| الروم Al-Rum TheRomans | |
|---|---|
| Classification | Meccan |
| Position | Juzʼ 21 |
| Hizbno. | 41 |
| No. ofverses | 60 |
| No. ofRukus | 6 |
| No. of words | 817 |
| No. of letters | 3,472 |
| Quran |
|---|
The Romans (Arabic:الروم,romanized: ’ar-rūm,lit. 'TheRomans') is the 30th chapter (sūrah) of theQuran, consisting of 60 verses (āyāt). The termRūm originated in the wordRoman, and during the time of theIslamic prophetMuhammad, it referred to theEastern Roman Empire; the title is also sometimes translated as "TheGreeks" or "The Byzantines".[1]
The surah references theByzantine–Sasanian War of 602–628 and specifically theSasanian conquest of Jerusalem in 614. Both sides of that war would later become military opponents of the early Muslims. WithinMuhammad's own lifetime, Muslim and Byzantine forces would clash inthe earliest battle of theArab–Byzantine wars, and theMuslim conquest of Persia led to the downfall of theSasanian Empire by the middle of the7th century.
The chapter begins by notingthe recent defeat of theByzantine Empire to theSasanian Empire inJerusalem, near theDead Sea. This defeat posed a significant theological and sociological problem for the earlyMuslim community because the Byzantines wereChristians (considered to be "People of the Book" fromthe Islamic viewpoint) while the Sassanids who defeated them wereZoroastrians. Ar-Rum is in part a response to the non-MuslimArab Meccans, who took the Sassanid victory as a sign that thetraditional polytheistic practices would win out over themonotheism of theAbrahamic religions.[2] In the third and fourth verses, the Muslim community is promised that the Byzantines will reverse their defeat into a victory and retake Jerusalem "in a few years' time".[3]
"The Romans were vanquished in the closer region, and they, after being vanquished, will prevail within a certain number of years. ToGod belongs the command before and after. And that day, ones who believe will be glad with the help of God. He helps whom He wills. And He is The Almighty, The Compassionate."[Quran 30:2–5 (Translated by Laleh Bakhtiar)]
Muslims believe this prophecy was fulfilled withHeraclius' campaign of 622, a Byzantine military counter-offensive that resulted in a crushing defeat for the Sassanids inAnatolia, and cite it as an example of the miraculous nature of theQuran.[4][5]
Regarding the timing and contextual background of the revelation (asbāb al-nuzūl), it is an earlier "Meccan surah", which means it is believed to have been revealed inMecca, instead of later inMedina. Parts of Q30:38-50 are preserved in theṢan‘ā’1 lower text.[7]
According toTheodor Nöldeke, thesurah of ar-Rum was the second-to-last Meccan surah and the 84th surah chronologically; however, he argues its 17thayah was revealed during theMedinan period.[8] While the first ayah of the surah refers to the defeat of theByzantine Empire at the hands of theSasanian Empire nearDamascus in the spring of 614.
According toal-Tabari, it refers to theBattle of Adhri'at in 614, but this battle is ignored in other sources.[9]
In histafsir, entitled "In the Shade of the Qur'an",Sayyid Qutb divides the surah into two halves, verses 1–32 and verses 33–60.[10] Each section begins with an assertion ofGod's grace and mercy and ends with encouragement forMuhammad andhis community.
The main theme of this surah is the contrast between monotheism and polytheism. In addition to making logical arguments against ascribing partners to God, several verses outline the differing fate for idolaters and believers. The unity of God is also emphasized with descriptions of the glory of God through illustrations of His wondrous signs and His miraculous creation. This means that the main lessons of this surah is not to make partners to Allah, and to always have the fate of a believer.
Surah 30 includes a verse comparing the association of partners with God, which is the sin of shirk, to the relationship between a master and his slaves.
"He propounds a parable for you from yourselves. Have you—among those whom your right hands possessed—ascribed associates in what We provided you so that you share as equals and you fear them like your awe for each other? Thus, We explain distinctly the signs to a folk who are reasonable."[Quran 30:28 (Translated by Laleh Bakhtiar)]
This article incorporates text from this source, which is in thepublic domain.
Works related toThe Holy Qur'an (Maulana Muhammad Ali)/30. The Romans at Wikisource| International | |
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