The Romans (Al-Room)
In the name of Allah, the Entirely Merciful, the Especially Merciful
۞ Alif. Lam. Mim. 1 Defeated have been the Byzantines 2 in the lands close-by; yet it is they who, notwithstanding this their defeat, shall be victorious 3 Within a few years. Allah's is the command before and after; and on that day the believers shall rejoice, 4 With the help of Allah, He helps whom He wills, and He is the All-Mighty, the Most Merciful. 5 (It is) a Promise of Allah (i.e. Allah will give victory to the Romans against the Persians), and Allah fails not in His Promise, but most of men know not. 6 They know only the outside appearance of the life of the world (i.e. the matters of their livelihood, like irrigating or sowing or reaping, etc.), and they are heedless 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 not journeyed in the land and observed what wise hath been the end of those before them? They were stronger than they in power and they broke up the earth and they inhabited it with greater affluence than these have inhabited it, and their apostles came unto them with evidences. And Allah was not one to wrong them, but themselves they were wont to wrong. 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