The prediction about Persia and the Romans

The page relates sura ar-Rum: « The Romans have been defeated, in the land nearby, and after their defeat they will be the victors, in a few years ». The Muslims wished the Romans to prevail, for they were People of the Book, while the polytheists backed Persia, idolaters. Abu Bakr took Umayya ibn Khalaf’s wager, the stake five young she-camels, the term extended on the Prophet’s (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) order: the Romans’ victory over Persia occurred on the day of Badr, or the day of al-Hudaybiyya, Allah is most knowing. al-Ala ibn az-Zubayr saw these reversals, then the Muslims prevailing over Persia and the Romans: « all of that in fifteen years », from al-Bayhaqi.

Muslims and polytheists facing the Persia-Rome duel

al-Bayhaqi then introduced the story of Persia and the Romans, with the descent of Allah’s word:

“Alif, Lam, Mim. The Romans have been defeated, in the land nearby, and after their defeat they will be the victors, in a few years. To Allah belongs the command, before and after, and on that day the Believers will rejoice in Allah’s help. He helps whom He wills, and He is the Almighty, the Merciful.”

Sura ar-Rum, 1-5

He related, through the chain of Soufyan ath-Thawri, from Habib ibn Abi ’Amra, from Said ibn Jubayr, from Ibn Abbas: the Muslims wished the Romans to prevail over Persia, for they were People of the Book, while the polytheists wished Persia to prevail over the Romans, for they were idolaters. The Muslims spoke of it to Abu Bakr, who spoke of it to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him); he said: “They shall prevail.” Abu Bakr spoke of it to the polytheists, who said: “Let us fix a term between us: if they prevail, you get such-and-such; if we prevail, we get such-and-such.” Abu Bakr spoke of it to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), who said: “Why did you not set it, I see, at less than ten years?” The Romans prevailed afterwards.

Abu Bakr’s wagers and the date of the Roman victory

We cited the chains of this hadith in our book of exegesis, and we mentioned that Abu Bakr’s counterpart was Umayya ibn Khalaf, that the stake was five young she-camels, that the term was extended by as-Siddiq on the Messenger of Allah’s (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) order, and that the Romans’ victory over Persia occurred on the day of Badr, or the day of al-Hudaybiyya: Allah is most knowing.

“I saw all of that in fifteen years”

He then related, through the chain of al-Walid ibn Muslim, from Ussayd al-Kilabi, that he heard al-Ala ibn az-Zubayr al-Kilabi narrate, from his father: “I saw Persia prevail over the Romans, then I saw the Romans prevail over Persia, then I saw the Muslims prevail over Persia and the Romans, and appear over Syria and Iraq: all of that in fifteen years.”