100 Proofs That Islam Is True (Part 3): The Prophecy of the Roman Victory
Mufti Faijullah Aman
Introduction
No human being knows the future. Astrologers, fortune-tellers, and political analysts all make guesses, and most of the time they are wrong. But the Qur'an made prophecies that were specific, clear, and announced publicly. And every one of them came true. One remarkable example is found in the opening verses of Surah ar-Rum.
The World at That Time
At the beginning of the seventh century, the two superpowers of the world were Rome (the Byzantine Empire) and Persia. A long war was being fought between them. Around 614 CE, Persia dealt the Romans one crushing defeat after another. The Persians captured Syria, conquered Jerusalem, and later took Egypt as well. The Roman Empire stood on the edge of collapse. Its treasury was empty and its army was shattered. According to historians, no one at that time imagined Rome would ever stand up again.
The idol-worshippers of Makkah were delighted by this news, because the Persians were fire-worshippers while the Romans were People of the Book. They would say to the Muslims: "Those who have a scripture like you have been defeated, and you will be defeated by us in the same way."
The Qur'an's Announcement
At this very moment of utter despair, Allah revealed: "The Romans have been defeated in the nearest land. But after their defeat, they will be victorious within a few years. To Allah belongs the command before and after. And on that day the believers will rejoice in the help of Allah." (Surah ar-Rum 30:2-5)
The phrase used in the verse is "bid'i sinin," which in Arabic means a period of three to nine years. So the Qur'an did not only say Rome would win; it also set a time limit.
Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) had such confidence in this verse that he made a wager about it with one of the idol-worshippers of Makkah. This was before gambling was prohibited. The incident is narrated in Sunan at-Tirmidhi.
What History Tells Us
Then something unbelievable happened. The Roman emperor Heraclius rebuilt his army. From 622 CE he launched campaign after campaign against Persia, and in 627 CE he decisively defeated the Persian army at the Battle of Nineveh. The Persian Empire fell into turmoil, and the Romans regained their lost lands.
The final part of the verse, "on that day the believers will rejoice," also came true. The scholars of Qur'anic commentary mention that the Muslims received the news of the Roman victory around the same time as they won their first major victory against the idol-worshippers at the Battle of Badr. Two joys arrived together.
Why This Cannot Be the Word of a Man
Think about it carefully. If Muhammad (peace be upon him) had composed the Book himself, would he have taken such a risk? His enemies were looking for every opportunity to prove him a liar. If Rome had not won within nine years, the credibility of the entire Qur'an would have collapsed. A wise man would never stake all his claims on such an uncertain political event. But for the One who knows the future, there is no risk at all.
Conclusion
The Qur'an announced the revival of an empire that everyone had declared dead, set a time limit for it, and also foretold the joy of the believers. All three came true, word for word. This news came from the One in whose hands lies the command of all things, before and after. He is Allah, and the Qur'an is His word.
In the next part, the fourth proof, in sha Allah.
