted in Might, the Merciful. }

The Reading: The famous and widespread reading is ghulibat (the Romans were defeated) with a damma on the ghayn, and wa-sayaghlibuna (and they will be victorious) with a fatha on the ya.

The Land: This refers to the land of the Arabs, as it is the land known to them. The meaning is: they were defeated in the part of the Arab lands closest to them, which are the outskirts of the Levant. Alternatively, it means "their land," treating the lam as a substitute for the possessive, meaning: in the part of their land closest to their enemy. Mujahid said: It is the land of Al-Jazira, the closest Roman territory to Persia. Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them) said: Jordan and Palestine. It has also been read as fi adani al-ard.

The Bid' (Period): According to Al-Asma'i, this is any number between three and ten.

The Context: The Romans and Persians fought between Adhri'at and Busra. The Persians defeated the Romans, and the news reached Mecca. This distressed the Prophet (ﷺ) and the Muslims, because the Persians were Magians (fire-worshippers) with no scripture, while the Romans were People of the Book. The polytheists rejoiced and gloated, saying: "You and the Christians are People of the Book, while we and the Persians are unlettered (ummiyyun). Our brothers have overcome your brothers, and we shall surely overcome you."

Then this verse was revealed. Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) said to them: "May Allah not gladden your eyes! By Allah, the Romans shall defeat the Persians within a bid' of years." Ubayy ibn Khalaf replied: "You lie, O Abu Fasil! Let us set a wager between us." They wagered ten camels each, with a term of three years. Abu Bakr informed the Prophet (ﷺ), who said: "The bid' is between three and nine." So, Abu Bakr increased the wager and extended the term to nine years. Ubayy died from a wound inflicted by the Prophet (ﷺ), and the Romans defeated the Persians on the day of Hudaybiyyah, which was at the end of seven years.

The Sign: It is said that the victory occurred on the day of Badr. Abu Bakr took the winnings from Ubayy’s heirs and brought them to the Prophet (ﷺ), who said: "Give it as charity." This verse is one of the clear signs proving the truth of Prophethood and that the Quran is from Allah, as it is an announcement of the Unseen which only Allah knows.

Grammatical Notes:

• Ghulibuhum was read with a sukun on the lam. Ghalb and ghulb are verbal nouns.
• Ghulibat al-Rum (with fatha) and sayaghlibuna (with damma) means the Romans were defeated in the Levant and will be defeated by the Muslims in a bid' of years. When this period ended, the Muslims began their struggle against the Romans.
• The attribution of the "defeat" differs based on the two readings: in one, it is the attribution of the verbal noun to the object; in the other, to the subject. Examples include: "Expelling them is forbidden to you" (2:85) and "Allah will not fail in His promise" (22:47).

Regarding the Wager: If you ask: "How was the wager valid when it is gambling?" I say: Qatada (may Allah have mercy on him) stated that this was before the prohibition of gambling. Furthermore, the school of Abu Hanifa and Muhammad holds that invalid contracts—such as those involving usury or others—are permissible in the Dar al-Harb (abode of war) between Muslims and disbelievers. They used the contract between Abu Bakr and Ubayy ibn Khalaf as evidence for this.

"From before and from after": This means at the beginning of the two times and at their end—when they were defeated and when they will be victorious. It is as if it were said: "Before they were victors" (which is the time they were defeated) and "After they were defeated" (which is the time they were victors). This signifies that their defeat first and victory later is only by the command and decree of Allah: "And these days We alternate among the people" (3:140). It has also been read in the genitive case without a possessive construction, as if saying: "Beforehand and afterward."

"And on that day": The day the Romans defeat the Persians and Allah’s promise is fulfilled, "the believers shall rejoice." They rejoice at the victory of those who have a Book over those who do not, and at the frustration of the Meccan polytheists who gloated.

"The victory of Allah": It is said this refers to the manifestation of the truthfulness of the believers in what they told the polytheists regarding the Roman victory. Others say it means Allah caused some oppressors to overcome others, dividing their ranks until they decimated one another, which provided strength to Islam. Abu Sa'id al-Khudri said: This coincided with the day of Badr, and on this day, He gave victory to the believers. "And He is the Exalted in Might, the Merciful"—He gives victory to you at one time and to others at another.

"The promise of Allah. Allah does not fail in His promise, but most of the people do not know. They know what is apparent of the worldly life, but they are, of the Hereafter, unaware."