The Romans (Al-Room)
In the name of Allah, the Entirely Merciful, the Especially Merciful
۞ A. L. M. 1 The Romans have been defeated (by the Persians) 2 in the lands close-by; yet it is they who, notwithstanding this their defeat, shall be victorious 3 in a few years. All power belongs to Allah both before and after. On that day will the believers rejoice 4 in the victory of Allah. Allah gives victory to whosoever He will, and He is the Mighty, the Merciful. 5 It is a promise of God; and God does not go back on His promise. Yet most men do not understand: 6 they only know the outward appearance of the life of this world, and they are neglectful of the Hereafter. 7 Do they not think deeply (in their ownselves) about themselves (how Allah created them from nothing, and similarly He will resurrect them)? Allah has created not the heavens and the earth, and all that is between them, except with truth and for an appointed term. And indeed many of mankind deny the Meeting with their Lord. [See Tafsir At-Tabari, Part 21, Page 24]. 8 Have they, then, never journeyed about the earth and beheld what happened in the end to those [deniers of the truth] who lived before their time? Greater were they in power than they are; and they left a stronger impact on the earth, and built it up even better than these [are doing]; and to them [too] came their apostles with all evidence of the truth: and so, [when they rejected the truth and thereupon perished,] it was not God who wronged them, but it was they who had wronged themselves. 9 Then the end of those who did evil was the worst [consequence] because they denied the signs of Allah and used to ridicule them. 10