اتْلُ مَا أُوحِيََْ 980 الروم
الم ﴿۱﴾ غُلِبَتِ الرُّومُ ﴿۲﴾ فِي أَدْنَى الْأَرْضِ وَهُمْ مِنْ بَعْدِ غَلَبِهِمْ سَيَغْلِبُونَ ﴿۳﴾
﴾1﴿ Alif-Laaam-Meeem
﴾2﴿ Ghulibatir Room
﴾3﴿ Feee adnal ardi wa hummim ba'di ghalabihim sa-yaghliboon
﴾1﴿ Alif-Laaam-Meeem
﴾2﴿ Defeat of the Romans
﴾3﴿ In the nearby land, and after their defeat, they will soon prevail
Relevancy:
This surah shares several aspects with the previous one. The first aspect is that the previous surah mentioned the proper Jihad, and this surah discusses its outcome, which is the revolution. The second aspect is that the previous surah encouraged Jihad, whereas this surah brings tidings of God Almighty’s support.
Claim of this surah:
The promise of God Almighty’s aid is with the people of monotheism to bring about a revolution. The example of the Romans proves the call and demonstrates the evidence of God Almighty's power in changing circumstances. Additionally, it establishes monotheism with logical arguments and by mentioning an example, refuting various forms of polytheism, including polytheism in actions and prayers, and rejecting forced intercession.
Summary of the surah:
This surah is divided into three sections. The first section, up to verse 19, begins with the example of the Romans overcoming the Persians after their initial defeat. The call of the surah continues up to verse 5, followed by four admonitions: first, their ignorance in verse 6; second, their heedlessness of the afterlife in verse 7; third, their denial of resurrection after death in verse 8, accompanied by logical reasoning; and fourth, their injustice to their own souls in verse 9, with worldly and eschatological warnings in verses 10, 12, 13, 14, and 16, logical reasoning in verse 11, and eschatological glad tidings in verse 15. The mention of glorification and praise (which represents monotheism) in verses 17 and 18 aims to achieve the support of God Almighty, which is the surah’s central claim.
[1] This is among the passages that serve as proof of the Quran's miraculous nature.
[2-3] This example serves as a basis for the surah's claim and as a consolation to the believers, referring to the war between Persia and Rome. The detail is that at the time of the Quran's revelation, these two empires were among the largest in the world. Persia, ruled by a king known as Khosrow, extended its realm over Iran, Afghanistan, and most of the eastern lands, and the Persians were Zoroastrians, not People of the Book, worshipping fire, light, the sun, the moon, stars, etc., similar to the pagan Arabs. Rome, on the other hand, was ruled by Emperor Heraclius and spanned most of the western lands up to Syria, and the Romans were Christians, People of the Book. These two powers frequently warred, but there was a significant battle when the Persian king Shapur sent a large army and defeated the Romans, taking over regions like Syria, Jerusalem, Basra, and other territories, confining the Romans to the area around Rome and Constantinople. This news delighted the polytheists of Mecca who began to taunt the Muslim believers in Mecca, claiming that just as their "brothers" (the Persians) had overcome the Romans, who were the "brothers" of the Muslims, they too would soon triumph over Islam. This caused great distress among the believers, so these verses were revealed to console them, stating that although the Romans were presently defeated, they would soon prevail. Indeed, as predicted, within seven years, the Romans defeated the Persians on the same day that the Muslims won the Battle of Badr, bringing dual joy to the believers and double sorrow to the polytheists.
Note: Benefit: This is clear evidence that the Quran is the true book of God Almighty because it provided news of the unseen which later came true exactly as revealed.
explanation: Rum, son of Aes, son of Isaac, son of Abraham, peace be upon them, is well-known. Thus, it became clear that they are cousins of the descendants of Jacob, son of Isaac, peace be upon them (who are referred to as the Children of Israel). "In the nearest land" refers to the land of the Romans (realm) that was closer to the Arabs as compared to Persia, which includes regions like Syria, Basra, and others.