The Romans (Al-Room)
In the Name of God, the Merciful, the Compassionate
۞ 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 three to nine years. The decision of the matter, before and after (these events) is only with Allah, (before the defeat of Romans by the Persians, and after, i.e. the defeat of the Persians by the Romans). And on that Day, the believers (i.e. Muslims) will rejoice (at the victory given by Allah to the Romans against the Persians), 4 In the victory of Allah. He gives victory to whom He wills, and He is the Exalted in Might, 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 know only some appearance of the life of the world, and are heedless of the Hereafter. 7 Do they not think for themselves that God did not create the heavens and the earth and all that lies between them without reason and a determined purpose? But many men reject the meeting with their Lord. 8 Have they not travelled in the earth and seen how was the end of those before them? They were stronger than these in prowess, and dug up the earth, and built on it in greater abundance than these have built on it, and there came to them their apostles with clear arguments; so it was not beseeming for Allah that He should deal with them unjustly, but they dealt unjustly with their own souls. 9 Then the end of those that did evil was evil, for that they cried lies to the signs of God and mocked at them. 10